Politics of Self-Expression

Markus Daechsel has studied history and political science at the University of Erlangen and the University of London. He is currently a lecturer in South Asian History at the University of Edinburgh. His research interests focus on the society, culture and politics of South Asian Muslims.

• Introduction  1. Urbanization, Bureaucratization and the Emergence of a Middle-Class Milieu  2. New Sign Objects and New Identities  3. Consumption and Romantic Sentimentalism  4. Authenticity, Power and the Magic of Objects  5. The Political Culture of Radical Self-Expression in its Time Period.  Conclusion

'Daechsel's study is a deeply thoughtful and rich one, with interesting readings of Urdu sources, and a sophisticated, intriguing argument. His book is an important intervention in the growing work on the politics of selfhood in South Asia, in an interdisciplinary style which admirably suits the complexity of its subject matter and themes' - Javed Majeed, Queen Mary, University of London'The book is a major contribution to historical studies in the Indian subcontinent, and its importance for an analysis of contemporary self-expressionist movements is immense.' - Farhan Hanif Siddiqi, University of Karachi, Pakistan, - Contemporary South Asia 17.3, 2009