Description
Book SynopsisPatton E. Burchett offers a path-breaking genealogical study of devotional (
bhakti) Hinduism that traces its understudied historical relationships with tantra, yoga, and Sufism. He focuses his analysis on the early modern period, when the rise of
bhakti communities in North India transformed the religious landscape.
Trade ReviewVibrant, lyrical, and elegantly crafted,
A Genealogy of Devotion is a scholarly opera on the history of
bhakti (devotion) in India. Burchett fundamentally changes the way we think about
bhakti, leaving readers with a book that is truly inspired. -- Christian Lee Novetzke, author of
The Quotidian Revolution: Vernacularization, Religion, and the Premodern Public Sphere in IndiaSo wide-ranging in importance and so carefully and broadly researched, this is a book people will turn to for many, many years to come—both for its own special contribution and for a basic orientation to the field. -- John Stratton Hawley, author of
A Storm of Songs: India and the Idea of the Bhakti MovementKudos to Patton E. Burchett for this rich, fine-grained historical analysis of the multifaceted relationships between the human agents of
bhakti, tantra, yoga, and Sufism in Sultanate and Mughal India. Religious nationalists and other simpletons will find little comfort here. -- David Gordon White, author of
The Yoga Sutra of Patañjali: A BiographyBurchett's provocative study adeptly traces the transformation of popular religion in early modern North India from an age dominated by Śaiva, tantric, and yogic traditions to one permeated by Vaiṣṇava
bhakti piety. His well-argued thesis is that a crucial element in this shift was the interaction with and influence of Persianate and Sufi religiosity and cultural practices. -- Philip Lutgendorf, author of
Hanuman’s Tale: The Messages of a Divine Monkey and translator of
The Epic of RamBy situating Vaiṣṇava
bhakti traditions within larger religious and political contexts, this ambitious and innovative work offers a refreshingly broad perspective on North Indian culture, along with a better appreciation of
bhakti's message and appeal in the early modern era. Changing trends in religious patronage, the impact of Sufism, the varieties of religious practice, how
bhakti poets disparaged tantra and yoga
—these are among the fascinating historical issues explored in Burchett's path-breaking study. -- Cynthia Talbot, author of
The Last Hindu Emperor: Prithviraj Chauhan and the Indian Past, 1200-2000Path-breaking. * World Minded *
Provides a thorough analysis of the political, social, and cultural developments taking place in India before and during [1450 to 1750 CE] . . . Recommended. * Choice *
A well-documented and written work which courageously confronts many different topics and tries to provide a wider perspective. * Archives de sciences sociales des religions *
His ambitious new book is an impressive feat, the result of over a decade of work. * Journal of the American Oriental Society *
A must-read for anyone interested in medieval and early modern South Asian religion. * Religious Studies Review *
An incisive and necessary contribution to the fields of Tantric and Bhakti studies. His work is thoroughly grounded in cutting-edge research and showcases a fearless mastery of Indian history. * Reading Religion *
Table of ContentsAcknowledgments
Notes on Transliteration and Translation
Introduction: Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in the Historiography of
BhaktiPart I: From Medieval Tantra to Early Modern Bhakti1. The Tantric Age: Tantra and
Bhakti in Medieval India
2. Sultans, Saints, and Songs: Persianate Culture, Sufism, and
Bhakti in Sultanate India
3. Akbar’s New World: Mughals and Rajputs in the Rise of Vaiṣṇava
BhaktiPart II: Yogīs , Poets, and a New Bhakti Sensibility in Mughal India4. Between
Bhakti and
Śakti: Religious Sensibilities Among the Rāmānandīs of Galta
5. Nāth
Yogīs and Rāmānandī
Bhaktas: Styles of Yoga and Asceticism in North India
6. Agradās and the Circulation of Mughal
Bhakti: Formations of
Bhakti Community
Part III: The Devotee Versus the Tāntrika7.
Yogīs and
Tantra-Mantra in the Poetry of the
Bhakti Saints
8. The Triumphs of Devotion: The Sufi Inflection of Early Modern
BhaktiConclusion:
Bhakti Religion and Tantric Magic
Appendix: List of Manuscripts Containing Compositions by Agradās
Notes
Bibliography
Index
