Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires
Part of Cambridge Studies in Indian History and Society
- Author: William R. Pinch, Wesleyan University, Connecticut
- Date Published: August 2012
- availability: Available
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107406377
Paperback
Other available formats:
Hardback
Looking for an inspection copy?
Please email [email protected] to enquire about an inspection copy of this book
-
Many people assume, largely because of Gandhi's legacy, that Hinduism is a religion of non-violence. In this 2006 book William R. Pinch shows just how wrong this assumption is. Using the life of Anupgiri Gosain, a Hindu ascetic who lived at the end of the eighteenth century, he demonstrates that Hindu warrior ascetics were an important component of the South Asian military labor market in the medieval and early modern Indian past, and crucial to the rise of British imperialism. Today, they occupy a prominent place in modern Indian imaginations, ironically as romantic defenders of a Hindu India against foreign invasion, even though they are almost totally absent from Indian history. William R. Pinch's innovative and gloriously composed book sets out to piece together the story of the rise and demise of warrior asceticism in India from the 1500s to the present. It will appeal to students of religion and historians of empire.
Read more- Innovative contribution to the political, military and cultural histories of India since 1500
- Sheds a new light on preconceived ideas that Hinduism is a non-violent religion
- The text is enhanced by beautiful illustrations
Reviews & endorsements
'This book deserves to become a runaway bestseller.' The Indian Economic and Social History Review
See more reviews'Yogis seem to have gone particularly out of control during the eighteenth-century anarchy between the fall of the Mughals and the rise of the British. This is a subject explored by William Pinch in his brilliant 2006 study of the militant yogis of the period, Warrior Ascetics and Indian Empires.' William Dalrymple, The New York Review of Books
Customer reviews
Not yet reviewed
Be the first to review
Review was not posted due to profanity
×Product details
- Date Published: August 2012
- format: Paperback
- isbn: 9781107406377
- length: 294 pages
- dimensions: 229 x 152 x 16 mm
- weight: 0.4kg
- availability: Available
Table of Contents
1. Mughal Yogis
2. WarLords
3. Company Gosains
4. Begams and Ranis in Rasdhan
5. Sakti Bhakti
6. Indian Sadhus
Kailash's counterfactual and other conclusions
Bibliography.
Related Books
related journals
.jpg)
.jpg)
Sorry, this resource is locked
Please register or sign in to request access. If you are having problems accessing these resources please email [email protected]
Register Sign in» Proceed
You are now leaving the Cambridge University Press website. Your eBook purchase and download will be completed by our partner www.ebooks.com. Please see the permission section of the www.ebooks.com catalogue page for details of the print & copy limits on our eBooks.
Continue ×Are you sure you want to delete your account?
This cannot be undone.
Thank you for your feedback which will help us improve our service.
If you requested a response, we will make sure to get back to you shortly.
×