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{{Short description|2001 book by D. N. Jha}}
{{Infobox book
| name = The Myth of the Holy Cow
| image = The Myth of the Holy Cow (Book Cover).jpeg
| author = [[D. N. Jha]]
| country = India
| language = English
| subject = Hinduism, History
| publisher =Matrix Books, republished by [[Verso Books|Verso]] in 2002
| published = 2001
| pages = 183
| isbn = 978-1-8598-4676-6
| isbn_note =
| award =
}}

'''''The Myth of the Holy Cow''''' is a 2001 book by historian [[D. N. Jha]] published by Matrix Books. The book was republished by [[Verso Books|Verso]] in 2002. The book aims to dispel the myth of the holiness of cows in ancient India. The author received death threats by [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalists]] over it and the book was later banned by Hyderabad civil court.

== Overview ==
The book stated that cows were eaten in ancient India. Cattle, including cows, were neither inviolable nor as revered in ancient times as they were later.<ref>{{cite web | last=Salam | first=Ziya Us | title=Prof D.N. Jha (1940-2021), a rare historian who wore his knowledge with ease | website=Frontline | date=5 February 2021 | url=https://frontline.thehindu.com/dispatches/prof-dn-jha-1940-2021-a-rare-historian-who-wore-his-knowledge-with-ease/article33757036.ece | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref><ref name="New York Times">{{cite web | last=Eakin | first=Emily | title=Holy Cow a Myth? An Indian Finds The Kick Is Real | website=The New York Times | date=17 August 2002 | url=https://www.nytimes.com/2002/08/17/books/holy-cow-a-myth-an-indian-finds-the-kick-is-real.html | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref>

== Reception ==
The book was reviewed by historian of religions, David M. Knipe of the University of Wisconsin, Madison<ref>{{cite journal |last=Knipe|first=D. M.|title=Review: The Myth of the Holy Cow|journal=Journal of the American Academy of Religion|volume=72|issue=1|date=1 March 2004|issn=0002-7189|doi=10.1093/jaarel/lfh020|pages=263–266|url=https://academic.oup.com/jaar/article-lookup/doi/10.1093/jaarel/lfh020|access-date=31 January 2026|url-access=subscription}}</ref> and by Matthew Sayers of University of Texas, who noted it to be a "well-organized, well-focused, and concerted effort to demonstrate that the modern understanding that the cow has been sacred since Vedic times is a mistake."<ref>{{cite journal | last=Sayers | first=Matthew | title=The Myth of the Holy Cow. By D. N. Jha. New York: Verso, 2002. 183 pp. $22.00 (cloth). | journal=The Journal of Asian Studies | volume=62 | issue=1 | date=2003 | issn=0021-9118 | doi=10.2307/3096214 | pages=311–313 | url=https://read.dukeupress.edu/journal-of-asian-studies/article/62/1/311/339463 | access-date=31 January 2026| url-access=subscription }}</ref><ref>{{cite web |title=The Myth of the Holy Cow (D.N. Jha)|website=Danny Yee's Book Reviews|url=https://dannyreviews.com/h/Holy_Cow.html|access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=India's movement to protect cows is rooted in politics, not religion | website=The Economist | date=20 December 2022 | url=https://www.economist.com/christmas-specials/2022/12/20/indias-movement-to-protect-cows-is-rooted-in-politics-not-religion | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref>

== Attacks from Hindu nationalists ==
Since 2001, Jha has received death threats over his book ''The Myth of the Holy Cow'' in which he outlined the practice of eating beef in ancient India as documented in [[Vedas|Vedic]] and Post-Vedic texts. Since Hindus consider the cow holy and deny the claims of beef consumption during Vedic period, the Hindu activist groups created controversy over his book.<ref>{{cite web | last=Reddy | first=Sheela | title=A Brahmin's Cow Tales | website=Outlook India | date=8 September 2001 | url=https://www.outlookindia.com/society/a-brahmins-cow-tales-news-213159 | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Mishra | first=Pankaj | title=Review: The Myth of the Holy Cow by DN Jha | website=The Guardian | date=12 July 2002 | url=https://www.theguardian.com/books/2002/jul/13/historybooks.highereducation | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | title=The Hindu : Beef eating: strangulating history | website=thehindu.com | date=14 August 2001 | url=http://www.thehindu.com/2001/08/14/stories/13140833.htm | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151017114253/http://www.thehindu.com/2001/08/14/stories/13140833.htm | archive-date=17 October 2015 | url-status=dead | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref> The book was banned by Hyderabad civil court. <ref>{{cite web | last=Jha | first=D. N. | title=The Myth of the Holy Cow | website=Verso | date=17 February 2004 | url=https://www.versobooks.com/en-gb/products/1789-the-myth-of-the-holy-cow | access-date=31 January 2026}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[Cattle in religion and mythology]]

== References ==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Myth of the Holy Cow}}
[[Category:History books about India]]
[[Category:2001 books]]
[[Category:Vegetarianism and religion]]
[[Category:Hinduism and cattle]]
[[Category:Hinduism-related controversies]]

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The Myth of the Holy Cow - Revision history

Surojit098: Put up info