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Muslim Cultures of the Indian Ocean: Diversity and Pluralism, Past and Present

Stephane Pradines and Farouk Topan (editors)

Explores the role of Islam in forming and transforming interconnectivity across the Indian Ocean World from a longue durée perspective.

• Highlights the centrality of Muslim cultures in understanding interconnectivity across the Indian Ocean.
• Explores the role of Islam in forming and transforming global interactions and local agencies across the Indian Ocean.
• Offers intra-Muslim perceptions of beliefs, practices and activities, both religious and other.
• Presents 15 case studies across Ethiopia, Gujarat, Java, Kerala, the Malay-Indonesian archipelago, Maldives, Oman, Tanzania, Zanzibar and the Persianate cultural zone.

This book examines the role of Muslim communities in the emergence of connections and mobilities across the Indian Ocean World from a longue durée perspective. Spanning the 7th century through the medieval period until the present day, this book aims to move beyond the usual focus on geographical sub-regions to highlight different aspects of interconnectivity in relation to Islam. Analysing textual and material evidence, contributors examine identities and diasporas, manuscripts and literature, as well as vernacular and religious architecture. It aims to explore networks and circulations of peoples, ideas and ideologies, as well as art, culture, religion and heritage. It focuses on global interactions as well as local agencies in context.

Female Militants in South Asia: Fighters and Facilitators

Ayesha Ray

Though often portrayed as lacking agency, women in South Asia, in considerable numbers, participate actively in the insurgencies that plague the region—taking up arms alongside men or facilitating recruitment and operations. What compels them to do so? And what roles do they play? Ayesha Ray answers these questions by exploring women’s involvement in violent revolutionary and Islamist movements across Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka.

The Archaeology of Modern Worlds in the Indian Ocean

Mark William Hauser and Julia Jong Haines (editors)

Case studies that show the importance of the Indian Ocean region to the emergence of modernity and globalization.

This volume brings together a diverse range of specialists working in multiple areas of the Indian Ocean world, providing broad geographical coverage and comparisons across sites. Contributors use a historical archaeological approach, which bridges everyday life in the recent past with large-scale processes of globalization, to examine topics related to colonialism, labor, race, ethnicity, diaspora, human-environment relationships, and heritage.

Case studies from Zanzibar, Mauritius and the Mascarene islands, India, Indonesia, Java, and other locations emphasize networks and connections across the Indian Ocean. Contributors apply a variety of disciplinary methods, including bioanthropology, analysis of medieval illustrations and colonial documents, architectural history, and anthropology of built space. They discuss the material history of domestic areas, religious structures, and colonial outposts; the structure of the slave trade; and the everyday implications of disease and health management within laboring populations.

This volume decenters European narratives and actors to show the important ways this region shaped the modern world. By highlighting the experiences of ordinary people in East Africa and South and Southeast Asia, the research in these chapters contributes to a better understanding of histories in the Global South over the last four hundred years.

The Politics of Muslim Identities in Asia

Iulia Lumina (editor)

Explores the intersection between Islam and politics in contemporary Southeast Asia, South Asia and China.

• Gives a comparative view of Asia’s diverse Muslim identities, looking at the complexity of identity politics and the instrumentalisation of religious difference that create social divides.
• Situates the contemporary contestations of identity and belonging amid new waves of Islamic revivalism, ethnic nationalism and political repression.
• Includes 9 country-based case studies: Singapore, Malaysia, Pakistan, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Philippines, India, Myanmar and China.
• Features contributions from experts in political science, anthropology, Islamic studies, sociology including: Irfan Ahmad, Syed Imad Alatas, Nazry Bahrawi, Syafiq Hasyim, Imrul Islam, Nazneen Mohsina, Matthew J. Nelson, Nathan Gilbert Quimpo and Joanne Smith Finley.

Approaching religious identity with an emphasis on agency and contestation, this book offers a historical perspective on the development of Muslim identities in Asia. It examines the contingent politics that influence how Muslims constitute themselves as modern subjects.

Through 9 country-based case studies, the book analyses how Muslims articulate their religious identity vis-à-vis the state and society in which they live, and how their position relates to specific social and political contexts. The contributors survey how religious affiliation sparks a politics of difference in contexts where Islamic practices, beliefs and aspirations are contested, as well as where Muslims are framed as the ‘Other’.

Insecurities of Expulsion: Afro-Asian Entanglements in Transcontinental Uganda

Anneeth Kaur Hundle

In 1972, Ugandan president Idi Amin expelled close to 80,000 South Asians of Ugandan heritage from the country by dictatorial decree. In Insecurities of Expulsion, Anneeth Kaur Hundle revisits this weighty historical event, arguing that it is neither an exceptional nor a parochial event, neither a result of primordial Afro-South Asian racial conflict nor an opening into a redemptive search for Afro-South Asian interracial solidarities. Hundle explores the aftermaths and continuous nature of the expulsion event, examining its effects and affects; the images, representations, and differentiated experiences and memories of the event; and the tense and ambivalent practices of citizenship, sovereignty, and governance that have emerged in the decades following the expulsion. She examines Afro-Asian entanglements in what she describes as transcontinental Uganda through the lenses of race, ethnicity, class, caste, religion, gender, and sexuality. Throughout, Hundle argues for stronger attention to knowledge production on global Afro-South Asian connections and the continued dynamics of community, citizenship, and identity on the African Continent as central to envisioning Black African self-determinism, racial reconciliation, and interracial pluralisms during shifting imperial, postcolonial, nationalist, and geopolitical times.

Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of World History: The Essentials

Thomas L. Pangle

Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of World History brings together the works of Georg W. F. Hegel (1770–1831), one of the greatest philosophers of history, who, prior to his death, did not execute a treatise setting forth his philosophy of world history.

All that remains are fragmented and truncated manuscript materials and meticulous student transcripts from his lectures on the philosophy of world history, which are assembled in this book to present what Hegel might call the “essential phases” or “moments” in his philosophy of world history as an articulated, unfolding, organic whole.

Drawing from historical-critical editions, Thomas L. Pangle has compiled a range of passages that provide the fullest and clearest expression of Hegel’s teachings on the philosophy of history as divine reason expressing itself dynamically in the whole of existence. Hegel’s Lectures on the Philosophy of World History provides lucid, vivid, and concrete access to Hegel’s political philosophy, as the most ambitious and thorough attempt to demonstrate that world history overall, starting with ancient China and India, exhibits God’s providence for humanity as a truly rational divine plan.

Kings and Dervishes: Sufi World Renunciation and the Symbolism of Kingship in the Persianate World

Said Amir Arjomand

Saïd Amir Arjomand's Kings and Dervishes is a pioneering study of the emergence and development of Sufism during the formation of the Persianate world. Whereas Sufi doctrine was expressed in the New Persian language, its social organization was detached from the civic movement among the urban craftsmen and artisans known as the fotovva(t) and was politically shaped by multiple forces—first by the revival of Persian kingship, and then by the emergence of the Turko-Mongolian empires.

The intermingling of Sufism’s developmental path with the transformation of the Persianate political regimes resulted in the progressive appropriation of royal symbols by the Sufi shaykhs. The original Sufi world renunciation gave way first to world accommodation and the medieval love mysticism of Jalāl al-Din Rumi and Hāfez of Shiraz, and then to world domination. This comprehensive work of historical sociology traces these spiritual and political evolutions over the course of some six centuries, showing how the Sufi saints’ symbolic sovereignty was eventually made real in the imperial kingship of the Persianate world’s early modern empires.

The Life of Shariʿa: A Comparative Anthropology of Law

Youssef Belal

Is there a way to think about contemporary life with knowledge that is neither modern nor Western? Rather than confining Islam to a “religion” and shariʿa to its “law,” Youssef Belal provocatively argues that Islamic shariʿa is a mode of knowledge with its own concepts and scholarly categories through which the world and the self are grasped. The Life of Shariʿa considers two intertwined lineages: how Islamic scholars have formulated knowledge from the classical period to today and how Westerners have understood the law and its origins. By melding these two traditions, Belal puts the formation of modern law under a new light and offers, through a compelling conceptualization of shariʿa, a powerful argument for its continued relevance to the life of contemporary Muslims.

Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume I: Elements

Matthew T. Kapstein (editor)

In Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume I, Matthew T. Kapstein and an international team of specialists provide a comprehensive introduction to the material and aesthetic features of the wide range of Tibetan books, described in detail and illustrated with copious full-color photographs.

With a documented history of over thirteen centuries, Tibetan books have long served as a medium of culture and learning throughout Central and East Asia. Major collections of Tibetan manuscripts and printed books—for Tibetan works were put into print even before the age of Gutenberg—are found in libraries and museums far from the traditional centers of Tibetan learning. Yet the history, production, and design of these works remain poorly understood.

Topics covered in volume I include the manufacture of paper and ink, format and layout, scripts and scribal conventions, illumination and decoration, woodblock printing, book storage, preservation, and the use of contemporary digital technologies for the documentation of traditional works. Volume I of Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books is an essential resource for all students of Tibetan civilization, as well as for scholars, collectors, and others interested in the diverse book cultures of Asia. Volume II was published simultaneously with Volume I and is also now available.

Winner of the Toshihide Numata Book Award in Buddhism of the Center for Buddhist Studies at the University of California, Berkeley.

Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume II: Elaborations

Matthew T. Kapstein (editor)

Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books, Volume II explores the major categories of traditional Tibetan books, introducing their specific features and the main approaches to their study.

In five major sections, it surveys manuscript collections including Buddhist scriptural canons, official and administrative documents, works on technical subjects—medicine, veterinary practice, liturgical chant, and the arts of divination—and Tibetan books from China and Mongolia. Two case studies exemplify the roles of paleographic and iconographic analysis in the examination of antique manuscripts.

Like Volume I, the second volume of Tibetan Manuscripts and Early Printed Books has been written by the foremost experts in the field, whose wide-ranging essays are illustrated with numerous full-color images of original works. Addressing students and scholars of Tibetan Buddhism and Tibetan history and culture in their varied dimensions, this volume will also interest scholars and other readers oriented more broadly to the global history of the book. Volume I was published simultaneously with Volume II and is also now available.

The House of the Satrap: The Making of the Ancient Persian Empire

Rhyne King

Starting in the sixth century BCE, the conquests of the Persian kings Cyrus, Cambyses, and Darius transformed the lives of humans on a continental scale, as their empire reached from the Iranian plateau to eastern Europe, Central Asia, and North Africa. Beyond the imperial center, the kings’ vast territory was ruled by royal representatives known as satraps, who managed the practicalities of running the empire. In this book, Rhyne King explores how the empire was governed by investigating how the satraps and the structures supporting them—their “houses”—operated across great distances. Examining satrapal houses in Egypt, Anatolia, Mesopotamia, and Central Asia, King demonstrates how these systems encouraged local self-interest and advancement even as they benefited the imperial whole. Ultimately, he argues, it was these Persian forms of transregional governance that were key in enabling the vast polity to endure for more than two centuries.

Parting Gifts of Empire: Palestine and India at the Dawn of Decolonization

Esmat Elhalaby

Parting Gifts of Empire narrates an untold story of how Arabs and South Asians in the twentieth century sought to decolonize their minds. The histories of Palestine and India—both partitioned by the British Empire—are intimately linked. In the face of similar imperially created chasms, Arab and Indian intellectuals reinvigorated centuries of shared histories to forge new horizons, new solidarities, new institutions, and new fields of knowledge. In this book, Esmat Elhalaby traces the forgotten lives of scholars like Wadi’ al-Bustani, revisits Arab and Indian feminist meetings, highlights gatherings such as Delhi’s 1947 Asian Relations Conference, and argues for the centrality of Palestine to the rise of the Third World. This book breaks new ground to unfold a global intellectual history of anticolonialism, Asian unity, pan-Islamism, and nonalignment in the making of what became known as the Global South.

Caste-Communal-Politics Nexus in Higher Education Policy: The Case of Southern States and Maharashtra

A. Mathew (author), Kuldeep Mathur (foreword)

While quantitative analyses of higher education in India are plentiful, informed research on higher education policy at the State level remains limited. This volume seeks to fill that gap. It is the outcome of a multi-state study sponsored by the ICSSR, examining higher education policies in four southern States—Andhra Pradesh (pre-bifurcation), Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu—and the western State of Maharashtra. Set against both historical contexts and contemporary realities, each State-specific case study offers a critical assessment of higher education policy and reflects on the factors that have significantly influenced policy processes.

A common feature across these States is the overwhelming presence and influence of unaided private educational institutions, whose dominance has shaped policy orientations and enabled their largely unchallenged expansion within the higher education system. However, the factors shaping State policies on expansion and qualitative development vary considerably. In Andhra Pradesh, political affiliations and caste considerations have influenced policy directions; in Karnataka, policy responses have oscillated in reaction to expert recommendations; in Tamil Nadu, higher education policy has been shaped by competitive politics centred on vision, access, and affordability. Maharashtra provides a striking example of an education-politics nexus that has weakened university autonomy, while Kerala stands apart with relatively slower growth but a sustained focus on equity-driven expansion through regulated privatisation.

Together, these States account for more than 40 percent of all higher education institutions in the country. The policy trends explored in this volume, therefore, offer important insights into the evolving trajectory of higher education in India as a whole. This work will be of considerable value to planners, administrators, researchers, and students engaged in a deeper analysis of education policy in India.

Origin and Growth of Satī in Early Medieval India: A Historical Investigation

G.C. Chauhan and Sachin Chahal (authors), Mahesh Sharma (foreword)

Origin and Growth of Satī in Early Medieval India: A Historical Investigation explores the historical background and evolution of the Satī practice in early medieval India. The ancient custom of a widow immolating herself on her husband’s funeral pyre—known as Satī—has a complex and multifaceted history. Initially viewed as an expression of devotion and fidelity, the practice gradually transformed over time and was, in many instances, imposed upon widows.

This study traces the evolution of Satī from a rare and voluntary act to a more institutionalised and widespread ritual, particularly among the upper social strata. It examines the social and economic forces that contributed to its proliferation, including the emergence of warrior and royal cultures, inheritance disputes, and the consolidation of patriarchal norms.

Drawing upon literary and epigraphic sources, the authors provide a detailed analysis of various dimensions of the Satī tradition. They also consider the influence of colonial interpretations, orientalist discourses, and indigenous cultural frameworks. Through this comprehensive and nuanced approach, the book offers a deeper understanding of the complex historical trajectory of Satī in early medieval India.