Islam in South Asia

Islamic South Asia has become a focal point in academia. Where did Muslims come from? How did they fare in interacting with Hindu cultures? How did they negotiate identity as ruling and ruled minorities and majorities? Part I covers early Muslim expansion and the formative phase in context of initial cultural encounter (app. 700-1300). Part II views the establishment of Muslim empire, cultures oscillating between Islamic and Islamicate, centralised and regionalised power (app. 1300-1700). Part III is composed in the backdrop of regional centralisation, territoriality and colonial rule, displaying processes of integration and differentiation of Muslim cultures in colonial setting (app. 1700-1930). Tensions between Muslim pluralism and singularity evolving in public sphere make up the fourth cluster (app. 1930-2002).

Review:

Nearly one-third, or a half billion, of the world's Muslim population lives in South Asia, which includes the nation-states of Pakistan and Bangladesh. Malik's impressive book is an account of the long and complicated history of Islam in that region... [It] offers rich and provocative material for scholars interested in such issues as Islam and identity politics, religious communalism and the modern state, the impact of the colonial project on Muslim political culture, and the current radicalization of Muslims in the region. A. Rasam, Choice, July 2009 Undoubtedly, Malik's short history improves our understanding of the current situation with all available data on South Asian Islam with clearly defined interdisciplinary tools. Afsar Mohammad, The Journal of Asian Studies ...a fascinating book: rich in details, comprehensive in the range of historiography it covers, and lucid in style. It reflects the authors firm command on the subject and his mastery of not just Islam but the history of South Asia generally. Seema Alavi, The Book Review, 2009