Dear Friends and Colleagues,
I wish to share the news of the publication of my book 'Heroic Shāktism:
the cult of Durgā in Ancient Indian Kingship'. The book is being published by the British
Academy and the Oxford University Press. A précis of the book is as follows:
'Heroic Śāktism is the belief that a good king and a true warrior must
worship the goddess Durgā, the form and substance of kingship. This
belief formed the bedrock of ancient Indian practices of cultivating
political power. Wildly dangerous and serenely benevolent at one and the
same time, the goddess's charismatic split nature promised rewards for a
hero and king and success in risky ventures.
This book is the
first expansive historical treatment of the cult of Durgā and the role
it played in shaping ideas and rituals of heroism in India between the
3rd and the 12th centuries CE. Within the story of ancient Indian
kingship, two critical transitions overlapped with the rise of heroic
Śāktism: the decline of the war-god Skanda-Mahāsena as a military
symbol, and the concomitant rise of the early Indian kingdom. As the
rhetoric of kingship once strongly linked to the older war god shifted
to the cultural narratives of the goddess, her political imagery
broadened in its cultural resonance. And indigenous territorial deities
became associated with Durgā as smaller states unified into a broader
conception of civilization.
By assessing the available
epigraphic, literary and scriptural sources in Sanskrit, and
anthropological studies on politics and ritual, Bihani Sarkar
demonstrates that the association between Indian kingship and the cult's
belief-systems was an ancient one based on efforts to augment worldly
power.'
There is a 30% discount if you order on the OUP website using the code AAFLYG6.
Sincerely,
Bihani Sarkar BA, M.Phil, D.Phil (Oxon),
(Formerly: British Academic Postdoctoral Fellow, Oriental Institute, Oxford University)
Teaching Fellow in South Asian Religions, Leeds University,
Associate Member, Christ Church College, Oxford University