Nirguna Bhakti in Eastern India: Ideology, Identity and Resistance

The Bhakti movement spread to eastern regions in the 16th century, influencing a large section of people. This book critically examines the growth and development of the mystical movement, focusing on the Mayamara sect and its claims of nirguna essence, teachings, social ideology, and political influence. It challenges the theory that the movement failed to bring about democratic and egalitarian aspects and instead succumbed to conservative forces. It also re-examines the ideology and philosophy of Sankaradeva, the founder of the Bhakti movement in the eastern part of India.

Format: Hardback
Length: 576 pages
Publication date: 01 January 2024
Publisher: Manohar Publishers and Distributors

The Bhakti movement, which originated in the western regions of India, spread to the eastern regions in the early sixteenth century, attracting a significant portion of the population. This movement extended from Koch Behar in the west to the foothills of Arunachal Pradesh in the eastern frontier. The present work is a comprehensive and critical history of the growth and development of the mystical movement in this part of India during the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, with a particular focus on the Mayamara sect, which claims to be nirguna in its essence, teachings, social ideology, and political influence. In this study, the book challenges the notion that the Bhakti movement ultimately failed to bring about a democratic outlook and egalitarian aspects as initially proposed, and instead succumbed to the powerful and dominant conservative forces. It conducts a detailed and skeptical examination of the ideological and philosophical aspects of Sankaradeva, the founder of the Bhakti movement in the eastern part of India.

Weight: 726g
Dimension: 156 x 227 x 50 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789394262256