Articles and Book Contributions by Sara Mondini
Andrew C.S. Peacock and Richard Piran McClary (Volume Editors), Turkish History and Culture in India Identity, Art and Transregional Connections, Brill's Indological Library, Volume: 53, 2020
Annali di Ca' Foscari, serie orientale, vol. 56, 2020
Recent studies have reported that the mausoleum of Aḥmad Shāh I Bahmanī (r. 1422-1436), in Ashtur... more Recent studies have reported that the mausoleum of Aḥmad Shāh I Bahmanī (r. 1422-1436), in Ashtur (Karnataka), is frequented by both Muslims and Vīraśaivas. Now, setting out from the pilgrimage performed on the occasion of the sovereign’s ʿurs, the aim of the present contribution is to analyze some of the architectural sites that are touched by the pilgrimage, and to examine how their spaces are understood and perceived by the devotees. The paper aims to shed light on the coexistence of these two religious groups and on the way in which certain forms of competition and negotiation have come to be transposed onto the cultural and historical landscape.
A Preliminary Study of the Miḥrāb of the Bijapur Jami Masjid: Local Designs and Foreign Models in the Construction of Identity
Telangana Through Ages: Perspectives from Early and Medieval Periods, 2019
Proceedings of the Second International Seminar, 'Telangana through Ages: Perspectives from Ancie... more Proceedings of the Second International Seminar, 'Telangana through Ages: Perspectives from Ancient and Medieval Periods, Hyderabad, edited by Shrikant Ganvir, Hemant Dalavi and Harshada Wirkud (General Editor: N.R. Visalatchy), Hyderabad: Department of Heritage, Telangana, 2019.
A Widespread ‘Taste for the Macabre’, Apotropaic or Political Marks? Urbanism, Landscapes and Funerary Architecture in the Indian Sultanates
‘Medieval Tombs and their Spatial Context: Strategies of Commemoration in Christianity and Islam’, University of Tubingen, Kunsthistorisches Institut, Germany, February 18–20, 2016”
Précis of the conference ‘Medieval Tombs and their Spatial Context: Strategies of Commemoration i... more Précis of the conference ‘Medieval Tombs and their Spatial Context: Strategies of Commemoration in Christianity and Islam’ held at the Kunsthistorisches Institut, University of Tubingen, Germany, February 18–20, 2016.
Published in "Borders. Itineraries on the Edges of Iran" edited by Stefano Pellò
The essay recon... more Published in "Borders. Itineraries on the Edges of Iran" edited by Stefano Pellò
The essay reconsiders the decorative programme of the Aḥmad Šāh I Bahmanī (r. 1422-1436) mausoleum in Ashtur (Bidar, modern Karnataka) focusing, in particular, on the inscriptions adorning the dome. The reign of the ninth Bahmanī sovereign was marked by a growing complexity as far as the socio-political and religious context is concerned, and also, by a deepening divide ben-tween āfāqīs and dakhnīs, and the arrival of the first exponents of the Ni'matullāhiyya Sufi order in the Deccan. The region witnessed a marked interplay between temporal and spiritual power, and the religious orientation of Aḥmad Šāh I remains debated. By making some specific remarks concerning the decorative scheme and the epigraphic programme of the mausoleum, we not only discuss the idea of the king's adherence to Shi'a Islam, but also provide valid support for historians wishing to reconsider the process of Shi'ization of Deccan and of the Sufi order itself. Keywords Bahmanī. Deccan. Funerary architecture. Religious identity. Shi'a. Ni'matullāhiyya. In a recently published work (Mondini 2015) I have sought to trace the evolution of the perception of the mausoleum dedicated to Aḥmad Šāh I (r. 1422-1436), the ninth sovereign of the Bahmanī dynasty (1347-1527), who was responsible – according to the sources – for establishing the Ni'matullāhiyya order in the Deccan. While that contribution focused on the modern sharing of the structure by members of different faiths, on its frequentation and veneration, I now wish to examine its decorative scheme and the political and religious discourse it inherently promotes. For this purpose, I will start with some considerations that emerged during the conference Shi'i Spirituality and Sufi Paths in Early and Modern Times, held at Ca' Foscari University, Venice, 2014. 1 Among other topics, participants discussed the Ni'matullāhiyya order and its development in the Indian Subcontinent. Despite the widespread idea of what could be defined as a 'late
Three inscribed tombstones have been (re)discovered within the second royal funerary complex of t... more Three inscribed tombstones have been (re)discovered within the second royal funerary complex of the Bahmani dynasty (1347-1527), in the village of Ashtur (Bidar district), in the modern state of Karnataka, India. The finding of the tombstones in situ and their hypothetical dating – based on the architectural analysis of the nearest structures – call for some considerations with regard to their peculiar location in a funerary chamber under the base of one of the structures of the complex. At the same time, the examination of the content of the inscriptions and the specific choice of some Quranic verses (ayat) allow us to reflect on the use and recurrence of Quranic inscriptions in the Gulbarga and Bidar districts in the first half of the Bahmani Sultanate (ca 1347-1436), and on the specific meanings and powers attributed to them when associated with royal burials.
Gardens of Death in Lodi Delhi
Architettura Funeraria Islamica in Centro India: Dinastia dei Bahmani (1347-1527)
Books by Sara Mondini
Sempre più spesso l'immagine dello yoga sembra essere onnipresente. Si coniuga con le più svariat... more Sempre più spesso l'immagine dello yoga sembra essere onnipresente. Si coniuga con le più svariate pratiche sportive, dilaga tra divi e dive dello star system, fa capolino tra i punti programmatici dei governi, segnando convergenze di interessi e una prossimità tra mondi talvolta ardua da cogliere e impensabile sino a pochi decenni fa. Lo yoga è divenuto sinonimo di successo, appeal, forma fisica, wellness. Ma come sono mutate l'immagine dello yogin e la definizione stessa di yoga? Cosa ne è stato degli asceti e dei sadhu che popolavano gli antichi ritratti? E soprattutto, la nuova icona dello yogin, densa di capitali simbolici e capace di racchiudere la forza evocativa dei mondi che in essa confluiscono e si addensano, come si è originata? Muovendo dall'analisi proposta nel volume 17 della presente collana, le pagine di questa nuova breve storia visuale dello yoga intendono offrire un ulteriore repertorio ragionato di immagini, questa volta a partire dall'arrivo delle imprese coloniali europee in India fino all'attuale proliferazione della ritrattistica digitale. Oltre a ribadire la funzione e l'importanza della componente visuale nello srotolarsi della storia «dello yoga», si dimostrerà quanto quell'immagine, capace di ingannare e tradire più di ogni altro mezzo, ha rivestito -e ogni giorno riveste -un ruolo determinante nella costruzione dello yoga che conosciamo.
Seduti a gambe incrociate, schiena dritta, occhi socchiusi, pollice e indice di entrambe le mani ... more Seduti a gambe incrociate, schiena dritta, occhi socchiusi, pollice e indice di entrambe le mani che si toccano: questo è yoga. È chiaro a tutti. Ai nostri giorni non si potrebbe trovare un'immagine migliore della «posizione del loto» per rappresentare, in pochi tratti, lo yoga, senza correre il rischio di essere fraintesi. In una sola, semplice e canonica sagoma pare sia contenuta l'«essenza» dello yoga, che perciò, grazie alla forza dell'abituazione, è diventato quell'immagine. Ma l'immagine non è mai il fedele testimone o il ritratto innocente di qualcosa che si è visto. Al contrario, proprio perché «muta» e per il suo trarre forza dal paragone e dalla somiglianza, l'immagine inganna e tradisce più di ogni altra cosa. Con il fine di evidenziare l'antichità storica della figurazione dello yogin, le pagine di questa breve storia visuale dello yoga offrono un primo repertorio ragionato di immagini -scelte entro un arco temporale che va dal II millennio dell'età volgare fino all'arrivo delle imprese coloniali europee in India -, disposto in modo tale da far cogliere la funzione e l'importanza che ha, sopratutto oggi, la lunga vicenda della produzione di immagini dello yoga.
«A mari usque ad mare»
Cultura visuale e materiale dall’Adriatico all’India
a cura di
Mattia Gu... more «A mari usque ad mare»
Cultura visuale e materiale dall’Adriatico all’India
a cura di
Mattia Guidetti e Sara Mondini
Conference Papers and Lectures by Sara Mondini
Conference: Venice Biennale and the Arab World. Conference on modern and contemporary art from th... more Conference: Venice Biennale and the Arab World. Conference on modern and contemporary art from the Arab world and the role played by the Venice Biennale of Art, Ca' Foscari University, Venice, 19-20 October 2017.
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Articles and Book Contributions by Sara Mondini
The essay reconsiders the decorative programme of the Aḥmad Šāh I Bahmanī (r. 1422-1436) mausoleum in Ashtur (Bidar, modern Karnataka) focusing, in particular, on the inscriptions adorning the dome. The reign of the ninth Bahmanī sovereign was marked by a growing complexity as far as the socio-political and religious context is concerned, and also, by a deepening divide ben-tween āfāqīs and dakhnīs, and the arrival of the first exponents of the Ni'matullāhiyya Sufi order in the Deccan. The region witnessed a marked interplay between temporal and spiritual power, and the religious orientation of Aḥmad Šāh I remains debated. By making some specific remarks concerning the decorative scheme and the epigraphic programme of the mausoleum, we not only discuss the idea of the king's adherence to Shi'a Islam, but also provide valid support for historians wishing to reconsider the process of Shi'ization of Deccan and of the Sufi order itself. Keywords Bahmanī. Deccan. Funerary architecture. Religious identity. Shi'a. Ni'matullāhiyya. In a recently published work (Mondini 2015) I have sought to trace the evolution of the perception of the mausoleum dedicated to Aḥmad Šāh I (r. 1422-1436), the ninth sovereign of the Bahmanī dynasty (1347-1527), who was responsible – according to the sources – for establishing the Ni'matullāhiyya order in the Deccan. While that contribution focused on the modern sharing of the structure by members of different faiths, on its frequentation and veneration, I now wish to examine its decorative scheme and the political and religious discourse it inherently promotes. For this purpose, I will start with some considerations that emerged during the conference Shi'i Spirituality and Sufi Paths in Early and Modern Times, held at Ca' Foscari University, Venice, 2014. 1 Among other topics, participants discussed the Ni'matullāhiyya order and its development in the Indian Subcontinent. Despite the widespread idea of what could be defined as a 'late
Books by Sara Mondini
Cultura visuale e materiale dall’Adriatico all’India
a cura di
Mattia Guidetti e Sara Mondini
Conference Papers and Lectures by Sara Mondini
The essay reconsiders the decorative programme of the Aḥmad Šāh I Bahmanī (r. 1422-1436) mausoleum in Ashtur (Bidar, modern Karnataka) focusing, in particular, on the inscriptions adorning the dome. The reign of the ninth Bahmanī sovereign was marked by a growing complexity as far as the socio-political and religious context is concerned, and also, by a deepening divide ben-tween āfāqīs and dakhnīs, and the arrival of the first exponents of the Ni'matullāhiyya Sufi order in the Deccan. The region witnessed a marked interplay between temporal and spiritual power, and the religious orientation of Aḥmad Šāh I remains debated. By making some specific remarks concerning the decorative scheme and the epigraphic programme of the mausoleum, we not only discuss the idea of the king's adherence to Shi'a Islam, but also provide valid support for historians wishing to reconsider the process of Shi'ization of Deccan and of the Sufi order itself. Keywords Bahmanī. Deccan. Funerary architecture. Religious identity. Shi'a. Ni'matullāhiyya. In a recently published work (Mondini 2015) I have sought to trace the evolution of the perception of the mausoleum dedicated to Aḥmad Šāh I (r. 1422-1436), the ninth sovereign of the Bahmanī dynasty (1347-1527), who was responsible – according to the sources – for establishing the Ni'matullāhiyya order in the Deccan. While that contribution focused on the modern sharing of the structure by members of different faiths, on its frequentation and veneration, I now wish to examine its decorative scheme and the political and religious discourse it inherently promotes. For this purpose, I will start with some considerations that emerged during the conference Shi'i Spirituality and Sufi Paths in Early and Modern Times, held at Ca' Foscari University, Venice, 2014. 1 Among other topics, participants discussed the Ni'matullāhiyya order and its development in the Indian Subcontinent. Despite the widespread idea of what could be defined as a 'late
Cultura visuale e materiale dall’Adriatico all’India
a cura di
Mattia Guidetti e Sara Mondini