Naveen Kanalu Ramamurthy

Naveen Kanalu Ramamurthy serves as an Associate Professor at the School for Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences (EHESS) in Paris, where he is affiliated with the Center for Historical Research (CRH). His scholarly work centers on the institutional history of the Mughal Empire (1526-1857) in South Asia, with particular emphasis on the relationship between Hanafi Islamic law and imperial governance structures.

Dr. Ramamurthy completed his Doctorate in History at the University of California, Los Angeles (2015-2021), preceded by multiple Master's degrees from prestigious Parisian institutions: Iranian Studies from Sorbonne Nouvelle University Paris 3, History of Economic Thought from Panthéon-Sorbonne University Paris 1, and History and Philosophy from Paris Ouest Nanterre. His academic foundation includes studies at the École Normale Supérieure – Ulm and undergraduate work in Economics at the University of Delhi.

His research program examines three interconnected dimensions of Mughal governance: (1) the administrative organization of imperial space, (2) the intersection of legal normativity and historical anthropology, and (3) the regulation of political economy. Drawing on Arabic legal manuscripts, Persian administrative documents, and vernacular language sources, Ramamurthy reveals how Islamic legal institutions adapted to local contexts across precolonial South Asia, challenging simplistic narratives of imperial uniformity.

Dr. Ramamurthy's publications demonstrate consistent scholarly engagement with Mughal legal frameworks within trans-imperial networks connecting South Asia with the Middle East and Central Asia. His work bridges historical methodology with theoretical innovation, particularly in analyzing how bureaucratic practices shaped imperial urbanity and legal consciousness during the 17th-18th centuries.

Among his significant recognitions, Dr. Ramamurthy received the Collège de France Prize for Young Researchers in 2023. He currently leads the ANR-funded MugUrba project (2024-2027) examining bureaucratic rhythms of imperial urbanity in Mughal South Asia and co-directs the interdisciplinary "Empire" research program at EHESS.

As an educator, Ramamurthy teaches courses on "The State in Islam: Authority, Law and Institutions in the Mughal Empire in India," theoretical approaches to historical practice, and contributes to the PRI Empires program. He serves on editorial boards including Annales. Histoire, sciences sociales and participates in the pedagogical council for the History Master's program at EHESS.

Dr. Ramamurthy also contributes to the "Research Sources and Data" Collective at CRH, supporting digital initiatives that enhance historical research methodologies while maintaining his primary focus on Mughal institutional history through traditional archival scholarship.