Writing the Self, The Life and Philosophy of a Bengali Baul Guru (Innbundet (stive permer))

This book investigates the largely unexplored terrain of the lives of Baul Gurus by studying the autobiography of Baul Guru, Raj Krishna, and situating Baul songs in a larger socio-historical perspective. The author examines the life, 'lineage', and legacy of Raj Krishna in the context of the Renaissance in colonial Bengal, the growth of urban middle classes, transforming identities and the development of spiritual philosophy in the subcontinent. She traces the life and beliefs of Raj and his disciples through both oral and written sources. This volume also provides a comprehensive picture of the religious and socio-cultural aspirations of the people being addressed by the Baul Gurus. The appendices of the volume are also very informative with a translieration of the original text, and discussions on the methods of dating and analysing Baul texts.

PREFACE, LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS, ABBREVIATIONS, ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS, NAMES OF PEOPLE AND PLACES & TRANSLITERATION; INTRODUCTION PEOPLE AND THEMES;; SECTION I: LIFE,; 1. The autobiography (Jiban-carit) of Raj Krishna, Chapter; 2. Raj's last days and his 'lineage' today, Chapter; 3. Raj's Jiban-carit and the autobiographical genre; Section II: Self, Chapter; 4. The self and the individual, Chapter; 5. The anti-hierarchical 'individual' self, Chapter; 6. The androgynous self;; CONCLUSION;; APPENDICES; 1. BENGALI ORIGINAL OF RAJ'S AUTOBIOGRAPHY (TRANSLITERATED INTO ROMAN SCRIPT),; 2. THE MANUSCRIPT: TEXTS AND CHRONOLOGY,; 3. THE JIBAN-CARIT: DATES AND LANGUAGE; GLOSSARY; BIBLIOGRAPHY; INDEX