Civil Society, Civility, and Emotions. Indian Muslims since the 18th Century

While civil society was traditionally defined with reference to its location between the state, the economy and the private sphere, more recent research is focusing on the concept of civility, i.e., the way the actors interacted with each other. This always implies a certain approach to emotions, both one's own and those of others.
This perspective not only facilitates the linking of the history of emotions with social history, and hence allows questions about the historical and social "origins" of emotions, but also supports an understanding of the significance of emotions for particular political structures and developments.
The research into civility in an intercultural comparison is focused on Indo-Muslim history since the 18th century. When and how did the concept of civility enter Indian discourse and debate? What notions already existed in this area (for example, in court culture, religion or medicine) and how did they influence the reception of colonial ideas?
In considering these issues, we will be concentrating on the following questions: Which feelings could be expressed and which had to be expressed? Which had to be suppressed? How are emotions transformed into behavioural norms? How were they taught and learnt, and via which institutions? How is this transformation controlled and sanctioned? How successful is it?