Overview

Strongly grounded in Persian manuscripts, many of them unpublished, this book makes an innovative and original intervention in the existing debates on the questions of medieval politics, patterns of governance as well as the relationship between politics, Islam and Muslim religious leaders. Exploding the myth that Sufis, especially Chishtis, kept aloof from politics, it shows how Sufis enjoyed royal patronage and helped legitimise Aghans' political cause. The author also explores the contributions of Sufis and Afghans to vernacular literature and devotional music. Contesting existing notions of the tribal character of Afghan political institutions, he argues that Surs and other Afghan dynasties drew upon Persian understandings of universal kingship to put in place a coherent monarchical system. The book also discusses how Rajputs and other non-Muslims collaborated with the Aghans to broaden the base of government apparatus.

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9780195685121

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Reviews

The value of this book is in its careful reappraisal of the well-known Persian sources and the presentation of a thorough overview of an often ignored era in the narrative of Muslim history in India...a useful addition to the study of the Afghan period in medieval India and a helpful synthesis of existing scholarship on the social roles and personalities of the Sufis in the period. David W. Damrel Journal of Islamic Studies

Author Information

Raziuddin Aquil is a Fellow in History at the Centre for Studies in Social Sciences.

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