Islam in India: History, Politics and Society is based on the historical and contemporary relevance of the religion and its related culture(s) in India. Besides being a major religious doctrine, Islam has been the main political ideology for many dynasties in India such as Delhi Sultanate (1206-1451); the Illbaris Turks (also known as Mamluk 1206–90); Khiljis (1290–1320); Tughlaqs (1320–1414); Sayyids (1414–51), Afghans and the Mughal Empire. Islam played a pivotal role in shaping the polity and society during the period of each dynasty. This book argues that Islam in India ought to be seen not only as a political and religious ideology of the dynasties, but also as a significant force that shaped the cultural fabric of the country. Print edition not for sale in South Asia (India, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan and Bhutan)

Illustrations: 2 colour and 1 B/w illustration, 2 Maps Description: This work seeks to study Sufism as a psycho-historical phenomenon. The author finds it efficacious to combat social and political upheavals which are brought about by prolonged political revolutions, associated with autocratic oppression and economic deprivation. It is divided into two volumes. The present volume outlines the history of Sufism before it was firmly established in India and then goes on to discuss the principal trends in sufi developments therefrom the thirteenth to the beginning of the sixteenth centuries. Chronologically it is concerned with sufi history from the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate to the beginning of the Mughal Empire. Naturally it lays great emphasis on the Chishtiyya, Suhrawardiyya, Firdausiyya and Kubrawiyya orders, but the contributions made by qalandars and legendary and semi-legendary saints have also not been neglected. A detailed discussion of the interaction of medieval Hindu mystic traditions and Sufism shows a unique polarity between the intolerant rigidity of the orthodox and the flexibility of the Sufis in India. The present volume starts with a brief discussion of the mystical philosophy of Ibn 'Arabi, which played a pivotal role in the development of sufic thought and practices in India, as it did in other Islamic countries. The work then deals with the Qadiriyya, Shattariyya, Naqshbandiyya and the Chishtiyya orders. It also analyses the role of Indian Sufis in the wider Islamic world, as well as sufi perception of politics and Hinduism.

Conventionally The Word Sufi Is Considered Synonymous With The Word Mystic , But The Word Sufi As Used In Arabic, Persian, Turkish And Urdu, Has A Religious Connotation. The Sufis Claim To Have Inherited Their Doctrines Direct From The Teachings Of The Holy Prophet, Who, Strictly Speaking, Has Given No Dogmatic Or Mystical Theology.The Classical Sufism Of The Early Brotherhoods Was Strong On Simple, Straightforward Faith In Islamic Theology, Personal Devotion To God And Trust (Tawakkul) In Him Under All Conditions, Personal Loyalty To The Prophet Of Islam And Allegiance To The Qur An And The Shri At. The Faith Was Accompanied By The Practice Of A Well-Controlled Ascetic Life And In Many Cases Meant Renunciation Of The World. Then Followed The Khanqah Stage And Concentration, Between A.D. 1100 And 1400, On The Creation Of The Silsilah-Tariqah System, Its Organization, Its Rules Of Conduct And The Writings Of Handbooks Both On Esoteric Doctrine And On The Sufi Path. During Its Historical Development It Gathered Elements And Characteristics From The Intellectual And Cultural Climate Of The Region Concerned Which Transformed It Into A Bourgeois And Later A Mass Movement Of Wide Acceptance.The Fundamental Of Sufism Is God, Man And The Relation Between Them, Which Is Love. The Whole Sufi Theosophy Revolves On These Three Pivots.The Present Work Organised In 12 Volumes, Is Designed To Bring Together The Valuable Information On Suffism, Its Doctrines And Preachings, Main Orders, Prominent Sufi Saints, Their Life And Teaching, Etc. The Information Is Drawn From Various Authoritative Sources. The Primary Purpose Of This Work Is To Serve As A Basic Handbook On Significant Topics Of Sufism.No Doubt, This Work Will Prove Of Utmost Value To The Scholars And Laymen Alike Who Wish To Have Detailed Look Into Sufism.

Shihab al-Din Yahya Suhrawardi, also known as Shaikh al-ishraq or the Master of Illumination, lived in the sixth century AH / twelfth century CE. His thoughts form a consistent and coherent philosophical system, and a close study of his writings in Persian reveals a theory of knowledge generally called 'Knowledge by Presence'. The elaborate web of myth and symbolism in Suhrawardi's philosophy articulates his theory of knowledge, an important subject in the ishraqi school of thought. Suhrawardi, who claims first to have discovered the truth and then embarked on a path to find the rational basis of his experiential wisdom, represents a thinker who tried to reconcile rational discourse and inner purification.

The Indian Sufi master Hazrat Inayat Khan (1882–1927) was the first teacher to bring Sufism—Islamic mysticism—to the Western world. His teaching was noted for its stirring beauty and power, as well as for its applicability to all people, regardless of religious or philosophical background. This book gathers together three of Inayat Khan's most beloved essays on the spiritual life from among the fourteen volumes of his collected works: "The Inner Life": Inayat Kahn's sublime portrait of the person whose life is a radiant reflection of the Divine "Sufi Mysticism": in which the author identifies and shatters the common misconceptions about mysticism to reveal its true meaning "The Path of Initiation and Discipleship": What it means to set out on the spiritual path and how to find and maintain the right relationship with a teacher

Dharma is central to all the major religious traditions which originated on the Indian subcontinent. Such is its importance that these traditions cannot adequately be understood apart from it. Often translated as “ethics,” “religion,” “law,” or “social order,” dharma possesses elements of each of these but is not confined to any single category familiar to Western thought. Neither is it the straightforward equivalent of what many in the West might usually consider to be “a philosophy”. This much-needed analysis of the history and heritage of dharma shows that it is instead a multi-faceted religious force, or paradigm, that has defined and that continues to shape the different cultures and civilizations of South Asia in a whole multitude of forms, organizing many aspects of life. Experts in the fields of Hindu, Jain, Buddhist and Sikh studies here bring fresh insights to dharma in terms both of its distinctiveness and its commonality as these are expressed across, and between, the several religions of the subcontinent. Exploring ethics, practice, history and social and gender issues, the contributors engage critically with some prevalent and often problematic interpretations of dharma, and point to new ways of appreciating these traditions in a manner that is appropriate to and thoroughly consistent with their varied internal debates, practices and self-representations.