The place of performance in a landscape of conquest: Raja Mansingh's akhārā in Gwalior.
In the forested countryside of Gwalior lie the vestiges of a little-known amphitheatre (akhārā) attributed to Raja Mansingh Tomar (r. 1488–1518). A bastioned rampart encloses the once-vibrant dance arena: a circular stage in the centre, surrounded by orchestral platforms and an elevated viewing gall...
| Published in: | South Asian History & Culture Vol. 11; no. 1; pp. 78 - 110 |
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| Format: | Article |
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Taylor & Francis Ltd
Jan2020
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| Online Access: | View this record in EBSCOhost |
| fields | @attributes: recordID: 1 pdfLink: plink: https://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=ssf&AN=141913914&site=ehost-live header: @attributes: shortDbName: ssf uiTerm: 141913914 longDbName: Social Sciences Full Text (H.W. Wilson) uiTag: AN controlInfo: bkinfo: jinfo: jid: 19472498 B7KP jtl: South Asian History & Culture issn: 19472498 maglogo: N pubinfo: dt: Jan2020 vid: 11 iid: 1 pid: 377 pub: Taylor & Francis Ltd artinfo: ui: 141913914 10.1080/19472498.2020.1719756 ppf: 78 ppct: 32 formats: fmt: – @attributes: type: T db: hlh ui: 141913914 – @attributes: type: P db: hlh ui: 141913914 tig: atl: The place of performance in a landscape of conquest: Raja Mansingh's akhārā in Gwalior. aug: au: Singh, Saarthak affil: Institute of Fine Arts, New York University, New York, NY, USA su: History of performing arts History of architecture & state Hydraulic structures sug: subj: History of performing arts History of architecture & state Hydraulic structures keyword: akhārā dhrupad landscape performance performativity rāsalīlā akhārā dhrupad landscape performance performativity rāsalīlā ab: In the forested countryside of Gwalior lie the vestiges of a little-known amphitheatre (akhārā) attributed to Raja Mansingh Tomar (r. 1488–1518). A bastioned rampart encloses the once-vibrant dance arena: a circular stage in the centre, surrounded by orchestral platforms and an elevated viewing gallery. This purpose-built performance space is a unique monumentalized instance of widely-prevalent courtly gatherings, featuring interpretive dance accompanied by music. What makes it most intriguing is the architectural play between inside|outside, between the performance stage and the wilderness landscape. Why then did it make sense to situate a 'fortified' amphitheatre amidst forested hills, away from the city? And where does this cultural arena stand in relation to the pressing political concerns of the day, anchored in the very same landscape? This paper examines the performative structure of Mansingh's akhārā and argues that performance – as evening entertainment, hunting sport and military campaign – occupied a crucial place in Gwalior's resilience throughout the fifteenth century and its changing perceptions from an infidel's jungle refuge (mawās) to the axis of a culturally-refined region (sudeśa). pubtype: Academic Journal doctype: Article src: R language: English refInfo: copyright: @attributes: flag: N holdings: @attributes: islocal: N |
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