A History of the Dasnami Naga Sannyasis

Organized Naga military activity originally flourished under state patronage. During the latter half of the sixteenth century and the early part of the seventeenth century, a number of bands of fighting ascetics formed into akharas with sectarian names and identities. The Dasnami Sannyasis constitute perhaps the most powerful monastic order which has played an important part in the history of India. The cult of the naked Nagas has a long history. The present volume aims to explore new findings which are available in various archives and repositories in order to fill up the lacuna in Jadunath Sarkar's work on the subject as elaborated in the present introduction. Please note: Taylor & Francis does not sell or distribute the Hardback in India, Pakistan, Nepal, Bhutan, Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.

Sir Jadunath Sarkar (1870-1958) was one of the greatest historians of Medieval and Modern India in the first half of the twentieth century. He was the author of such classic works as The Fall of the Mughal Empire (4 vols.); History of Aurungzib (5 vols.) and Shivaji and his Times. He taught at Patna University between 1899-1926 and was made Vice-Chancellor of Calcutta University in 1926. Ananda Bhattacharyya is Assistant Director of the West Bengal State Archives. His many publications include Adivasi Resistance in Early Colonial India (2017); Remembering Komagata Maru: Official Reports and Contemporary Accounts (2016); Notes on the Races, Castes and Trades of Eastern Bengal (2016) and Sannyasi and Fakir Rebellion in Bengal: Jamini Mohan Ghosh Revisited (2014).

I. Introduction by Ananda Bhattacharyya II.Foreword III. Preface to the First Edition 1. Life of Shankaracharya 2. The Date of Shankaracharya 3. Shankaracharya's Teachings 4. The Ten Orders or Dasnamis 5. Rules and Practices of Dasnami Monks 6. The Akharas and their Constitution: Past History of the Akharas 7. Householder or Grihastha Gosavis 8. Hindu Fighting Priest: Their Early History 9. Rajendra Giri Gosain (ad 1751-1753) 10. Anupgiri alias Himmat Bahadur: Early Career 11. In the Jat Service, 1764-1766 184 12. In Bundelkhand and Oudh Service 13. In the Emperor's Service 14. Later Service under the Empire: Anupgiris Diplomacy, 1782-1784 15. Mahadji Sindhia and the Gosains: Anupgiri's Rupture with Mahadji Sindhia and Recovery of Power (November 1784-October 1788) 16. The Last Stage 1789-1804 Rupture with Mahadji Sindhia and Migration to Bundelkhand 17. Military Services under our Princes 18. Gosains in Banking Administration and Civil Administration 19. A Short History of Akhara Mahanirvani