ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book provides shorter, nontraditional perspective pieces – that highlight the interconnections between multiple experiences of Muslim community at local levels, and bring attention to the cultural, social, artistic, and political diversity of the Himalaya beyond the better understood and frequently documented religio-cultural expressions of the region. It traces the history of Islam and Muslims in the region. The book presents a tapestry of accounts of lived experience of Islam and of being Muslim with perspectives from insiders and outsiders of Islam and Muslims in the region. It introduces a number of Urdu terms used for Sufi “saints” in South Asia that draw our attention to locally significant notions of religious authority. The book explores the identity of Tibetan Muslims living in Kashmir and considers something as fundamental as the name of this community.
