... sums,intimately affecting the state's own finances, were involved. Also, in Madras, temple lands included some of the best agricultural land in the Presidency, in the continued upkeep and ... "noninterference" and the "wall ofseparation" being the standard for their interaction. To be legitimate,therefore, the Tamil Nadu government must redefine its relation totemples as something other ... hadmuch to gain from political activity, and especially from issues relatingto temple finance and administration. The colonial state, in turn,increasingly needed the support of the emerging Indian...