The War that Wasn't : The Sufi and the Sultan

Contents: Preface. 1. Introduction. 2. Sufism: Philosophy and practices. 3. Development of Sufism and its advent in India. 4. The dynamics of Sufi power. 5. Structure and functions of the Sufi Khanqah: a power centre with multi-dimensional role. 6. Sufi and the Sultanate: relationship of compatibility and cooperation. 7. Sufis and the Sultanate: Relationship of incompatibility. 8. Conclusion. Bibliography. Index.

"The main thrust of the book is to analyze the subtle nuances of the dynamics of Sufi power in the social politics of the Delhi Sultanate, and how this power affected the relations between the Sufi and the Sultanate-- the two most powerful institutions in medieval India.

This book contains numerous anecdotes from medieval Persian sources, while dealing with incidents related to these Sufis. Author's object in this book has been to examine the broad bases of Sufi history in the Sultanate period to adduce sufficient evidence to suggest the need for a new approach.

This work contains vital aspects of the Sufi Movement, i.e., philosophy and practices of Sufism, development of Sufism in India, dynamics of Sufi power and the multidimensional role of the Sufi hospices, especially, as an impetus to urban expansion, i.e., Khanqahs in India, during the Sultanate Period." (jacket)