Manasicha Akepiyapornchai, "Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India" (Oxford UP, 2026)

Manasicha Akepiyapornchai, "Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India" (Oxford UP, 2026)

From New Books in South Asian Studies by New Books Network

June 11, 2026 · 39 min

About this episode

This episode features Manasicha Akepiyapornchai discussing the multilingual intellectual history of premodern India through six theological treatises.

Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India (Oxford UP, 2026) explores the role of languages in the intellectual landscape of second-millennium India by way of six theological treatises composed between the twelfth and fourteenth centuries, each written by a key intellectual figure: Vātsya Varadaguru, Periyavāccān Pillai, Meghanādari Sūri, Pillai Lokācārya, and Vedāntadeśika. Drawing on theories of language politics and translation, Manasicha Akepiyapornchai proposes a new theoretical framework of "language sphere" to better capture the linguistic and intellectual interaction from a micro perspective. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

People in this episode

Guest: Manasicha Akepiyapornchai

Topics covered

  • multilingualism
  • intellectual history
  • theology
  • language politics
  • premodern India
  • translation

Keywords

  • multilingual intellectual history
  • premodern India
  • theological treatises
  • language sphere
  • language politics
  • translation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Oxford UP

Books & works: Surrender to God Across Languages: Multilingual Intellectual History of Premodern India

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