Patronage as Politics in South Asia (Cambridge University Press 2014) (original) (raw)

2014

From the back cover: ‘By insisting that what we call “patronage” is above all a moral idiom, and by rejecting arguments that would prefer to confine patronage to the theoretical dustbin referred to as “tradition”, this brilliant volume will transform the study of South Asian politics. It combines a stellar assembly of researchers and imaginatively analysed case studies, and will provoke exciting debates about the past, present and future of democracy - both in South Asia itself, and far beyond.’ Jonathan Spencer, Professor of the Anthropology of South Asia University of Edinburgh ‘It is remarkable how much the historical course in India is guided rather by institutional memories and their persisting structural paradigms. Testifying to this reproduction of the past in modern political garb, essay after essay of this fine work offers a nuanced, anthropological sense of how cultural order is revealed by historical change, even as the change manifests a historical order.’ Marshall Sahlins, Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Anthropology The University of Chicago 'Even those of us who see the importance of patronage waning will find an abundance of crucial insights in these subtle, deeply learned analyses.' James Manor, Professor of Commonwealth Studies University of London ‘This excellent book demonstrates the importance of maintaining a focus on morality as it intersects with political and economic process ... Drawing on rich empirical case material, it is a refreshing and revitalizing “return” to the category of patronage that will be valuable to both regional specialists and those with a broader interest in global political processes.’ Jon P Mitchell, Reader in Anthropology, Director of Doctoral Studies for Global Studies University of Sussex