Cultural History of Medieval India

Front Cover
Meenakshi Khanna
Berghahn Books, 2007 - History - 248 pages
Cultural History Of Medieval India Is A Part Of The Series, Readings In History. The Books In This Series Have Been Edited And Put Together By Eminent Historians For Their Students. This Anthology Of Readings Seeks To Explore Indian Culture In The Medieval Period Through Five Themes: Kingship Traditions, Social Processes Of Religious Devotion, Inter-Cultural Perception, Forms Of Identities, And Aesthetics.
Written By Well-Known Scholars, The Eleven Essays In This Book Present Sub-Cultures In Diverse Regional Settings Of The Subcontinent. The Articles Suggest That Culture Does Not Exist As Fragments Of The Great And Little , Or Classic And Folk In Any Given Tradition. In Fact, Variants Within A Given Tradition Interact With One Another And Assimilate New Characteristics Over Time. These Interactions Also Take Place Across Boundaries Of Different Religious And Cultural Spheres, And In The Process, Give Meaning To The Notions Of The 'Self' And The 'Other'. In An Attempt To Define The 'Other' One Discovers The 'Self'. These Readings Introduce A New Way Of Understanding Medieval Indian History By Engaging With Interdisciplinary Methods Of Research On Issues That Are Significant To Everyday Existence In A Plural Society Like That Of India. This Book Will Be Of Great Value To Students Of History, As Well As To Other Readers Interested In The Culture Of The Medieval Period In India.
 

Contents

Brahmins Jesters and Magicians
3
The Case of Akbar
24
Ritual Singing as a Means of Communication
47
Popular Shiism
72
Images of Raiders and Rulers
101
The Articulation of Islamic Space in the Medieval Deccan
126
Exploratory Observations
145
Desire and Narrative in a Hindavi Sufi
173
The Hierarchical Principles of ShahJahani Painting
203
Jahangir presents Prince Khurram a jewelled turban
220
Prince Awrangzeb facing the maddened elephant named
226
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About the author (2007)

Meenakshi Khanna is Reader in History, Indraprastha College for Women, University of Delhi.

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