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Christopher's current project concerns the literary legacy of the medieval multi-lingual poet from the North Indian region of Mithila, Vidyapati (c. 1370-1450). During this time, new vernacular language song poetry became standardized alongside classical style in regions like Nepal and the Eastern Gangetic Plains, extending further afield. Christopher is currently working on a new edition and translation of the oldest manuscript containing the poet's songs, along with a critical analysis of the ways in which kings and Brahmins in Nepal and Bihar employed these works for their own power and prestige. He has a keen interest in devotional (bhakti) literature of North East India, exploring eastern Indian renditions of epic and Puranic literature, such as Kashi Das' and Sarala Das' Mahabharatas. Christopher has lived and conducted research in India off-and-on for the past ten years, traveling across the subcontinent with a focus on West Bengal, Bihar, and Uttar Pradesh. His scholarly work engages with the texts, traditions, and cultures of Hindi (including Braj Bhasa and Avadhi), Urdu, Bengali, Maithili, Sanskrit, Persian, and Apabhramsa.
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