Eugene F. Irschick

Eugene F. Irschick (1934-2022) was a distinguished historian of South Asia and Professor of History at the University of California, Berkeley from 1964 until his retirement in 2010. Born in India to Lutheran missionaries, he studied at Gettysburg College (B.A., History), University of Pennsylvania (M.A., South Asia Regional Studies), and University of Chicago (Ph.D., History).

• Education: Gettysburg College (1955), University of Pennsylvania (M.A.), University of Chicago (Ph.D., 1964)

His research focused on South Indian social conflicts, Tamil revivalism, and postmodern historiography. He critiqued missionary legacies while valuing his Kodaikanal International School education. Later work integrated Mikhail Bakhtin's theories to reinterpret colonial-era narratives. Irschick authored influential books including Politics and Social Conflict in South India (1969), Tamil Revivalism in the 1930s (1986), and Dialogue and History (1994), alongside a textbook A History of the New India (2015).

Renowned for mentorship, his legacy is preserved through the Institute for South Asia Studies. Survived by wife Gabriela Gerlach, former wife Ann Feeney, and five children.