Feminist Theory and the Aesthetics Within: A Perspective from South Asia

Re-examines feminist theory by looking at South Asian aesthetic conventions drawn from iconography, philosophy, Indo-Islamic mystic folk traditions and poetics. It discusses alternate fluid representations of gender and intersectional identities and interrelationships in some dominant as well as subaltern Indic aesthetic traditions. Interlinks pre-historic, classical, medieval, pre-modern and contemporary aesthetic and literary traditions of South Asia through a gendered perspective. Bridges a major gap in feminist theory and examines the political dimension of feminist theory in India as well as its implications for trans-continental feminist aesthetics across South Asia and the west. An interdisciplinary work, this book will be useful for departments of feminist theory, women's studies, gender studies, art and aesthetics, philosophy, literature, cultural studies, queer studies, sexuality studies, political studies, sociology and South Asian studies.