Pilgrimage, politics, and pestilence
Subtitle: the Haj from the Indian subcontinent, 1860-1920
By: Saurabh Mishra
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 2011
Place of publication: New Delhi
Language: eng
Number of pages: 177
ISBN-13: 9780198070603
Subjects: Rituals; Islam; Health aspects; Muslim pilgrims and pilgrimages; Communicable diseases; Pilgrims and pilgrimages; History
Description: This book situates the Haj in the context of political, commercial, and medical developments in the nineteenth and early twentieth century. It explores pilgrimage against the larger European politics around Mecca and discusses its organization, dynamics, and meanings. The author shows how Haj played an influential role in shaping medical policies and practices, debates, and disease definitions. He also examines the ways in which the pilgrimage was seen by ordinary pilgrims. The volume argues that despite the increasing 'medicalization' of the Haj, pilgrims from the subcontinent continued to view it as an intensely spiritual experience. This will interest scholars and students of history, particularly those concerned with issues of health and medicine in colonial India. It will also be useful for those interested in the history of the pilgrimage. -- Publisher description.
Notes: Includes bibliographical references (p. [153]-171) and index.