Poverty and the Quest for Life

Spiritual and Material Striving in Rural India

Nonfiction, Religion & Spirituality, Eastern Religions, Hinduism, Social & Cultural Studies, Social Science, Anthropology
Cover of the book Poverty and the Quest for Life by Bhrigupati Singh, University of Chicago Press
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Bhrigupati Singh ISBN: 9780226194684
Publisher: University of Chicago Press Publication: April 6, 2015
Imprint: University of Chicago Press Language: English
Author: Bhrigupati Singh
ISBN: 9780226194684
Publisher: University of Chicago Press
Publication: April 6, 2015
Imprint: University of Chicago Press
Language: English

The Indian subdistrict of Shahabad, located in the dwindling forests of the southeastern tip of Rajasthan, is an area of extreme poverty. Beset by droughts and food shortages in recent years, it is the home of the Sahariyas, former bonded laborers, officially classified as Rajasthan’s only “primitive tribe.” From afar, we might consider this the bleakest of the bleak, but in Poverty and the Quest for Life, Bhrigupati Singh asks us to reconsider just what quality of life means. He shows how the Sahariyas conceive of aspiration, advancement, and vitality in both material and spiritual terms, and how such bridging can engender new possibilities of life.

Singh organizes his study around two themes: power and ethics, through which he explores a complex terrain of material and spiritual forces. Authority remains contested, whether in divine or human forms; the state is both despised and desired; high and low castes negotiate new ways of living together, in conflict but also cooperation; new gods move across rival social groups; animals and plants leave their tracks on human subjectivity and religiosity; and the potential for vitality persists even as natural resources steadily disappear. Studying this milieu, Singh offers new ways of thinking beyond the religion-secularism and nature-culture dichotomies, juxtaposing questions about quality of life with political theologies of sovereignty, neighborliness, and ethics, in the process painting a rich portrait of perseverance and fragility in contemporary rural India. 

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

The Indian subdistrict of Shahabad, located in the dwindling forests of the southeastern tip of Rajasthan, is an area of extreme poverty. Beset by droughts and food shortages in recent years, it is the home of the Sahariyas, former bonded laborers, officially classified as Rajasthan’s only “primitive tribe.” From afar, we might consider this the bleakest of the bleak, but in Poverty and the Quest for Life, Bhrigupati Singh asks us to reconsider just what quality of life means. He shows how the Sahariyas conceive of aspiration, advancement, and vitality in both material and spiritual terms, and how such bridging can engender new possibilities of life.

Singh organizes his study around two themes: power and ethics, through which he explores a complex terrain of material and spiritual forces. Authority remains contested, whether in divine or human forms; the state is both despised and desired; high and low castes negotiate new ways of living together, in conflict but also cooperation; new gods move across rival social groups; animals and plants leave their tracks on human subjectivity and religiosity; and the potential for vitality persists even as natural resources steadily disappear. Studying this milieu, Singh offers new ways of thinking beyond the religion-secularism and nature-culture dichotomies, juxtaposing questions about quality of life with political theologies of sovereignty, neighborliness, and ethics, in the process painting a rich portrait of perseverance and fragility in contemporary rural India. 

More books from University of Chicago Press

Cover of the book The Chicago Guide to Fact-Checking by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Losers Dream On by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Tragic Spirits by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book How to Tame a Fox (and Build a Dog) by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Writing the World of Policing by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book The Tunnel of Love by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book The Subject of Murder by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Looking for The Stranger by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Getting a Job by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Golden Rule by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Toward "Natural Right and History" by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Plundered Skulls and Stolen Spirits by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book The Conquest of Ruins by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book Building a New Educational State by Bhrigupati Singh
Cover of the book A Commentary on The Complete Greek Tragedies. Aeschylus by Bhrigupati Singh
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy