Politics and Religion in Eighteenth-Century India

Jaisingh II and the Rise of Public Theology in Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavism

Sachi Patel

• Publisher: Routledge
• Year: 2021
• ISBN:
  9781000451429
• Edition: 1
• Topic: History
• Subtopic: Indian & South Asian History
• Index: History

This book explores the contribution of Gau??ya Vai??ava theology to polity and public engagement during the reign of Jaisingh II in the early eighteenth century in North India.

The book analyses specialised treatises produced by the Gau??ya Vai??avas which provide theological foundations to endorse and encourage responsible public conduct. Using a two-fold approach, the book offers a close reading and examination of Sanskrit primary sources combined with an exploration of the key themes in these works in light of the wider political context. These works were born in a precise historical context; thus, to fully appreciate these works, this book adopts an approach that smudges the boundaries between history, religion and politics. It provides a historical account of the rise of the Kachv?h? clan to become the chief partners of the Mughal regime, exploring the effects, reign and governance of the celebrated Kachv?h? King Jaisingh II and examines the Gau??ya Vai??ava community's trials and tribulations as they entered an intensely political world.

A detailed analysis of a fascinating period within Gau??a Vai??va history, this book will be of interest to scholars in the fields of South Asian Studies, Indology, Religious Studies, South Asian History and Hindu Studies.

Table of contents

• Cover
• Half-Title
• Series
• Title
• Copyright
• Contents
• List of figures
• List of tables
• Acknowledgements
• Introduction
• 1 Mughals, Kachvāhās and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas
• 2 Jaisingh II and the Gauḍīya Vaiṣṇavas
• 3 Karma-vivṛti, an exposition on karma
• 4 Karmādhikāra-nirṇaya, determining the jurisdiction of karma
• 5 Bhagavad-gītā
• Conclusion
• Index