Artefacts of Devotion

Sindh, the land and the river which gave its name to the subcontinent, is a region rich in history with a distinctive cultural heritage. It is the first base of Islam in the subcontinent but can be defined in religious terms as independent and more flexible. As a result, Sufi Islam took root here and spread across the Indus region attracting Muslim and non-Muslim devotees alike.

In this book, Michel Boivin, who has devoted much of his time to the study of Sindh, takes his readers to Sehwan Sharif’s shrine of Lal Shahbaz Qalandar, one of the Sufi icons of Sindh. Shahbaz Qalandar, of Persian Asian descent, is described as one of the unconventional qalandars who was accepted as ‘one of the sons of Sindh’; his ‘kalam’ made him ‘a symbol of daring authenticity during times of stifling conformity’ to quote the author. Boivin has produced a volume that explores and explains ‘the Sufi repertoire’ as he terms the monuments and artefacts of devotion, particularly in the Qalandariyya context, and is enriched by painstakingly researched and striking images. Through the four main chapters and the Excursus, the reader is introduced to the description, history and significance of each aspect of the artefacts and of the shrines in the Indus region, mainly Sindh. The book is supported by a comprehensive glossary, a list of illustrations, bibliography and an index.

Centre of Social Sciences in Karachi Series

The ‘Centre of Social Sciences in Karachi Series’ has been developed by the Centre of Social Sciences in Karachi (CSSK), with Michel Boivin as Series Editor. The CSSK was established in 2011 with the aim of promoting scholarship and learning on issues related to the diverse, multi-faceted societies and cultures among the Muslims of South Asia. The academic publications in this series will fall into a number of interrelated categories:

1. Proceedings of conferences, seminars, and workshops as arranged by the CSSK.
2. Occasional papers.
3. Monographs of various authors devoted to issues illustrating the subtle nuances of societies and cultures among the Muslims of South Asia.
4. Editions and translations of poetic or literary texts.
5. Bibliographical works and catalogues.