The book is a political, social and institutional history of tantric Buddhism in India. Its innovativeness lies in its attempt to historically place the rise of esoteric Buddhism not only within the doctrinal context of Indian Buddhism, but also within the framework of the larger social and political contexts of the time. In particular it explains the rise of the Buddhist mandala in terms of Indian Buddhist thought, practice, institutions, politics and communities, and stresses the metaphor of royal dominion as the key to understanding the rise of Indian Buddhist tantra. It is one of the most important works every written on Indian Buddhist tantra, and is especially powerful for its analysis of its birth as an independent movement in the sixth and seventh centuries. (David Germano 2007-10-20)