Managing Piety

The shrine of Ali Hujwiri (known as Data Ganj Bakhsh) in Lahore, Pakistan, is one of South Asia’s most important Sufi sites. Based on original material gathered by the author, the book gives an account of various developments associated with this shrine, with a particular focus on the relationship between the state, public space, the secular, and the religious. It also gives detailed accounts of the economy, management, and social impact of the shrine. This study is a significant contribution, especially because it fills the lacuna on information available on Sufism in South Asia, particularly in Pakistan. No in-depth study in English of the Data Ganj Bakhsh shrine has been conducted previously, and hence this book may be considered as pioneering work on the topic.