- 248 pages
- English
- ePUB (mobile friendly)
- Available on iOS & Android
About This Book
This book re-examines feminist theory through the lens of South Asian aesthetic conventions drawn from iconography, philosophy, Indo-Islamic mystic folk traditions and poetics. It discusses alternate fluid representations of gender and intersectional identities and interrelationships in some dominant as well as non-elite Indic aesthetic traditions. The book explores pre-Vedic sculptural and Indus terracotta iconographies, the classical aesthetic philosophy of rasa, mystic folk poetry of Bhakti and Sufi movements, and ghazal and Urdu poetics to understand the political dimension of feminist theory in India as well as its implications for trans-continental feminist aesthetics across South Asia and the West. By interlinking prehistoric, classical, medieval, premodern and contemporary aesthetic and literary traditions of South Asia through a gendered perspective, the book bridges a major gap in feminist theory.
An interdisciplinary work, this book will be useful for scholars and researchers of feminist theory, women's studies, gender studies, art and aesthetics, philosophy, literature, cultural studies, queer studies, sexuality studies, political studies, sociology and South Asian studies.
Frequently asked questions
Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Endorsement Page
- Half Title
- Title Page
- Copyright Page
- Dedication
- Contents
- List of figures
- Acknowledgements
- Introduction
- 1 Feminist theory and the aesthetic re-turn
- 2 Sculpting gender and sexuality by the Indus
- 3 Rasa: In dialogue with feminist aesthetics
- 4 The errant feminine of Bhakti and Sufi aesthetics
- 5 âSpeaking with womenâ: The promise of the pre-modern Urdu ghazal
- 6 Traveling with the ghazal: A transnational feminist aesthetic
- 7 Turning back towards the future: Feminist conversations with South Asian art
- Index