The Asiatic Society of Mumbai

The reformation of the Mandapeshwar Cave Complex into the Church of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception between 1544 and 1547 is the earliest and most symbolically charged act of Christian expansion in the Salsette region. This article examines why the Portuguese deliberately selected Mandapeshwar an active Shaiva monastic centre for setting up their first church in Salsette. It argues that the choice was shaped by a convergence of Portuguese missionary ideology, Franciscan concepts of sacred displacement, strategic control of inland routes, and the economic appropriation of temple lands. While Mandapeshwar?s architectural and religious important forms the contextual foundation of the study, the central focus stays on Portuguese intentions, actions, and colonial policy. Drawing upon Portuguese chronicles, Bombay Presidency records, Indian epigraphical evidence, and selective archaeological documentation from the MMRHCS Documentation of Caves in MMR, the article proves that Mandapeshwar was thoughtfully chosen as a site for asserting Christian supremacy and reshaping the socio-religious landscape of Salsette.

Este livro compõe os anais do evento Educação & Inovação - I Congresso Internacional. A temática proposta considerou os campos da Educação e seus entrelaçares com a Inovação. Neste sentido, foram apresentadas discussões que vêm sendo desenvolvidas sobre a Aprendizagem, a Inclusão e seus contextos. O espaço um campo fértil de debates e trocas de ideias, com temas fundamentais para a sociedade contemporânea. O grande mote foi a educação e seus novos contextos que nos alertam sobre as transformações da sociedade pós-moderna.

Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, ar-Riyāḍ. Qaṣr Murabba'. Entrance to the main palace, documented 1974, now demolished.

Abstract Ilkhanid rule (1256–1353) heralded a period when the arts of the book flourished, with the production of both religious and secular texts. This article examines the binding of the Hamadan Qur'an (Dar al-Kutub, Cairo, Rasid 72), which was commissioned for the Ilkhanid Sultan Öljaytü (1303–1316) and completed in 1313. The Qur'an, composed of 30 parts, has remained intact in the Dar al-Kutub in Cairo since its arrival in Egypt sometime in the 1320s. The decoration of the binding is representative of the geometrical designs that formed part of the Persian binders’ repertoire before being entirely discarded by the middle of the fourteenth century in favour of lobed and ogival medallions with pendants derived from cloud-collar profiles.1

‘Master Ahmad Musa, who was his father's pupil, lifted the veil from the face of depiction, and the [style of] depiction that is now current was invented by him.’1 This oft-quoted phrase from Dust Muhammad's (fl. 1510–64) preface to the Bahram Mirza Album2 serves as the inspiration behind our title for this Festschrift in honour of Dr Barbara Brend, whose work has enhanced our understanding and appreciation of Persianate painting.

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This article presents a unique example of a roughly round ballista stone (ca. 32 x 31 cm) retrieved during excavations at Apollonia-Arsuf. It bears a two-line (one horizontal, the other vertical) Arabic inscription. Given the context of the ballista stones found at the site, it can be dated to March–April 1265, when the town and castle of Arsur were under siege by the Mamluk army headed by Baybars. The ballista stone is analyzed in relation to the site history and archaeology, its inscription, and the Mamluk sultanate 13th-century stone-throwing siege-machine artillery.

The present article seeks to critically probe Gandhi’s civilisational view of Indian society and politics both from his few articulate and many hidden statements at different stages of his life. His civilisational view is, therefore, analysed from a variety of perspectives: its origin, direction, advocated methods and long-time impact on Gandhian thought, philosophy and activities. It is presumed that such an analysis of Gandhi’s political philosophy with special reference to his civilisational view may clarify some of the mysteries associated with his much cited and often criticised ‘strategies’ of political activity. The article has three parts. The first dwells on the background of Gandhi’s civilisational critique and touches on some of its contents from the political standpoints. The second probes into the many meanings of civilisational politics both from Gandhi’s articulate and hidden statements on the subject. The third reviews the impact of Gandhi’s civilisational politics on the course and strategy of his political action, and its legacy for the future. The underlying idea is that satyagraha in the Gandhian philosophical context is most intelligible when viewed from the short- and long-term perspectives of civilisational politics.

Buddhist Pilgrim-Monks as Agents of Cultural and Artistic Transmission: The International Buddhist Art Style in East Asia, ca. 645–770. By Dorothy C. Wong. pp. 366. Singapore, NUS Press, 2019. - Volume 30 Issue 2

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