The Volatile World of Sovereignty. The Vrātya Problem and Kingship in South Asia

This volume mainly tries to postulate an alternative explanation of the vrātya-phenomenon correlated with the heterodox facets of Indian sovereignty. Thus, the work consistently offers a new historical interpretation of the rise of the so-called orthodox Brāhmaṇic (Śrauta-) culture that is understood as a Reform. Moreover, it resorts to a large collection of ancient, medieval, and modern texts and documents, interpreted by means of philological and anthropological tools. In this manner, the Vrātya problem is launched onto a interdisciplinary platform, in order to profit from a broad scenario as far as this issue is concerned. The first section focuses on the Vrātya culture, as it can be reconstructed from old (and middle) Indo-Āryan generally marginalised sources, and from medieval and modern documents where this culture seems to have left some traces. The second section seeks to substantiate the polar opposition between orthodox and heterodox sovereignty, of which vrātyas appear to be a capital example.