The Millennial Sovereign - (South Asia Across the Disciplines) by A Azfar Moin (Paperback)

About the Book

A work of history richly informed by the anthropology of religion and art, The Millennial Sovereign traces how royal dynastic cults and shrine-centered Sufism came together in the imperial cultures of Timurid Central Asia, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India. By juxtaposing imperial chronicles, paintings, and architecture with theories of sainthood, apocalyptic treatises, and manuals on astrology and magic, Moin uncovers a pattern of Islamic politics shaped by Sufi and millennial motifs from the end of the sixteenth century to the turn of the first Islamic millennium. He also shows how alchemical symbols and astrological rituals enveloped the body of the monarch, casting him as both spiritual guide and material lord. These findings offer a striking new perspective on the history of Islam and the religious and political developments linking South Asia and Iran in early-modern times.

Book Synopsis

At the end of the sixteenth century and the turn of the first Islamic millennium, the powerful Mughal emperor Akbar declared himself the most sacred being on earth. The holiest of all saints and above the distinctions of religion, he styled himself as the messiah reborn. Yet the Mughal emperor was not alone in doing so. In this field-changing study, A. Azfar Moin explores why Muslim sovereigns in this period began to imitate the exalted nature of Sufi saints. Uncovering a startling yet widespread phenomenon, he shows how the charismatic pull of sainthood (wilayat)--rather than the draw of religious law (sharia) or holy war (jihad)--inspired a new style of sovereignty in Islam.

A work of history richly informed by the anthropology of religion and art, The Millennial Sovereign traces how royal dynastic cults and shrine-centered Sufism came together in the imperial cultures of Timurid Central Asia, Safavid Iran, and Mughal India. By juxtaposing imperial chronicles, paintings, and architecture with theories of sainthood, apocalyptic treatises, and manuals on astrology and magic, Moin uncovers a pattern of Islamic politics shaped by Sufi and millennial motifs. He shows how alchemical symbols and astrological rituals enveloped the body of the monarch, casting him as both spiritual guide and material lord. Ultimately, Moin offers a striking new perspective on the history of Islam and the religious and political developments linking South Asia and Iran in early-modern times.

Review Quotes

he has thrown an entirely new light on how early monarchs of India's greatest dynastic house asserted their claims to royal authority. His book should be read not just by historians of South Asia but equally by those of Central Asia and Iran, as well as by specialists in Islamic studies.--Richard M. Eaton "Journal of Interdisciplinary History"

A delightful study that seeks to provide early modern Islamic historical scholarship with a new model to conceive of politics in the pre-modern era... Rich-- "Review of Middle East Studies"

A fine volume that will enrich the libraries of both scholars of Islam and scholars of early modern Europe.-- "The Sixteenth Century Journal"

In this unusually well written and elegantly carpentered book--he has a rare gift for building argument through narrative--Moin has delivered a major contribution to both Islamic history and the scholarship of sacred kingship.--Alan Strathern "History and Theory"

Moin deserves the highest praise for venturing into this contested terrain and writing a most interesting book about it.--Andre Wink "American Historical Review"

Moin outlines a formidable challenge to the conventional narratives of Mughal and, to a lesser extent, Safavid history that is likely to surprise even specialists... A valuable contribution to the field that ought to compel scholars to reevaluate key assumptions regarding kingship and sainthood in Mughal India.-- "International Journal of Middle East Studies"

Too seldom does a plodding dissertation become transformed into an elegant monograph. This 2010 dissertation is the rare, and welcome, exception The author has conducted deep archival research with an accent on visual history and astrology The Millennial Sovereign does deliver on its promise.-- "Journal of Islamic Studies"

This is a brilliant book. It is the most innovative contribution to our understanding of Mughal history in my time. As a work of the first importance, and a step change in our knowledge of sixteenth-century India, it must be read by anyone interested in the fields of Islamic kingship, millenarianism, and astrology in the Muslim world and the early-modern world in general.--Francis Robinson, Royal Holloway, University of London

About the Author

A. Azfar Moin is assistant professor of religious studies at the University of Texas at Austin.