Michael S Dodson

Michael S. Dodson is a Professor of History at Indiana University Bloomington, affiliated with the College of Arts & Sciences and the Department of History. He specializes in South Asian history, focusing on intellectual and cultural history of the 19th and 20th centuries, urbanism, architecture, British imperialism, and heavy metal studies. His research includes a current project on modernist architecture and city planning in Delhi (1960s–70s) and the relationship between bureaucracy and urban identity in colonial North India.

Education: PhD in History from the University of Cambridge (2003).

Research Interests: Urbanism, architecture, British imperialism, intellectual history, and the intersection of heavy metal with anti-fascism and aesthetics. He has published extensively on Banaras, Jaunpur, and colonial urban governance, emphasizing Indian agency in shaping modern cities.

Teaching: Courses include Introduction to South Asian History, Global Heavy Metal, Urban History, and Postcolonial Theory. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary urban challenges in South Asia.