Seeking Dharma Below the Winds: Hindu Particularism in Island Southeast Asia.

Amidst the positively enormous body of literature on processes of the development of Hinduism in Southeast Asia, considerably fewer studies attempt to address the topic of Hindu particularism in the region. Many studies gravitate toward Balinese Agama Hindu Dharma, with perhaps mentions of Batak, Dayak, and others. Ultimately, there is so much evidence in favor of the idea of local religious communities that are simply "Dayak Religion" or "Batak Religion," the question then arises: Why do these communities get called "Hindu" at all? In this article, based upon a collection of fieldwork in the region and historical analysis, the potential value of the discourse of Hindu particularism through the cases of the Batak, Dayak, and Balinese is examined. In each of these three cases, those scholars of Hinduism will find elements familiar. However, if they are keen observers, scholars of Hinduism will also indeed find elements that are specific to each Southeast Asian context, influenced by a confluence of Dutch colonialism, Japanese imperialism, and the modern Indonesian state. Thus, the article argues what is at stake for these communities that might not otherwise be considered "Hindu" at all is a matter of governmental recognition and, therefore, of livelihood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]