Nomads, Islam and Empire: The Shansabanis of Afghanistan c. 1150-1215 with Dr. Alka Patel скачать в хорошем качестве

Nomads, Islam and Empire: The Shansabanis of Afghanistan c. 1150-1215 with Dr. Alka Patel

Dr. Alka Patel presents a largely first-hand documentation of the short lived, but highly significant Shansabānī Empire's architectural patronage from modern Afghanistan in India. The talk traces the journey and contribution of an obscure, nomadic-pastoralist clan into builders of a trans-regional empire. The richly illustrated talk will highlight the architectural legacy and great significance of commanding skilled labor in the service of building an empire, and of gathering legal-juridical thinkers and other intelligentsia in institutions housed in royal and elite architectural commissions. The talk will also emphasize on regionally specific perspectives on Islam that supersede purely theoretical, pan-Islamic approaches. The Shansabānīs also broaden our understanding of empires with multiple and even mobile “capitals” – a type of imperial formation whose study has been hindered by outdated methods, and now forms the basis for new approaches. The Shansabānīs’ continued mobility between seasonal capitals after attaining imperial status, and joint inheritance after conversion to Islam have defied ideas of centralized expansion. The talk suggests updated paradigms to study empires emerging from nomadic pastoralism with multiple politico-cultural centers. The successful Shansabānī campaigns into the Indian subcontinent, and the consequent political ascendancy of Islam in the region (in addition to its already long cultural presence), ultimately contributed to shaping the modern identities of the nation-states of Central and South Asia. Dr. Alka Patel is an Associate Professor of Art History & Visual Studies at the University of California - Irvine and President of the American Council for Southern Asian Art