Pious passengers

By M. N. Pearson

Book Description

Journey into the heart of one of history's most profound spiritual undertakings with this illuminating exploration of the hajj pilgrimage from Mughal India to the sacred city of Mecca. Drawing from Persian and Arabic sources alongside extensive European documentation gathered across multiple continents, this scholarly work unveils the rich tapestry of experiences that defined the pilgrimage during the early modern period.

Discover how thousands of Indian Muslims embarked on this transformative journey, navigating not only physical distances but also complex economic, religious, cultural, and political landscapes. The author meticulously reconstructs what this sacred obligation truly meant to ordinary pilgrims, revealing the personal and communal dimensions of faith that drove them across continents in pursuit of spiritual fulfillment.

This groundbreaking social history captures the hajj as the largest gathering of people in the early modern world, offering readers insight into the lived experiences of devotion that transcended borders and cultures. Through careful examination of diverse historical sources, the work illuminates how pilgrimage served as both individual spiritual practice and collective religious expression.

For those seeking to understand the deeper currents of Islamic spirituality and the human quest for sacred connection, this study provides a window into how faith manifested in one of history's most significant religious movements.