"The authors... illustrate the 'art of bossing' -- techniques and methods used by such figures to climb to power and maintain their sovereignty." -- A. Y. Lee, Choice




"Mafia" has become an indigenous South Asian term. Like Italian mobsters, the South Asian "gangster politicians" are known for inflicting brutal violence while simultaneously upholding vigilante justice -- inspiring fear and fantasy. But the term also refers to the diffuse spheres of crime, business, and politics operating within a shadow world that is popularly referred to as the rule of the mafia, or "Mafia Raj."





Through intimate stories of the lives of powerful and aspiring bosses in India, Pakistan, and Bangladesh, this book illustrates their personal struggles for sovereignty as they climb the ladder of success. Ethnographically tracing the particularities of the South Asian case, the authors theorize what they call "the art of bossing," providing nuanced ideas about crime, corruption, and the lure of the strongman across the world.




"Through meticulous and uniquely collaborative ethnography, Mafia Raj opens readers' eyes to the murky world of bosses in South Asia. With unforgettable portraits of the gangsters, politicians, hustlers, and extortionists dotting the region, this is the rare scholarly account that upends our commonly accepted notions of democracy, formality, and legitimacy." -- Milan Vaishnav, author of When Crime Pays: Money and Muscle in Indian Politics



"Why does the figure of 'the boss,' in its various guises, loom so large in South Asia? In answering this question, the authors of this engagingly written book make a path-breaking contribution to the study of South Asian politics." -- John Harriss, author of India: Continuity and Change in the Twenty-First Century

• We started tracking this book on November 9, 2018.
• This book was $29.95 when we started tracking it.
• The price of this book has changed 137 times in the past 2,522 days.
• The current price of this book is $11.99 last checked one day ago.
• This lowest price this book has been offered at in the past year is $2.99.
• The lowest price to date was $2.99 last reached on July 11, 2025.
• This book has been $2.99 one time since we started tracking it.
• The highest price to date was $29.95 last reached on November 9, 2018.
• This book has been $29.95 one time since we started tracking it.

• Politics & Social SciencesPolitics & GovernmentSpecific TopicsCorruption & Misconduct
• HistoryAsiaIndia

• Publication Date: May 25, 2023
• Text-to-Speech: Disabled
• Lending: Disabled
• Print Length: 408 Pages
• File Size: 52 KB