Description
From an early age, Leyla Jagiella knew that she would be defined by two things: being Muslim and being trans. Struggling to negotiate these identities in her conservative, small hometown, she travelled to India and Pakistan, where her life was changed by her time among third-gender
communities. Known as hijras in India, khwajasaras in Pakistan, these marginal communities have traditionally been politically and culturally important, respected for their supernatural powers to bless or curse, and often serving as eunuchs in Mughal India's palaces. But under British colonialism, the hijras
were criminalised and persecuted, entrenching taboos they still battle today. Among the Eunuchs reveals vastly varied interpretations of religion, gender and sexuality, illuminating how deeply culture informs our experiences. As identity becomes an ideological battlefield, Jagiella complicates binaries and dogma with her rich personal reflections. Her fascinating journey
speaks to all who find themselves juggling different kinds of belonging.
Author: Leyla Jagiella
Publisher: Hurst & Co.
Published: 02/15/2022
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.96lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.89w x 1.16d
ISBN13: 9781787383876
ISBN10: 1787383873
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Gender Studies
- Social Science | Islamic Studies
- Social Science | Anthropology | Cultural & Social
communities. Known as hijras in India, khwajasaras in Pakistan, these marginal communities have traditionally been politically and culturally important, respected for their supernatural powers to bless or curse, and often serving as eunuchs in Mughal India's palaces. But under British colonialism, the hijras
were criminalised and persecuted, entrenching taboos they still battle today. Among the Eunuchs reveals vastly varied interpretations of religion, gender and sexuality, illuminating how deeply culture informs our experiences. As identity becomes an ideological battlefield, Jagiella complicates binaries and dogma with her rich personal reflections. Her fascinating journey
speaks to all who find themselves juggling different kinds of belonging.
Author: Leyla Jagiella
Publisher: Hurst & Co.
Published: 02/15/2022
Pages: 304
Binding Type: Hardcover
Weight: 0.96lbs
Size: 9.02h x 5.89w x 1.16d
ISBN13: 9781787383876
ISBN10: 1787383873
BISAC Categories:
- Social Science | Gender Studies
- Social Science | Islamic Studies
- Social Science | Anthropology | Cultural & Social
About the Author
Leyla Jagiella is a cultural anthropologist and scholar of religion, working on orthodoxy and heterodoxy in Islam and gender and sexuality in Muslim societies. As a Muslim trans woman, she has also been a community activist for several decades and works as a social worker with LGBTQI refugees in Germany.