Swami Vivekananda (1863–1902) 150 Years on: Critical Studies of an Influential Hindu Guru

Abstract

Abstract Swami Vivekananda has been recognised as one of the most influential but arguably controversial Hindu gurus of the last two centuries. In this year of the 150th anniversary of Vivekananda's birth, this article will examine the concerns and approaches that have come increasingly to characterise etic scholarship concerning Vivekananda's life and legacy. Referring as a starting point to an earlier historiographical review completed in the early 1990s, the article then explores how scholarly studies have revisited the question of the nature of Vivekananda's influence on Hindu nationalism (Hindutva) and have come to give greater prominence to his role in the globalisation of yoga.