Radhakamal Mukerjee and the Quest for an Indian Sociology

Based on an appraisal of Radhakamal Mukerjee's critique of western social science approaches to the study of Indian society and culture, this paper attempts to discern the elements of an alternative indigenous (Indian?) vision through a critical and selective reading of his oeuvre. It foregrounds Mukerjee's axial concerns and analytical thematics and explores the contours of a critique of western modernity in his pioneering contributions. Its primary focus is to delineate the nature and premises of Mukerjee's exposition of Indianness in relation to his conceptualisation of the relations between individual, society, and culture.