John Zubrzycki Empire of Enchantment

Annotation

A vibrant narrative of India's magical traditions and their journey across the worldIndia's association with magicians goesback thousands of years. Conjurers andillusionists dazzled the courts of Hindumaharajas and Mughal emperors. As Britishdominion spread over the subcontinent,such wonder-workers became synonymouswith India. Western magicians appropriatedIndian attire, tricks, and stage names.Switching their turbans for top hats, Indianjugglers fought back, and earned theirgrudging respect.This book tells the extraordinary story ofhow Indian magic descended from the realmof the gods to become part of daily ritualand popular entertainment across the globe.Recounting tales of levitating Brahmins,resurrections, prophesying monkeys, and'the most famous trick never performed',Empire of Enchantment vividly charts Indianmagic's epic journey from street to stage.