Just off busy Mehrauli - Gurgaon Road in Delhi, India, the 16th-century Sufi court poet Jamali is buried in a tomb next to Kamali, of whom the printed matter says identity unknown, but who helpful guides say, was the poet's lover. Little about them is known. Karen Chase envisions love and longing between the two, who according to Delhi's oral tradition were homosexual lovers. Others believe that Kamali was Jamali's wife, and some others believe that Kamali was Jamali's nom de plume. Over the reigns of Sikandar, Lodi, Babur and Humayun, Jamali's travels take him to Syria, Iran, Bhagdad, Ceylon, Mecca, Herat, Damascus, Palestine and Spain, making for many separations. The verse moves from Jamali's longing to Kamali's lament, re-creating the interplay between their passionate hearts.
The Dictionary of Islamic Architecture provides the fullest range of artistic, technical, archaeological, cultural and biographical data for the entire geographical and chronological spread of Islamic architecture - from West Africa through the Middle East to Indonesia, and from the seventh to the eighteenth centuries of the Common Era. Over 500 entries are arranged alphabetically and fully cross-referenced and indexed to permit easy access to the text and to link items of related interest. Four main categories of subject matter are explored: * dynastic and regional overviews * individual site descriptions * biographical entries * technical definitions Over 100 relevant plans, sketch maps, photographs and other illustrations complement and illuminate the entries, and the needs of the reader requiring further information are met by individual entry bibliographies.
This book seeks to reconstruct the past of undivided Panjab during five medieval centuries. It opens with a narrative of the efforts of Turkish warlords to achieve control in the face of tribal resistance, internal dissensions and external invasions. It examines the linkages of the ruling class with Zamindars and Sufis, paving the way for canal irrigation and agrarian expansion, thus strengthening the roots of the state in the region. While focusing on the post-Timur phase, it tries to make sense of the new ways of acquiring political power. This work uncovers the perpetual attempts of Zamindars to achieve local dominance, particularly in the context of declining presence of the state in the countryside. In this ambitious enterprise, they resorted to the support of their clans, adherence to hallowed customs and recurrent use of violence, all applied through a system of collective and participatory decision-making. The volume traces the growth of Sufi lineages built on training disciples, writing books, composing poetry and claiming miraculous powers. Besides delving into the relations of the Sufis with the state and different sections of the society, it offers an account of the rituals at a prominent shrine. Paying equal attention to the southeastern region, it deals with engagement of the Sabiris, among other exemplars, with the Islamic spirituality. Inclusive in approach and lucid in expression, the work relies on a wide range of evidence from Persian chronicles, Sufi literature and folklore, some of which have been used for the first time. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka
These essays are the revised and updated version of four lectures given in the Yarshater Lecture Series, at SOAS in London in 2013. They concern some aspects of the arts from pre-modern Iran and India, namely, the “making of” of Persian illustrated manuscripts, the iconography of Kashan wares, the use and re-use of luster tiles in Ilkhanid Iran, and the glazed tiles made in three Indian sultanates (Delhi, Bengal and Malwa). These four topics share concepts of influence and impact, although inflected on different modes. The productions they embody represent many poles of influence, even if working on different scales, from the extensive diffusion of products, techniques, and systems to almost isolated productions.
Sufism, called the mystical dimension of Islam, is known for its inclusive nature, as well as its ethics of love and compassion, its devotional music, art and architecture. In India's syncretic culture, Sufism developed a distinct character, and harmoniously embraced the Bhakti traditions of North India. Rana Safvi's In Search of the Divine delves into the fascinating roots of Sufism, with its emphasis on ihsan, iman and akhlaq, and the impact it continues to have on people from all communities. Safvi relies not only on textual sources but also on her own visits to dargahs across the country, and the conversations she has with devotees and pirs alike. The book evokes in vivid detail the sacred atmosphere she encounters - the reverent crowds, the strains of qawwali and the fragrance of incense, as well as highlights the undeniable yet often forgotten contributions of women in Sufism. The resulting text is at once modern and a tribute to the rich and textured past. Weaving together fact and popular legend, ancient histories and living tradition, this unique treatise examines core Sufi beliefs and uncovers why they might offer hope for the future.
Dilli ki Khoj is an anecdotal history of Delhi and its monuments by Shri Brij Kishan Chandiwala, an eminent Gandhian. The volume was published in Hindi by the Publications Division of the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Government of India, in 1964 and has been out of print for many years. This English translation of Dilli ki Khoj revives an out-of-print classic and makes it more accessible to a global audience. The book covers Delhi’s long history, details on monuments built from the ancient times till the early 1960s and a detailed recording of all of Gandhiji’s visits to Delhi. It also traces significant epochs in Indian history and the rise of a national identity. The volume spans the genres of journalism, architecture, history, mythology and area studies and will be of special interest to historiographers, especially in the contemporary context.
'Elegant, lucid and funny, this book will appeal to as many readers as there are desires.'--Shohini Ghosh 'The history of desire in India, ' writes Madhavi Menon in this splendid book, 'reveals not purity but impurity as a way of life. Not one answer, but many. Not a single history, but multiple tales cutting across laws and boundaries.' In Bhakti poetry, Radha and Krishna disregard marital fidelity, age, time and gender for erotic love. In Sufi dargahs, pirs (spiritual guides) who were married to women are buried alongside their male disciples, as lovers are. Vatsyayana, author of the world's most famous manual of sex, insists that he did not compose it 'for the sake of passion', and remained celibate through the writing of it. Long hair is widely seen as a symbol of sexuality; and yet, shaved off in a temple, it is a sacred offering. Even as the country has a draconian law to punish homosexuality, heterosexual men share the same bed without comment. Hijras are increasingly marginalized; yet gender has historically been understood as fluid rather than fixed. Menon navigates centuries, geographies, personal and public histories, schools of philosophy, literary and cinematic works, as she examines the many--and often surprising--faces of desire in the Indian subcontinent. Her study ranges from the erotic sculptures of Khajuraho to the shrine of the celibate god Ayyappan; from army barracks to public parks; from Empress Nur Jahan's paan to home-made kohl; from cross-dressing mystics to androgynous gods. It shows us the connections between grammar and sex, between hair and war, between abstinence and pleasure, between love and death. Gloriously subversive, full of extraordinary analyses and insights, this is a book you will read to be enlightened and entertained for years.
When Alok Shirke decided to prepare for the mother-of-all-exams – UPSC Civil Service – little did he know that the journey would turn out to be much more than just books and classes. He moves from the comfort of his home to the crowded lanes of Old Rajinder Nagar. A chance encounter with Sarah seems like destiny’s compensation for all his hard work. He also meets buddies for a lifetime. Their life-stories of love, regret, friendship and shattered dreams take him through Kashmir and Turkey; from brothels to hospitals; and from dingy quarters to the hallowed halls of UPSC. When life finally seems to be coming back on track, he stumbles upon a truth that is bound to change him and the rest of his life. Will Alok crack the exam, or will be just one of the many soon-forgotten aspirants? Will a strange revelation make him see his life as A Pleasant Escape?
The Lost Sufis of Delhi. The book is about the forgotten Sufis of Delhi. Its a compilation of short biography of the Sufi Saints and photos of there holy shrine. The book is written upon the role of Sufi with context of spiritual, regional and relations with the contemporary Sultan & Kings in medieval period and the concept of Sufism and its history.
This is the story of Samir Sharma, as told by Sasha. In ‘Painter Kahani’, Sasha traces Samir’s journey in the realm of his painting activity. Sasha discovered that Samir has his works preserved in the original since 1956 when he was only 11 years old. Some of the childhood works of Samir bear the remarks and signatures of his school teachers. In some cases, the colour of the sheets of paper has faded, while some others have torn corners. Some have the sheets and the paint cracking with time. All this adds to the authenticity of the period when those works were done by Samir, and the writer finds this aspect unique and interesting while tracing an Artist-Painter’s development in this field. Being the observer-consciousness in Samir Sharma, Sasha has written this book based on knowing Samir well. Further, Sasha has all of Samir's works in the original to see. For the particulars, details, vocabulary, terminology used in Art, Painting and Visual Arts, Sasha relies on the matter related by the Artist-Painter himself. This book is profusely illustrated with images of Samir's paintings. They have been placed in chronological sequence and the story woven accordingly. This way the Author believes that the development of the Artist-Painter Samir is clearly brought out and would be discernable to the reader.
