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Front Cover
Back Cover
The Guardian of the Hills: Devata Culture and Living Shamanism in the Western Himalaya (Shimla Hills)
Authors:
G.C. Chauhan
,
Malvika Chauhan
ISBN:
9789376540068
Binding:
Hardcover
Year:
2026
Size:
16 x 24 cm
FORTHCOMING
About the Book
The Guardian of the Hills: Devata Culture and Living Shamanism in the Western Himalaya (Shimla Hills)
examines the enduring significance of devata culture and shamanistic traditions in the religious and social life of the Shimla Hills. Situating these traditions within the wider context of indigenous religious practices, the book explores a world in which deities, ritual specialists, and local communities remain closely intertwined, and religious belief continues to shape social customs, cultural traditions, and moral life.At the heart of the study is a challenge to the view that the Devi-Devatas of the Shimla Hills are merely local Hindu gods or figures of regional folklore. The authors argue that these deities are better understood as territorial sovereigns: guardians, judges, and final authorities within their respective domains. Their authority is embedded in the social and territorial organisation of local communities and historically connected with land and structures of administration. Devata culture thus emerges not simply as a body of belief, but as a living institution of authority and governance.Through an examination of the localisation of deities, rituals of worship, shamanistic practices, and the role of the
gur
or
mali
as a medium of divine communication, the book reveals the complex relationship between sacred authority and everyday social life. It presents the devata tradition not as a relic of the past, but as a living religious and social institution through which faith, authority, community, and regional identity continue to intersect in the Western Himalaya.
About the Authors
G.C. Chauhan
G.C. Chauhan is a scholar of ancient Indian history, specializing in social institutions and economic history. He has authored sixteen books and published over seventy research papers in national and international journals. His notable works include
Economic Dimensions of Buddhism in Early India: From the 6th Century BCE to the 7th Century CE
(Sanctum Books, New Delhi);
Origin and Growth of
Satī
in Early Medieval India: A Historical Investigation
(Sanctum Books, New Delhi);
Ancient India: Insights into Social & Economic Dynamics
(Sanctum Books, New Delhi);
An Overview of Historiographical Approaches
;
Reflections: Looking Back on Social Institutions of Ancient India
;
Economic History of Mauryan India
;
Early Indian Feudal Society and its Culture
;
Agrarian Economy of Ancient India
;
What Happened in Ancient India, Vol. II: From the Mauryas to 1200 CE
;
Agrarian Economy of Ancient India (from the earliest times to 1200 AD)
;
Light and Shades of Popular Beliefs in Hill States: A Case Study of Shimla Hills
;
Indian Buddhism: A Historical Overview
;
Some Aspects of Early Indian Society
;
Origin and Growth of Feudalism in Early India (from the Mauryas to 650 AD)
; and
Economic History of Early Medieval Northern India
.
Professor Chauhan’s works are widely recognised for their depth of analysis and insightful interpretation of ancient India’s social and economic structures.
Malvika Chauhan
Dr Malvika Chauhan is a scholar and researcher in Sociology whose work focuses on the cultural and religious traditions of the Western Himalayas. She completed her Ph.D. at Panjab University, Chandigarh, with a doctoral study titled
The Realm of Devtas: Sociological Study of Shamanistic Traditions in Kotkhai Tehsil (Shimla District)
. Her research examines shamanistic traditions, folklore, local belief systems, gender, and the social and cultural life of the Shimla Hills.
She is the author of
Women and Patriarchy as Reflected in Folklore of Shimla Hills
and has published seven research articles on subjects ranging from folk songs and patriarchal structures to local deity traditions and popular beliefs. Through her work, she seeks to document and interpret the indigenous traditions and cultural heritage of the Himalayan region, with particular attention to the relationship between belief, folklore, gender, and society.
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