Tariq Rahman Libros

Exploring the profound impact of Mirza Ghalib's poetry, this handbook delves into his unique stylistic elements and thematic depth. It offers insightful commentaries that connect Ghalib's work to contemporary issues, highlighting his relevance in modern literary discourse. The book serves as both a scholarly resource and a guide for readers seeking to understand the nuances of Ghalib's poetics, making it an essential addition for enthusiasts of Urdu literature and poetry.

The book explores the socio-political history of Urdu, examining its historiography, including its names and linguistic roots, and how these narratives have influenced identity construction among Hindus and Muslims in India over the past two centuries. It offers a unique historical account of Urdu's role in various social domains such as employment, education, and media, highlighting the interplay between language and identity politics for both communities. This comprehensive analysis sheds light on the complex relationship between language and cultural identity in India.

Focusing on the historical context, this book explores the evolution of language teaching and learning among Muslims in North India and present-day Pakistan. It examines the interplay between language acquisition and power dynamics, illustrating how language skills have been sought for empowerment throughout history. The study highlights how those controlling language education influence ideologies that reinforce their power, affecting employment opportunities, identity formation, and national interests. Overall, it reveals the intricate relationship between language, ideology, and social structure.

Focusing on pivotal conflicts between Pakistan and India, this book delves into key wars, including the Kashmir war, the 1965 and 1971 wars, and the 1999 Kargil conflict. It examines elite decision-making through a 'gambling model,' shedding light on the risk-taking behaviors that lead to warfare and their implications for future India-Pakistan relations. Additionally, it incorporates interviews with widows, children, and displaced civilians, providing a subaltern perspective on the human impact of these conflicts.

In the wake of radical Islamist terrorist attacks described as jihad worldwide and in South Asia, it is imperative that there should be a book-length study of this idea in this part of the world. The focus of the study is the idea of jihad with its changing interpretations mostly those available in exegetical literature of key figures in South Asia. The hermeneutic devices used to understand the meaning of the Quranic verses and the Prophetic traditions relating to jihad will be the focus of this study. The main thrust of the study is to understand how interpretations of jihad vary. It is seen as being both defensive and aggressive by traditionalists; only defensive and mainly about moral improvement by progressive Muslims; and being insurrectionist, aggressive, eternal and justifying violence against civilians by radical Islamists. One purpose of the book is to understand how the radical interpretation came to South Asia. The book also explains how theories about jihad are influenced by the political and social circumstances of the period and how these insights feed into practice legitimizing militant movements called jihad for that period.