Part 1 An introduction to the Shiite tradition in Islam: Shiism - an overview; esentials of Islam common to the Shiite and Sunni traditions; Shiite "Ta'wil" - the esoteric dimension of Quranic scripture; variations on the esoteric tradition in poetry and theosophy - examples form Attar, Hafez, and Suhrawardi of Aleppo; the patterns that inform history - Shiite worldviews and the understanding of past and future; Shiism in India - historical background and cultural influences; representations of Muharram in British fiction and memoirs from the Raj. Part 2 Ritual and popular devotion in a Shiite community - Muharram liturgies of Hyderabad: Shiite shrines of the old city; Shiite men's guilds of Hyderabad; lamentation rituals - Shiite justifications for "Matam" - liturgical forms of "Matam"; the "Majlis" liturgy - sermon topics and Shiite self-definition; the role of liturgy in reinforcing communal identity; preparations for the Muharram season - rehearsal sessions and the training of the chorus in a Shiite men's guild; liturgy as drama - the seventh of Muharram and the bridegroom of Karbala's procession; co-operation and competition among the men's guilds; criticisms directed against the men's guilds; Muharram liturgies and Hindu-Muslim relations in Hyderabad. Part 3 Conclusion: Hyderabad and the world community of Shiite Islam.
