Title: Empire of Enchantment: The Story of Indian Magic / John Zubrzycki. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: John Zubrzycki. You must not circulate this work in any other form and you must impose this same condition on any acquirer. Inquiries concerning reproduction outside the scope of the above should be sent to the Rights Department, Oxford University Press, at the address above. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, without the prior permission in writing of Oxford University Press, or as expressly permitted by law, by license, or under terms agreed with the appropriate reproduction rights organization.
© Oxford University Press 2018 All rights reserved.
Published in the United States of America by Oxford University Press 198 Madison Avenue, New York, NY 10016, United States of America. Oxford is a registered trade mark of Oxford University Press in the UK and certain other countries. It furthers the University’s objective of excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide. Zubrzycki’s knowledge is dazzling, and his discussions of Indian magicians and their Western imitators or denigrators allow him to tell marvellous stories about animal trainers, snake charmers, not to mention, thieves, Thugs, folk healers, spies, automatons, and about fascinating characters-Thurston, Sleeman, Sorcar-and many more.’ Lee Siegel, Professor of Religion, University of Hawaii, and author of Net of Magic:Wonders and Deceptions in IndiaĮmpire of Enchantment The Story of Indian Magicġ Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford. Travelling with Zubrzycki from distant antiquity down to our own, more recent times, what this book offers is a universe of pure, unadulterated delight.’ Shashi Tharoor ‘An amazing, brilliant, and incredibly erudite book. It is-quite literally-a book of marvels.’ William Dalrymple ‘Exceptionally well-crafted and brilliantly told, Empire of Enchantment brings alive the most enchanting tales and traditions from the history of Indian magic, packed with an extraordinary cast featuring emperors and politicians, street performers and thugs.
‘John Zubrzycki has found the most wonderful story-the sort all writers look for and long for- and told it brilliantly. Drawing on ancient religious texts, early travelers accounts, colonial records, modern visual sources, and magicians own testimony, Empire of Enchantment is a vibrant narrative of India's magical traditions, from Vedic times to the present day. This heavily illustrated book tells the extraordinary, untold story of how Indian magic descended from the realm of the gods to become part of daily ritual and popular entertainment across the globe.
Recounting tales of levitating Brahmins, resurrections, prophesying monkeys and 'the most famous trick never performed,' Empire of Enchantment vividly charts Indian magic's epic journey from street to the stage. This book tells the extraordinary story of how Indian magic descended from the realm of the gods to become part of daily ritual and popular entertainment across the globe. Western magicians appropriated Indian attire, tricks and stage names switching their turbans for top hats, Indian jugglers fought back and earned their grudging respect. As British dominion spread over the subcontinent, such wonder-workers became synonymous with India. Conjurors and illusionists dazzled the courts of Hindu maharajas and Mughal emperors. India's association with magicians goes back thousands of years.
0 kommentar(er)
