Mafia Raj: The Rule of Bosses in South Asia (South Asia in Motion) - Softcover

Michelutti, Lucia; Hoque, Ashraf; Martin, Nicolas; Picherit, David; Rollier, Paul; Ruud, Arild E.; Still, Clarinda

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1503607313 ISBN 13: 9781503607316

Publisher: Stanford University Press, 2018

Synopsis

"Mafia" has become an indigenous South Asian term. Like Italian mobsters, the South Asian "gangster politicians" are known for inflicting brutal violence while simultaneously upholding vigilante justice―inspiring fear and fantasy. But the term also refers to the diffuse spheres of crime, business, and politics operating within a shadow world that is popularly referred to as the rule of the mafia, or "Mafia Raj."

Through intimate stories of the lives of powerful and aspiring bosses in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, this book illustrates their personal struggles for sovereignty as they climb the ladder of success. Ethnographically tracing the particularities of the South Asian case, the authors theorize what they call "the art of bossing," providing nuanced ideas about crime, corruption, and the lure of the strongman across the world.

About this title

About the Author

Lucia Michelutti is Professor of Anthropology at the University College London. Ashraf Hoque is Teaching Fellow in the Department of Anthropology at the University College London. Nicolas Martin is Assistant Professor at the University of Zurich.David Picherit is Research Fellow at the French National Centre for Scientific Research. Paul Rollier is Assistant Professor in South Asian Studies at the University of St. Gallen. Arild E. Ruud is Professor of South Asian Studies at the University of Oslo. Clarinda Still is Research Associate at the University College London.

Edition details

• Publisher: Stanford University Press
• Publication date: 2018
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1503607313
• ISBN 13: 9781503607316
• Binding: Paperback
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 352