The economics of ecstasy [ebook] : Tantra, secrecy, and power in colonial Bengal

## Abstract This is a study of the Bengali Kartābhajā sect and its place in the broader movement of Tantrism, which is an Indian religious movement, notorious for its alleged use of shocking sexual language and rituals. The author looks closely at the relationship between the rise of the Kartābhajās, who flourished at the turn of the nineteenth century, and the changing economic context of colonial Bengal. Made up of the poor lower classes labouring in the marketplaces and factories of Calcutta (India), the Kartābhajās represent “the underworld of the imperial city.” It is shown that their esoteric poetry and songs are saturated with the language of the marketplace and the bazaar, which becomes for them the key metaphor used to communicate secret knowledge and mystical teachings. Not only do they employ the imagery in the market of moneylending and brokering, but also name their sect after the British East India Company, giving themselves the ironic title of the “Poor Company.” The case of the Kartābhajās opens many new insights not merely into the specific case of one Bengali cult, but also into much larger cross‐cultural and theoretical issues, including the changing role of the lower class, marginalized groups under the changing conditions of colonialism, the changing role of Tantric traditions during the period of British rule, and the topic of secrecy as a cross‐cultural category in the study of religion. The book is arranged in three parts: I. The Secret Marketplace: Historical Origins and Socioeconomic Contexts; II. The Power of Secrecy: Esoteric Discourse and Practice; and III. The Liability of Secrecy: Secrecy as a Source of Scandal and Slander, Elitism, and Exploitation. CONTENTS......Page 14 A NOTE (OR APOLOGY) ON TRANSLITERATION......Page 16 ABBREVIATIONS......Page 18 Introduction: Secrecy and Symbolic Power......Page 22 I. The Secret Marketplace: Historical Origins and Socioeconomic Contexts......Page 48 1. The Underworld of the Imperial City: The Religious, Social, and Economic Context of Early Colonial Bengal and the Rise of the Kartābhajās......Page 50 2. The Religion of Man (Mānuser Dharma): The Religious Ideals and Social Vision of the Kartābhajās......Page 79 II. The Power of Secrecy: Esoteric Discourse ana Practice......Page 110 3. The Language of the Mint: Secrecy and Esoteric Discourse in the Kartābhajā Tradition......Page 112 4. The Poor Company: Mercantile Discourse and Its Deformations in the Bhāver Gīta......Page 135 5. Secret Bodies: Physical Disciplines and Ecstatic Techniques......Page 156 III. The Liability of Secrecy: Secrecy as a Source of Scandal and Slander, Elitism and Exploitation......Page 178 6. The Stinking Fruit in the Garden of Love: The Kartābhajās and the Ambivalent Role of "Tantra" in Colonial Bengal......Page 180 7. The Economics of Ecstasy: The Economic Hierarchy and Business Tactics of the Kartābhajās......Page 200 8. The Progressive "Exotericization" and "Institutionalization" of an Esoteric Tradition......Page 222 Conclusions and Comparative Comments: "Uninitiated Understanding"......Page 226 NOTES......Page 238 SELECT BIBLIOGRAPHY......Page 288 B......Page 300 F......Page 301 K......Page 302 P......Page 303 S......Page 304 Z......Page 305 "This volume explores the Bengali Kartabhaja sect and its place in the broader movement of Tantra, an Indian religious movement notorious for its alleged use of shocking sexual language and rituals. Hugh B. Urban looks closely at the relationship between the rise of the Kartabhajas, who flourished at the turn of the nineteenth century, and the changing economic context of colonial Bengal.". "Urban shows that the case of the Kartabhajas opens many new insights not merely into the specific case of one minor Bengali cult, but also into much larger cross-cultural and theoretical issues, including the changing role of the lower class, marginalized groups under the changing conditions of colonialism, the changing role of Tantric traditions during the period of British rule, and the topic of secrecy as a cross-cultural category in the study of religion. Urban's reflections on the ethical and epistemological dilemmas involved in studying traditions that wish to remain secret will set a new standard for discussion of this controversial issue."--BOOK JACKET. This is a study of the Bengali Kartabhaja sect and its place in the broader movement of Tantrism, an Indian religious movement employing purposely shocking sexual language and rituals. Urban looks closely at the relationship between the rise of the Kartabhajas, who flourished at the turn of the 19th century, and the changing economic context of colonial Bengal. Made up of the poor lower classes laboring in the marketplaces and factories of Calcutta, the Kartabhajas represent "the underworld of the imperial city." Urban shows that their esoteric poetry and songs are in fact saturated with the language of the marketplace and the bazaar, which becomes for them the key metaphor used to communicate secret knowledge and mystical teachings.