Cynthia M. Talbot
University of Texas, Austin (Austin, TX 78712-0100)
FA-53037-07
Fellowships for University Teachers
Research Programs
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[Grant products]
Totals:
$40,000 (approved)
$40,000 (awarded)
Grant period:
6/1/2008 – 5/31/2009
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Remembering a Rajput Hero: Martial Tales and Identities in India
"Remembering a Rajput Hero" asks why the king Prithviraj Chauhan has been considered memorable for the past 800 years. Notable primarily for his defeat to a Muslim Afghan king who conquered North India, Prithviraj was later transformed into a heroic figure for the Rajput community of Hindu warriors, and eventually into a symbol of Hindu resistance against foreign oppression. By exploring his past lives as a hero in a variety of written narratives, this project seeks to clarify how cultural symbols are constructed, transmitted, and transformed over the ages. It will contribute to our knowledge of Hindu-Muslim relations, Indian conceptions of history, the martial culture of Hindu India, and the ways the past is being used in India today.
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