India''s association with magicians goes back thousands of years. Hindus believe that the god Indra used magic to defeat evil, and the Atharva Veda (c. 1000 BCE) contains hundreds of exorcisms, healing hymns and charms. Jugglers, yogis and fakirs dazzled the courts of Hindu maharajas and Mughal emperors. As Britain extended its dominion over the subcontinent, such magicians became synonymous with India and even travelled to Britain, sometimes remaining for decades. Western illusionists, threatened by these 'primitive' practitioners, appropriated Indian attire, tricks and stage names; Indian magicians fought back, earning the grudging respect of their European peers.This heavily illustrated book tells the extraordinary, untold story of how Indian magic descended from the realm of the gods to become part of daily ritual and popular entertainment across the globe. Drawing on ancient religious texts, early travellers' accounts, colonial records, modern visual sources, and magicians' own testimony, ''Empire of Enchantment'' is a vibrant narrative of India's magical traditions, from Vedic times to the present day.
Industry Reviews
'Explores the history of magic rituals in India and the way they shaped western imaginations . . . [with] a pleasing sense of humour . . . and an eye for the absurd.'
'A fantastic and thoroughly engaging history of Indian magic . . . bristling with . . . tales of conjurors, tricksters, illusionists, jugglers, and cunning conmen across the centuries.'
'Fascinating.'
'Hugely entertaining . . . a vividly illuminating history of the place of magic in Indian life . . . [a] fabulous book of marvels and wonders.'
'A valuable and entertaining book.'
'A strange, deeply learned but consistently entertaining salmagundi of marvels, myths and outrageous cons - a surefooted survey of a vast terrain.'
'Delightful and charming . . . Empire of Enchantment is much more than a history of Indian magic. It is an extraordinarily riveting social history of India, and of India's encounter with the world.'
'Weaving, with his own magical touch . . . an utterly fascinating history of a wonderful cultural tradition . . . Zubrzycki has it all, and his scholarship ranges far and wide. . . . a readable and fast-paced book.'
'John Zubrzycki has found the most wonderful story- the sort all writers look for and long for- and told it brilliantly. This is- quite literally- a book of marvels.' -- William Dalrymple
'Exceptionally well-crafted and brilliantly told, Empire of Enchantment brings alive the most enchanting tales and traditions from the history of Indian magic, packed with an extraordinary cast featuring emperors and politicians, street performers and thugs. Travelling with Zubrzycki from distant antiquity down to our own, more recent times, what this book offers is a universe of pure, unadulterated delight.' -- Shashi Tharoor
