Symbolic Power and the"Floating Islands System":A Case Study of Medieval South Asia
Influenced by the complex relationship between kingship and divinity in South Asian civilization,the organization or ordering of the medieval South Asian system mixed elements of anarchy and hierarchy,with the structure defined according to the distribution of symbolic power.By examining the historical prototype of the system's key political entities during this period,namely semi-autonomous subordinate kingdoms known as Sāmantas,we can assume that the system's structure influenced the intentions of these units,prompting them to vie for symbolic power in order to attain relative advantage.Symbolic sub-jugation and the pursuit of divine legitimacy emerged as the primary means through which u-nits competed for symbolic power.Symbolic conquest involved achieving dominion by secu-ring acknowledgment of superiority from defeated kings without necessarily resorting to their elimination or territorial annexation.Conversely,the pursuit of divine legitimacy involved engaging in activities related to divine power to enhance political authority.During the con-test for symbolic power,the positions of system units constantly shifted between dominant kingdoms,semi-autonomous subordinate kingdoms,and independent kingdoms,resulting in the instability of the medieval South Asian international system.The essence of the contest for symbolic power lay in regimes striving for relative dominance by developing and expanding the influence and utility of non-material power in situations of limited material strength.Through empirical analysis of the distribution of symbolic power in the system using GIS,the medieval South Asian system exhibits characteristics of stable multipolarity,dynamic multilayeredness,and intersecting powers,metaphorically likened to a"floating islands system".
symbolic powerSouth Asian international systemIndianizationsymbolic subjugationSamanta
NETL
NSTL
万方数据
