This book brings together studies by experts in the study of religion in nineteenth century Iran. Broad areas covered include the relationship between religion and the state, the importance of archival materials for the study of religion, the developments in Qajar religious thought, the position of religious minorities in Qajar Iran and the relationship between religion and Qajar culture. The centrality of Shi'ite Islam to any understanding of Qajar religion is emphasised, though non-Muslim religious communities, and their relationship with the Shi'ite hierarchy and the state are also studied. For the first time, a collection of studies by the leading researchers in the field are collected in one place. The collection represents the proceedings of a conference in September 2000 at the University of Bristol.

This handbook on racist extremism in Central and Eastern Europe is the result of a unique collaborative research project of experts from the ten new and future post-communist EU member states. All chapters are written to a common framework, making it easier to compare individual countries and include sections on: racist extremist organizations (political parties, organizations, and subcultures the domestic and international legal framework numbers and types of racist extremist incidents state and civic responses to the threat Cas Mudde's conclusion examines the region as a whole and compares it to Western Europe. Sponsored by the Open Society Institute, this book will prove essential reading for all academics and non-academics interested in this vital aspect of post-communist politics and societies. It will also provide a significant impetus for further studies and actions in the field of racist extremism in Central and Eastern Europe.

This book examines the communist movement in the Arab world from the time of the Russian revolution until after the collapse of the Soviet Union. It traces the interaction of the world communist movement, under the aegis of the Communist International (Komintern) in Moscow, which was characterised by an uncritical acceptance of Marxism-Leninism, and local communists, who moved from initial dependence on Moscow to a position more adapted to local circumstances and sensitivities, which could be characterised as a distinctive 'Arab communism'. It goes on to trace the impact of 'Arab communism' on a range of issues in the region, including national liberation and social and economic transformation, arguing that the role of Arab communist parties was highly significant, and disproportionate to the relatively small numbers of communists in the countries concerned.

This handbook on racist extremism in Central and Eastern Europe is the result of a unique collaborative research project of experts from the ten new and future post-communist EU member states. All chapters are written to a common framework, making it easier to compare individual countries and include sections on:
- Racist extremist organizations (political parties, organizations, and subcultures)
- The domestic and international legal framework
- Numbers and types of racist extremist incidents
- State and civic responses to the threat
Cas Mudde's conclusion examines the region as a whole and compares it to Western Europe.
Sponsored by the Open Society Institute, this book will prove essential reading for all academics and non-academics interested in this vital aspect of post-communist politics and societies. It will also provide a significant impetus for further studies and actions in the field of racist extremism in Central and Eastern Europe.

The Chinese market is appealing, but the Chinese legal system is very complicated. A basic understanding of Chinese law is absolutely crucial for companies investing in this fast-growing and potentially huge market. Since China is moving toward a socialist market economy and is increasingly integrated into the world market, some aspects of China's commercial law are different from, while others are moving into line with, those of mature market economies.

This book provides an introduction to the Chinese legal system, focusing on laws and regulations on foreign direct investment and highlights recent government policies and measures undertaken to intensify economics reforms so as to meet various challenges arising from China's accession to the World Trade Organization.

This book explores devotional Hinduism in a modern context of high consumerism and revolutionised communications. It focuses on a fast-growing and high-profile contemporary Hindu guru faith originating in India and attracting a transnational following. The organisation is led by a vastly popular female guru, Mata Amritanandamayi, whom devotees worship as an avatar and a healer of the ills of the contemporary world. By drawing upon multi-sited ethnographic fieldwork among the mata's primarily urban, educated 'middle class' Indian devotees, the author provides crucial insights into new trends in popular Hinduism in a post-colonial and rapidly modernising Indian setting.

This is the first dedicated book to concentrate on textiles as a major commodity, and primary indicator of status, wealth and identity in Indian Ocean regions. The volume considers the importance of trade, and the transformation of the meaning of objects as they move between different cultures; it also addresses issues of gender, ethnic and religious identity, and economic status. The book covers a broad geographic range from East Africa to South-East Asia, and references a number of disciplines such as anthropology, art history and history. This volume is timely, as both the social sciences and historical studies have developed a new interest in material culture.

This book examines women's activism in the early years of independent Indonesia when new attitudes to gender, nationalism, citizenship and democratization were forming. It questions the meaning of democratization for women and their relationship to national sovereignty within the new Indonesian state, and discusses women's organizations and their activities; women's social and economic roles; and the different cultural, regional and ethnic attitudes towards women, while showing the failure of political change to fully address women's gender interests and needs. The author argues that both the role of nationalism in defining gender identity and the role of gender in defining national identity need equal recognition.

"Linguistic Archaeology of South Asia "brings together linguistic and archaeological evidence of South Asian prehistory. The author depicts and analyses the region, in particular the Indus Valley civilization, its links with neighbouring regions and its implications for social history. Each type of linguistic data is put into its socio-historical context. Consequently, the book is both a description of the unique methodology 'linguistic archaeology' and a treatment of South Asian linguistic data. It will be of interest for scholars and students of linguistics, archaeology, palaeobotany and history.

Enhancing our understanding of HRM in the Chinese industrial sector, this book explores the emerging role of HRM in China's industrial enterprises. A significant contribution to the theory of HRM, this book will be essential reading for students and researchers of Business and Management, HRM and Asian Business.

Over recent years, there has been increasing interest in the relationship between China and Japan, particularly as a way of understanding contemporary political, economic and security developments within the whole East Asia region. Caroline Rose presents a thorough, balanced and objective examination of both sides of the relationship. This will be of great interest to academics and policy-makers in the UK and US, as well as to professionals working in Chinese and Japanese communities.

"Institutional Change in Southeast Asia" examines the institutional changes taking place in, and challenges facing, the region since 1997. The book focuses on determinants to the adjustments and on implementations of the reforms. It also describes various differences in the reform process between countries in the region. Southeast Asia's economic development over the last decades has been impressive.
Most of the region achieved consistently high growth rates accompanied by significant structural transformation and industrialization, poverty alleviation and improvements in their overall standard of living as indicated by such social indicators as greater longevity, more widespread delivery of basic education and lower infant mortality rates. However, the crisis that struck Southeast Asia in 1997 had severe economic, social and political consequences in the region. It also threw into doubt the future economic prosperity of the countries in Southeast Asia and raised intriguing questions about the quality of their institutions and their approach to economic development.
Sjoholm and Tongzon argue that the economies of Southeast Asia need to reform their institutions if the previous rapid development is to continue. The institutional weaknesses have been addressed to different degrees and with different success in the affected countries. Against the backdrop of Southeast Asia's importance in the world economy, it is hardly possible to overestimate the need to understand this process of change.

Embraces a wide range of aspects of Indian mysticism, displaying the structural patterns in mystical experiences and the mystic paths in different traditions and schools, while there are also significant contributions to comparative mysticism, Eastern and Western. First published in 1989.

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First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

First published in 2004. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

This is a translation of the chapter on perception of Kumarilabhatta's magnum opus, the Slokavarttika, one of the central texts of the Hindu response to the criticism of the logical-epistemological school of Buddhist thought. In an extensive commentary, the author explains the course of the argument from verse to verse and alludes to other theories of classical Indian philosophy and other technical matters. Notes to the translation and commentary go further into the historical and philosophical background of Kumarila's ideas. The book provides an introduction to the history and the development of Indian epistemology, a synopsis of Kumarila's work and an analysis of its argument.

Series Information:
Royal Asiatic Society

Hagiographies or idealized biographies which recount the lives of saints, bodhisattvas and other charismatic figures have been the meeting place for myth and experience. In medieval Europe, the "lives of saints" were read during liturgical celebrations and the texts themselves were treated as sacred objects. In Japan, it was believed that those who read the biographies of lofty monks would acquire merit. Since hagiographies were written or compiled by "believers," the line between fantasy and reality was often obscured. This study of the bodhisattva Gyoki - regarded as the monk who started the largest social welfare movement in Japan - illustrates how Japanese Buddhist hagiographers chose to regard a single monk's charitable activities as a miraculous achievement that shaped the course of Japanese history.

Diese Arbeit wurde mit dem Studienpreis für ausländische Studierende der Universität Siegen ausgezeichnet. Das Prager Tagblatt zählt im Hinblick auf das Nationalitätenproblem in Böhmen und Mähren zu denjenigen publizistischen Organen, welche das deutsch-tschechische Miteinander in der Periode zwischen den Weltkriegen gefördert haben. Themen dieser Untersuchung sind das publizistische Bild T. G. Masaryks im Prager Tagblatt betreffend seine Rolle gegenüber den tschechoslowakischen Deutschen und die publizistische Leistung Max Brods als Kulturredakteur im Prager Tagblatt im Hinblick auf seine Literatur-, Theater- und Musikkritiken.

Economic reform in China has resulted in a widening gap between the rich and the poor, and urban poverty has emerged as a key factor which may affect future development. This new book examines the poverty problem in relation to housing and social changes in large inland cities, and assesses the effectiveness of recent government anti-poverty policies. The book also puts the Chinese experience in the wider context of transitional economies and discusses the similarities and differences between China and Central and Eastern European countries. The book is based on a long period of research on Chinese urban development, and benefited from several research projects conducted in Chinese cities. It is an important reference for all of those interested in housing, urban studies and social change, and is a key text for students of the Chinese economy and society.

Contents:
Introduction Part I: The Volunteers 1. The Life and Death of a Volunteer 2. Life Choices 3. Civic Leaders Part II: The Programs 4. Cultivating Children 5. Preventing Juvenile Delinquency 6. Helping Others Conclusion

Guang Xing gives an analysis of one of the fundamental Mahayana Buddhist teachings, namely the three bodies of the Buddha (the trikaya Theory), which is considered the foundation of Mahayana philosophy. He examines how and why the philosophical concept of three bodies was formed, particularly the Sambhogakaya, which is the Buddha to be worshipped by all Mayahanists. Written in an accessible way, this work is an outstanding research text for students and scholars of Mayahana Buddhism and anyone interested in Buddhist philosophy.

This book analyzes the political economy of reproduction and its role in the process of Japanese modernization. Hiroko analyzes state attempts and policies to intervene into women's bodies and everyday lives to integrate them into the Japanese political economy. Based on Foucault's concept of governmentality the author develops a model to assess reproduction in three forms - economic, biological and socio-political - from 1868 until the present day.

Based on extensive original research, Globalisation, Transition and Development in China explains China's development strategy and its underlying forces, and the success of this strategy. It examines China's gradualist approach which emphasizes development first and regards transition and globalization as secondary, enacting liberalization of domestic markets and integration into the world economy in a paced way, avoiding dramatic changes which might impede or even reverse development, and argues that this approach is broadly correct. It considers China's failures, including the failure to build large globally competitive corporations despite the intention to do this, and shows how China's economic strategy has been implemented in detail with a case study of the large and important coal industry.