Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity [Hardcover]

Jeffrey G. Snodgrass (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 10, 2006 | ISBN-10: 0195304349 | ISBN-13: 978-0195304343

Based on three years of fieldwork in the Indian state of Rajasthan, Casting Kingsexplores the way in which semi-nomadic performers known as Bhats understand, and also subvert, caste hierarchies. Bhats (literally, "Bards") now entertain a variety of sponsors - village patrons, foreign tourists, urban Rajasthanis, government officials, and development experts - with ballads and puppet plays detailing the exploits of Rajasthan's long-dead kings. In some cases, Bhats suggest that their historical knowledge and poetic skills have been inherited from royal ancestors who sang the praises and kept the genealogies of Rajasthan's former kings and princes. In other contexts, however, Bhats associate themselves with Dalits - a term reserved for India's former untouchables. As Jeffrey G. Snodgrass delves deeper into the complexities and contradictions of Bhat art and identity - methodically and often humorously peeling away layer after layer of deception to expose the manner in which Bhats use their legacy of bardic cunning to manipulate old and new patrons alike (the author among them) - the complexities and contradictions of modern India are likewise revealed.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"By approaching South Asia's famous social hierarchies, often glossed as 'caste,' through the minds, eyes, performances, histories, proverbs, songs, jokes, tricks, and money-making tactics of a community that calls itself Bhat -- currently puppeteers to tourists, but historically genealogists to leatherworkers (as well as acrobats) -- Snodgrass provides fresh views on perpetually compelling issues. From their marginal position, Bhats offer wonderful insights into how hierarchy may be instrumentally constructed and deconstructed. They keep both Snodgrass and his readers guessing about the nature of history, power, identity, and truth." --Ann Grodzins Gold, co-author of In the Time of Trees and Sorrows: Nature, Power, and Memory in Rajasthan

About the Author

Jeffrey G. Snodgrass, Associate Professor of Anthropology at Colorado State University, has published widely on caste, performance, and religion in India. He is the recipient of grants from the American Institute of Indian Studies, the National Endowment for the Humanities, the National Science Foundation, the Spencer Foundation, the Killam Foundation, and most recently the National Geographic Society. He is currently examining the impact of deforestation on the health and healing practices of Tribal communities in southern Rajasthan.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 256 pages
• Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (August 10, 2006)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0195304349
• ISBN-13: 978-0195304343
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 15.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,060,235 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Fascinating read, October 12, 2006

By 

J. Vyvial-larson "anthrogradjess" (Fort Collins, CO USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Casting Kings: Bards and Indian Modernity (Paperback)

This book is an incredible analysis of the Bhat culture. Smart, interesting and sensitive, Casting Kings is a must for those learning about identity in modern India.