ИСТИНА

The "Under the Skies of South Asia: Territory and Belonging" volume scheduled for publication in 2016 focuses on physical and virtual interrelation of individuals and/or social, ethnic, political, religious etc. groups (communities) with territories – either real or fictitious/imagined. The logical chain «territory–belonging» is investigated in the volume within historical, geographical, socio-cultural, linguistic, (geo)political and other research contexts. We deal with territory as a cultural & geographical category that includes historical and contemporary (sub/supra)regions, administrative units, states and quazi-states; mythological and real localities: continents, islands, cities, towns and villages; mountains, rivers, lakes, forests, deserts, and other elements of topography, including sacred topography. We consider belonging as a variety of individual or collective feelings, emotions and moods – attachment, love, pride, nostalgia, hatred, resentment, disrespect etc. – in relation to territories, their images and borders; and means of expressing these feelings (ranging from construction of satirical stereotypes of the “hostile” territory to self-sacrifice in the name of “own” land). Our contributions include research papers on boundaries and frontiers in South Asia; territoriality of princely states (Hyderabad, Devas, Bhopal, Bahavalpur, Junagarh) in colonial India and the aftermath of their integration in India and Pakistan after 1947; sacred territories of Jains and Nayanars, as well as those of Bhutan deities; the Britishers’ affiliation to India; city studies (Bombay/Mumbai and Delhi), and other issues. With India being the main focus of research, the papers give a good coverage of critical territorial issues pertaining to Pakistan, Bangladesh, Nepal, Bhutan, Sri Lanka, and Maldives. The volume also boasts translations of related poetry and fiction from Hindi, Urdu, Punjabi, Marathi, and English.