The Vagabond in the South Asian Imagination: Resilience, Agency and Representation

This book explores the epistemic foundation of the heuristic construct 'vagabond' and the convergence between the politics of itinerancy and dissent in South Asia. It demonstrates the historical seismic breaks in the representation of the vagabond in juridico-political imagination, historiography, and cultural articulation, such as the drunk European sailor, quasi-religious mendicant, and famine refugee. It will be of interest to students and researchers of literature, cultural studies, colonial and post-colonial studies, history, migration studies, sociology, and South Asia studies.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 160 pages
Publication date: 25 September 2023
Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd

This book delves into the epistemic underpinnings of the heuristic concept of 'vagabond' and explores the interplay between the politics of itinerancy and dissent in the context of South Asia. It provides a comprehensive account of the complex relationship between 'native itinerant practices and techniques of governmentality,' which have given rise to diverse categorizations and taxonomies of mobility. Through a detailed examination of historical seismic shifts, from Orientalism to post-Orientalism, premodern to modern, and colonial to post-colonial, the book uncovers the shifting representations of the vagabond in the juridico-political imagination, historiography, and cultural articulation.

For instance, the drunk European sailor, the quasi-religious mendicant, and the helpless famine refugee have all been labeled as 'vagabonds' in the colonial archive. This book investigates the historical roots and contexts behind these conceptual overlaps, as well as the unsettling connections among categories that coexist and mirror each other as subsets of a broader range of phenomena, which can be loosely termed 'vagabond(age).

This volume holds significant appeal to students and scholars engaged in the fields of literature, cultural studies, colonial and post-colonial studies, history, migration studies, sociology, and South Asia studies. It offers valuable insights into the multifaceted dynamics of mobility, identity, and power in South Asia and beyond.

Weight: 453g
Dimension: 234 x 156 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781032040318