[W]ill be welcomed by students of comparative slavery.... [It] makes us reconsider the significance of slavery in the subcontinent." ―Edward A. Alpers; UCLADespite its pervasive presence in the South Asian past; slavery is largely overlooked in the region’s historiography; in part because the forms of bondage in question did not always fit models based on plantation slavery in the Atlantic world. This important volume will contribute to a rethinking of slavery in world history; and even the category of slavery itself. Most slaves in South Asia were not agricultural laborers; but military or domestic workers; and the latter were overwhelmingly women and children. Individuals might become slaves at birth or through capture; sale by relatives; indenture; or as a result of accusations of criminality or inappropriate sexual behavior. For centuries; trade in slaves linked South Asia with Africa; the Middle East; and Central Asia. The contributors to this collection of original essays describe a wide range of sites and contexts covering more than a thousand years; foregrounding the life stories of individual slaves wherever possible.Contributors are Daud Ali; Indrani Chatterjee; Richard M. Eaton; Michael H. Fisher; Sumit Guha; Peter Jackson; Sunil Kumar; Avril A. Powell; Ramya Sreenivasan; Sylvia Vatuk; and Timothy Walker.
#1204041 in Books George Brandon 1997-03-22 1997-03-22Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 9.25 x .67 x 6.12l; .77 #File Name: 025321114X224 pagesSanteria from Africa to the New World The Dead Sell Memories
Review
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful. Scholarly OverviewBy A CustomerI felt compelled to write in defense of George Brandon's scholarly work on Santeria after seeing it so absurdly misrepresented (...). Brandon is not under any misperceptions about the fact that Santeria emerged as a New World form of African Diasporan Religion. The book begins with an elaborate coverage of the African religious context from which Santeria and other African Diasporan Religions emerged via the transatlantic slave trade. While the title could be confusing to some; page 1 clarifies Brandon's stance that "Santeria belongs to the transatlantic tradition of the Yoruba religion...and should be seen as a variant of that religion." Brandon goes on to examine stages of Santeria's development in Cuba; taking into account religious; political; and economic influences. His book has thorough documentation from the most highly respected sources in African Diasporan Studies. If you are looking for a scholarly; though highly readable; historical overview of Santeria; this book can serve you well. It is not an unannotated; self-help book for Ifa or Santeria wannabes; so if you are looking for do-it-yourself-Santeria; look elsewhere. (...)8 of 18 people found the following review helpful. Not up to academic parBy A CustomerMr. Brandon writes about Santeria from the standpoint of an academic rather than a participant. He is not an initiate of the religion; and seemed to use many published sources that are known to be not accurate. In his description of the offerings made to Yemaya; a deity/Orisha; he has made important errors. Throughout the book are factual errors that show that either some of his informants gave him false information (perhaps on purpose--since the religion is still a secret maybe some of his informants were toying with him); or his informants did not know what they were talking about. Errors include details about rituals and the nature of certain deities. The book on the whole is really just a big literature review on Afro-Cuban religion. If you are conducting academic research you should ignore this book entirely. If you are just curious about Santeria you would be better off ignoring this book; and buying something by Joseph Murphy or Lydia Cabrerra.8 of 9 people found the following review helpful. The first sourcebook on Yoruba New World by a scholar-insiderBy Second Ray LightBrandon is an anthropologist looking at a very complex system of religions from historical and ethnographic perspectives. He is an insider-participant and a scholar but does not let the latter cloud his rigorous interpretation of Yoruba traditions. Read his chapter on the rise of Santeria in New York City - it was ground-breaking. This book is ONLY for intelligent readers who want to consider OTHER theoretical possibilities for viewing African-based religions in the diaspora.
