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Contentious Traditions analyzes the debate on sati, or widow burning, in colonial India. Though the prohibition of widow burning in 1829 was heralded as a key step forward for women's emancipation in modern India, Lata Mani argues that the women who were burned were marginal to the debate and that the controversy was over definitions of Hindu tradition, the place of ritual in religious worship, the civilizing missions of colonialism and evangelism, and the proper role of the colonial state. Mani radically revises colonialist as well as nationalist historiography on the social reform of women's status in the colonial period and clarifies the complex and contradictory character of missionary w...
Sufism is a religion which emphasizes direct knowledge of the divine within each person, and meditation, music, song, and dance are seen as crucial spiritual strides toward attaining unity with God. Sufi paths of mysticism and devotion, motivated by Islamic ideals, are still chosen by men and women in countries from Morocco to China, and there are nearly one hundred orders around the world, eighty of which are present and thriving in the United States. The Chishti Sufi order has been the most widespread and popular of all Sufi traditions since the twelfth-century. Sufi Martyrs of Love offers a critical perspective on Western attitudes towards Islam and Sufism, clarifying its contemporary importance, both in the West and in traditional Sufi homelands. Finally, it provides access to the voices of Sufi authorities, through the translation of texts being offered in English for the first time.
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This is a study of Indian economic history. The economic position is sketched at the opening of the seventeenth century. The period covers the reigns of the Mughal Emperors Jahangir and Shah Jahan. Apart from chronological or dynastic consideration, this period has a unity of its own. In the region of commerce it is marked by the practical elimination of the Portuguese, the establishment of Dutch and English merchants in the country, and the first experimental phase of the newcomers` activities; while in the wider economic sphere it covers the most significant stage in the deterioration of Akbar`s adminstrative institutions. The author has tried to arrange in such a way that, while it should be intelligible to ordinary readers, it should serve serious students as an introduction to the original literature. The book is divided into ten chapters. In the five appendices, the author has elaborated the details pertaining to the Dutch and English companies. Early Dutch Exports to Europe, Mughal Revenue Statistics, Currency, Weights and Measures and a list of Authorities. The order of the study has been determined mainly by the nature of the material which are available.
The author has made a successful attempt to script a social and political life of Hindustan of the period stretching from 1200-1550 AD. The author very convincingly brings home the impact of the invasion of the Muslim on the ancient Hindu order which was almost completely destroyed. The book draws a clear picture of how the early Muslim invaders succeeded in levying foundations which proved strong enough for the later Mughals in raising their glorious edifice. Thereby, the author proves that how Akbar as well as his successors followed the pattern, their Turkish and Afghan predecessors had shaped for them.
This illustrated history covers the history of the U.S. Navy in the Middle East. America's interests in the Middle East, southwest Asia, and eastern Africa date almost to the founding of the nation. Since World War II, the Navy has been the first line of defense for these interests. From the establishment of the Middle East Force (MEF) in 1949 through the beginning of the 21st century, the U.S. Navy served as a force for stability and peace in the region.