Patronage as Politics in South Asia

"It is remarkable how much the historical course in India is guided rather by institutional memories and their persisting structural paradigms. Testifying to this reproduction of the past in modern political garb, essay after essay of this fine work offers a nuanced, anthropological sense of how cultural order is revealed by historical change, even as the change manifests a historical order."
Marshall Sahlins, Charles F. Grey Distinguished Service Professor Emeritus of Anthropology, University of Chicago

"Even those of us who see the importance of patronage waning will find an abundance of crucial insights in these subtle, deeply learned analyses."
James Manor, Emeka Anyaoku Professor Emeritus of Commonwealth Studies, School of Advanced Study, University of London

"This excellent book demonstrates the importance of maintaining a focus on morality as it intersects with political and economic process … Drawing on rich empirical case material, it is a refreshing and revitalizing ‘return' to the category of patronage that will be valuable to both regional specialists and those with a broader interest in global political processes."
Jon P. Mitchell, University of Sussex

"This book, nominated for the Coomaraswamy Prize from the Association for Asian Studies, is perhaps the most comprehensive investigation of the concept in the South Asian context. It lends enormous comparative insight to the intricate process of patronage and its implication … the book has the potential to open up new frontiers of research on patronage politics, and will be seen as a work of enduring importance for scholars of most major disciplines on South Asia."
Shaikh Mujibur Rehman, The Hindu

"What happened to the dream of democracy or tryst with destiny that the first Prime Minister of independent India sought to implant in the citizens of free India? The question can be answered in several ways and some of the most effective responses are to be found in [this] book … a collection of articles by eminent writers and experts …"
Uday Basu, The Statesman

"Piliavsky's contributors, most of whom are anthropologists, offer fresh insights into the ways in which religious feasts, patronage handouts, and petty bureaucratic favors both support and undermine the state."
Andrew J. Nathan, Foreign Affairs

'I believe the fundamental direction of this collection is undoubtedly correct. Patronage is not one thing and it must be understood with reference to specific historical and ethnographic contexts. Nor can it be understood as isolated dyadic transactions, but instead it must be seen as part of a broader social and cultural network of intersecting relationships and values. … What the contributors have produced is a work of tremendous significance …' Stephen M. Lyon, Journal of the Royal Anthropological Institute