Preface

Chapters in this book

1. Frontmatter i
2. Contents vii
3. List of Illustrations ix
4. Preface xi
5. Introduction 1
6. Part one. Religion and Empire in Antiquity
7. 1. Alexander and Ashoka: Cosmopolitan Empires and Religious Policy from Egypt to India, 330–230 b.c. 13
8. 2. Imperial Religion: China to Rome, 250 b.c.–250 a.d. 31
9. 3. The Debate over Dharma: Hindus and Buddhists Compete for Ideological Dominance in South Asia 59
10. 4. Confessional Religion and Empire before the Rise of Islam 79
11. 5. The Rise of Islam and the Early Caliphate, 622–711 a.d. 105
12. Part two. The Islamic Millennium
13. 6. Imperial Islam, 690–1500 a.d. 119
14. 7. The Great Islamic Empires of the Early Modern Era (ca. 1500–1700) 141
15. Part three. The Modern World
16. 8. Putting Religion in Its Place, I: Reformers, Kings, and Philosophers Challenge the Church 161
17. 9. Putting Religion in Its Place, II: Revolution and Religious Freedom 182
18. 10. The Contemporary Era: The Worldwide Regime of Meta-Religion 204
19. Conclusion 233
20. Notes 241
21. Suggested Readings 263
22. Index 267