Polemics and Patronage in the City of Victory: Vyasatirtha, Hindu Sectarianism, and the Sixteenth-Century Vijayanagara Court Paperback - 2016

From the rear cover

"Valerie Stoker's work, with its insightful analysis of the role played by the Madhva sectarian leader Vyasatirtha in the complex and multifaceted interplay of religion and state patronage in sixteenth-century South India, is a valuable addition to the corpus of writings on Vijayanagara."--Anila Verghese, author of Religious Traditions at Vijayanagara

"Never have Hindu philosophical debates and sectarian disputes seemed so lively and so relevant to historical dynamics. Drawing on inscriptional and material evidence as well as texts, Stoker provides us with a skillfully drawn picture of the complex interactions among rulers and religious leaders in sixteenth-century South India."--Leslie C. Orr, Concordia University, Montreal, and author of Donors, Devotees and Daughters of God: Temple Women in Medieval Tamilnadu

"Stoker sets a new standard for the study of religion in early modern South India, recognizing that doctrine does not unfold in a sociopolitical vacuum and providing an insightful account of the relations between sectarian organizations and their political patrons."--Phillip B. Wagoner, Wesleyan University

"In this engrossing and sophisticated book, Stoker brings together fine narrative fluency, careful scholarship across different disciplines, and critical sympathy for ideas and people from a different time and place. She is especially illuminating on the interaction between historical context, institutional imperatives, and philosophical innovation."--Chakravarthi Ram-Prasad, author of Divine Self, Human Self: The Philosophy of Being in Two Gita Commentaries