Programme

This research programme on the development of modern religious and social identities among Indic merchant communities along the Western Indic World is entitled Rāhē Najāt (The path of salvation): Religious and social dynamics in the trade networks of the western Indian Ocean littoral. Its purpose is two-fold: preserving data of various forms, including manuscripts, books, inscription reliefs, videos, audio recordings, etc, to constitute a corpus; and analyzing the collected data by focusing on the transmission of religious culture and the reframing of social identities and organization among Indic merchant communities of the Western Indian Ocean littoral, such as the Khōjā. Research questions include understanding how transnational movements and linkages transformed religious institutions, which developed in landed contexts and were later translated internationally- such as in East Africa. The results of this research will be communicated through public lectures, international conferences, and a special journal (revue) in French and English.