Making Shiʿism an Indian Religion: A Perspective from the Qutb Shahi Deccan
2020; Pluto Journals; Volume: 5; Issue: 2 Linguagem: Inglês
10.13169/reorient.5.2.0287
ISSN2055-561X
Autores Tópico(s)Anthropological Studies and Insights
ResumoEngaging an ethnohistorical approach, this essay examines how the Qutb Shahi sultans represented themselves locally and regionally through the use of built space, sponsorship of ritual and innovation of material practices that enabled diverse constituents of the realm to participate in and remember the martyrdom of the third Shi'i Imam Husain at the battle of Karbala, Iraq in 680 CE in ways that made Shiʿism an Indian religion. I use a case study engaging material culture and built space in imperial Hyderabad to demonstrate how the Qutb Shahi sultans became Deccani, using Shiʿism as both an expression of their identity and a polyvalent religio-cultural mediation with the Hindu majority communities over which they ruled. The essay examines the Charminar of the fifth sultan Muhammad Quli Qutb Shah (r. 1580–1612), the monumental gateway to the new city of Hyderabad, as a polyvalent symbol of their status as Shi'i upholders of dharmic kingship.
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