The Birth of a Region: Maharashtra in the 13th Century

FAIN: FA-53110-07

Anne Feldhaus
Arizona State University (Tempe, AZ 85281-3670)

Maharashtra, the Marathi-language region of western India, is an important state of modern India with cultural roots in the 13th century. Using primary sources, I will create a comprehensive picture of the social, economic, political, cultural, and religious life of Maharashtra during the crucial period when Marathi was emerging as a language of literary expression. The project will address broad questions about the geographical, cultural, and social identity of elites and others in Maharashtra at this lively and creative time, and will help us understand the processes by which a regional world of major importance was formed. The final product will be a series of articles and a major book on the birth of the Marathi-language region.