Thibaut d'Hubert is an assistant professor of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.

Impressive, contains a wealth of information and is a timely contribution to South Asian religious and cultural history and literary studies

• Acknowledgements Map of Arakan and eastern South Asia in the seventeenth century Introduction: Poetics in the margins Chapter 1: The formation of Bengali literature in Arakan (ca. 1430-1638) Chapter 2: Literary urbanity in Mrauk UChapter 3: New beginnings: Alaol's early career in Mrauk U Chapter 4 Alaol's poetry and Mrauk U's political turmoil Chapter 5: Alaol's poetics: when locality rhymes with originalityChapter 6: Indo-Afghan historical imaginaries and the romance genre Chapter 7: Lyric poetry and desi aesthetics in eastern South Asia Conclusion: Middle Bengali poetics and the multilingual literary history of Bengal Bibliography Appendix 1: Summaries of Alaol's Padmavati and the story of the goldsmith's wifea. Summary of Alaol's Padmavatib. The story of the goldsmith's wife in Sayphulmuluk Badiujjamal Appendix 2: Analytical tables of Alaol's songs Appendix 3: Original texts of the Middle Bengali and Old Maithili songsAppendix 4: A Persian appraisal of Alaol's life and works Index

Thibaut d'Hubert is an assistant professor of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.

Impressive, contains a wealth of information and is a timely contribution to South Asian religious and cultural history and literary studies

• Acknowledgements Map of Arakan and eastern South Asia in the seventeenth century Introduction: Poetics in the margins Chapter 1: The formation of Bengali literature in Arakan (ca. 1430-1638) Chapter 2: Literary urbanity in Mrauk UChapter 3: New beginnings: Alaol's early career in Mrauk U Chapter 4 Alaol's poetry and Mrauk U's political turmoil Chapter 5: Alaol's poetics: when locality rhymes with originalityChapter 6: Indo-Afghan historical imaginaries and the romance genre Chapter 7: Lyric poetry and desi aesthetics in eastern South Asia Conclusion: Middle Bengali poetics and the multilingual literary history of Bengal Bibliography Appendix 1: Summaries of Alaol's Padmavati and the story of the goldsmith's wifea. Summary of Alaol's Padmavatib. The story of the goldsmith's wife in Sayphulmuluk Badiujjamal Appendix 2: Analytical tables of Alaol's songs Appendix 3: Original texts of the Middle Bengali and Old Maithili songsAppendix 4: A Persian appraisal of Alaol's life and works Index

Thibaut d'Hubert is an assistant professor of South Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.

Impressive, contains a wealth of information and is a timely contribution to South Asian religious and cultural history and literary studies

• Acknowledgements Map of Arakan and eastern South Asia in the seventeenth century Introduction: Poetics in the margins Chapter 1: The formation of Bengali literature in Arakan (ca. 1430-1638) Chapter 2: Literary urbanity in Mrauk UChapter 3: New beginnings: Alaol's early career in Mrauk U Chapter 4 Alaol's poetry and Mrauk U's political turmoil Chapter 5: Alaol's poetics: when locality rhymes with originalityChapter 6: Indo-Afghan historical imaginaries and the romance genre Chapter 7: Lyric poetry and desi aesthetics in eastern South Asia Conclusion: Middle Bengali poetics and the multilingual literary history of Bengal Bibliography Appendix 1: Summaries of Alaol's Padmavati and the story of the goldsmith's wifea. Summary of Alaol's Padmavatib. The story of the goldsmith's wife in Sayphulmuluk Badiujjamal Appendix 2: Analytical tables of Alaol's songs Appendix 3: Original texts of the Middle Bengali and Old Maithili songsAppendix 4: A Persian appraisal of Alaol's life and works Index