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Purnima Dhavan is an Associate Professor of History at the University of Washington's College of Arts & Sciences, holding the Giovanni and Amne Costigan Endowed Professorship. She specializes in early modern South Asia (1500-1800), focusing on religious and cultural identity, Mughal institutions, and literary networks. Her research integrates interdisciplinary methods, with adjunct affiliations in Near Eastern Languages and the Jackson School's South Asia Center. Education: PhD in South Asian History from the University of Virginia (2003), MA (1998), and BA (1996) from the University of Michigan. She has taught at multiple institutions, including the College of St. Benedict/St. John’s University and Bowdoin College. Research Interests: Mughal literary culture, Sikh warrior traditions, gender in pre-colonial societies, and environmental history. Notable works include her book *When Sparrows Became Hawks* (2011) on Sikh militarization and a forthcoming project on literary associations in Mughal urban centers. Publications span peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes, emphasizing pre-colonial South Asia’s intellectual and socio-political dynamics. Awards include the Howard Keller Chair and NEH fellowships. Service: Extensive contributions to academic governance at UW, including roles in the Faculty Senate, departmental leadership, and national professional organizations like the American Historical Association and Association of Asian Studies. Languages: Native Hindi speaker, advanced Urdu/Persian/Punjabi, and proficient in Spanish.

• South Asian History
• Mughal Empire Studies
• Comparative Gender Studies
• +4 more

Sanjay Subrahmanyam is Distinguished Professor of History and Irving & Jean Stone Endowed Chair in Social Sciences at UCLA's Department of History. A globally recognized historian of the early modern period (15th-18th centuries), he previously held prestigious positions at the Collège de France (2013-2021), University of Oxford (2002-2004), and Ecole des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales in Paris (1995-2002). He founded UCLA's Center for India and South Asia (2005-2011) and maintains significant academic engagement in France through media appearances and lectures. His educational background includes: M.A. in Economics (First Rank with Gold Medal), Delhi School of Economics (1982) Ph.D. in Economic History, Delhi School of Economics (1987) Honorary D.Litt., University of Calcutta (2015) Doctorat honoris causa, Université catholique de Louvain (2017) Subrahmanyam's research revolutionized global historical methodology through his pioneering concept of 'connected histories,' which challenges Eurocentric periodization and emphasizes horizontal connections across regions. His work spans South Asian political culture, Indian Ocean trade networks, Iberian imperial systems, and Mughal court dynamics, consistently integrating multilingual archives and visual sources. He demonstrates exceptional mastery in synthesizing Portuguese, Spanish, Persian, Tamil, and Sanskrit materials to reconstruct non-Western perspectives on early modern globalization. His recent publications reveal intensified focus on transcultural encounters, maritime archaeology, and the material dimensions of empire. Works like Across the Green Sea (2024) and Mirrors of Empire (2026) showcase his shift toward analyzing ego-documents and visual culture to explore identity formation in frontier zones. The consistent thread remains his critique of civilizational boundaries and emphasis on fluid cultural exchanges across the Indian Ocean world. His scientific recognition includes: Infosys Humanities Prize (2012) Dan David Prize for History (2019) Prix International de l'Histoire (2020) Fellowship in American Academy of Arts and Sciences (2009) Corresponding Fellowship in British Academy (2016) Guggenheim Fellowship (2011-12) Subrahmanyam has mentored nine doctoral students to completion, maintaining active collaborations with Muzaffar Alam (University of Chicago), Velcheru Narayana Rao (University of Wisconsin), and David Shulman (Hebrew University). His editorial leadership includes co-editing The Cambridge World History (2015) and serving over a decade as Joint Managing Editor of the Indian Economic and Social History Review . He currently directs major international projects on Indo-Persian travel writing and Mughal intellectual networks. Though not leading a traditional laboratory, he coordinates the 'Connected Histories' research initiative across UCLA, Collège de France, and University of Chicago, fostering interdisciplinary teams examining early modern knowledge circulation. His public engagement includes regular contributions to French media (France 24, France Info) and curated exhibitions like the Codex Casanatense project.

• Early Modern History
• South Asian History
• Indian Ocean History
• +7 more

Tiraana Bains is an Assistant Professor of History at Brown University, specializing in modern Britain and the global British Empire. Her research investigates the contested formation of the British imperial state in South Asia between the 18th and 20th centuries, emphasizing participatory and revolutionary dimensions of imperial governance. PhD, Yale University, 2021 MA, Yale University, 2015 BA, Yale University, 2015 Postdoctoral Fellowship, Modern Intellectual History, Dartmouth College, 2021–2023 Her research interests lie at the intersection of imperial history, political authority, and intellectual frameworks of empire. She examines how both elite and non-elite actors across Britain and South Asia contested and shaped imperial rule, taxation, and labor systems. Her work positions British imperial formation not merely as coercion but as a dynamic, ideologically charged process comparable to revolutionary state-building in America and France. The recent publications reflect a deep engagement with sovereignty, imperial connectivity, and the intellectual history of empire. Her articles explore the collapse and reconstitution of imperial presidencies, dual sovereignty between Mughal and British powers, and broader conceptual attempts to 'think the empire whole.' These works span journals in British, global, and South Asian history, indicating a transregional and interdisciplinary approach. While no formal scientific awards are listed, her publications in leading historical journals and her active research program suggest strong scholarly recognition. Tiraana Bains teaches undergraduate courses at Brown, including HIST 1267: The Global British Empire, 1600–The Present and HIST 1974E: The Intellectual History of Imperialism . She is currently completing a book titled Instituting Empire: The Contested Makings of a British Imperial State in South Asia, 1750–1800 , which promises to make a significant contribution to the field. Her postdoctoral training at Dartmouth further underscores her expertise in intellectual history. Though no lab or research team is mentioned, her collaborative publications suggest engagement with a broader scholarly network at Brown and beyond.

• Modern British History
• Global British Empire
• Imperial State Formation
• +5 more

Walter D. Penrose, Jr. is a Professor at San Diego State University specializing in the History of Gender and Sexuality in Ancient Greek, Hellenistic, and South Asian contexts. His work also explores the Reception of Classics in modern periods, Disability Studies, and Ancient Religions. Penrose holds a Ph.D. in History from the City University of New York (2006) and a B.S. in Business Administration from California State University, Long Beach (1988). His research interests span interdisciplinary topics including gender diversity in classical thought, queer historiography, and cross-cultural comparisons of ancient societies. Penrose has published widely on topics such as Amazons in classical and modern media, disability discourse in antiquity, and homoeroticism in South Asian history. His 2016 monograph Postcolonial Amazons is a foundational text in comparative studies of gendered heroism in Greek and Sanskrit literature. Penrose’s publications include over a dozen book chapters and journal articles, with recent contributions analyzing gendered power dynamics in Hellenistic royal courts (2021), visual representations of Amazons in Troy adaptations (2022), and the intersection of disability and identity in ancient Greece (2015). His pedagogical work emphasizes inclusive approaches to teaching challenging classical topics like homophobia and gender variance. While no specific grants or awards are noted, Penrose’s work consistently bridges classical studies with modern interdisciplinary frameworks, contributing to fields such as queer studies, disability studies, and world history. His research continues to explore marginalized voices in ancient texts and their contemporary receptions.

• History of Gender and Sexuality
• Classical Reception Studies
• Disability Studies
• +4 more

Audrey Truschke is Professor of South Asian History and Director of Asian Studies at Rutgers University–Newark, within the Department of History, Faculty of Arts and Sciences. She holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University and specializes in the cultural, imperial, and intellectual history of early modern and modern India (c. 1500–present). Her scholarship bridges deep historical inquiry with urgent contemporary debates, particularly around religious identity, nationalism, and decolonization. Truschke earned her B.A. in Religious Studies from the University of Chicago (2004) and her Ph.D. in Middle Eastern, South Asian, and African Studies from Columbia University (2012). Her academic journey includes prestigious fellowships at Stanford University, the University of Cambridge, and the University of Sorbonne Nouvelle Paris III. Her research centers on South Asian history, with a focus on the Mughal Empire, Indo-Muslim rule, Sanskrit-Persian cultural exchanges, and the historical construction of Hindu identity. She critically examines how premodern histories are mobilized in modern political projects, especially Hindu nationalism (Hindutva). Her work spans cultural, intellectual, and religious history, emphasizing philology, translation, and the politics of historical memory. Truschke’s recent publications reveal a consistent trajectory: analyzing the evolution of religious and ethnic identities, particularly 'Hindu' and 'Han', through longue durée historical lenses. Her articles explore how empires, religions, and languages interacted in South Asia, and how these pasts are weaponized in the present. She frequently engages with themes of hegemony, identity formation, and the dangers of historical falsification, especially in the context of Hindutva ideology and its global manifestations. Scientific Awards and Honors: Karwaan Book Award (2022) National Endowment for the Humanities Public Scholars Fellowship (2021) Rutgers Board of Trustees Research Fellowship for Scholarly Excellence (2020) John F. Richards Prize in South Asian History, American Historical Association (2017) Andrew W. Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship (2013–2016) Fulbright-Hays Doctoral Dissertation Research Abroad Fellowship (2009–2010) Truschke is an active advisor and mentor, though specific student names are not listed in the provided texts. She has secured significant research funding, including grants from the NEH and Princeton University Press. Her public scholarship includes contributions to the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective , the Hindutva Harassment Field Manual , and the Reporting Guide on Hindu Nationalism . She is currently writing a single-volume history of India for Princeton University Press, forthcoming in 2025. She is affiliated with several research initiatives, including the South Asia Scholar Activist Collective (SASAC), and maintains an active public presence through her personal website, media appearances, and public writings. Her work bridges the academy and public discourse, challenging dominant narratives and promoting historical accuracy in understanding South Asia.

• South Asian history
• Mughal Empire
• early modern and modern India
• +14 more

Rajeev Kinra is an Associate Professor of History at Northwestern University, specializing in early modern South Asian cultural history with a focus on Mughal and early British Empires. He holds a Ph.D. from the University of Chicago (2008). His research integrates Persian, Hindi-Urdu, and Sanskrit sources to explore themes of civility, cosmopolitanism, and cultural modernity. He directs Northwestern’s Asian Studies Program (2015-18) and co-directs the Global Humanities Initiative. Notable publications include Writing Self, Writing Empire (2015), analyzing the Mughal state secretary Chandar Bhan Brahman. Education: Ph.D., University of Chicago, 2008. Research interests emphasize South Asian and global history, particularly Indo-Persian literary and intellectual cultures, Mughal governance, and comparative philology. Awards include an NEH fellowship and a Buffett Institute grant for global humanities projects. Teaching focuses on early modern India and modern South Asia, with courses on global history and the Indian Ocean world. Affiliations include the Buffett Institute, Asian Languages and Cultures, and the South Asian American Digital Archive (SAADA).

• South Asian History
• Global History
• Religious History
• +4 more

Ali Anooshahr is a Professor in the History Department at the University of California, Davis, specializing in early modern Persianate and Mughal Indian history. He holds a Ph.D. from UCLA (2005) and has held academic positions at Saint Xavier University (2007-2008) before joining UC Davis. His research focuses on empires, Indo-Persian culture, historiography, slavery, and economic history, supported by fellowships from the Guggenheim, Mellon, and Hellman Foundations. Education: Ph.D., History, UCLA, 2005 M.A., History, UCLA, 2002 B.A., Humanities, University of Texas at Austin, 1998 Research interests include the political, cultural, and economic dynamics of early modern empires, particularly Mughal India and the Persianate world. He has authored influential works such as Slavery in the Early Mughal World (2025) and Turkestan and the Rise of Eurasian Empires (2018). His articles explore topics like the Arghun state in Qandahar, Safavid campaigns, and the role of elephants in imperial symbolism. Awards and recognitions include the Guggenheim Fellowship (2021), UC Davis Hellman Fellowship (2009-10), and CLIR/Mellon Postdoctoral Fellowship (2005-6). He serves on the editorial board of the Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient . Teaching focuses on medieval and Mughal India, Safavid Iran, and Islamic history. His interdisciplinary work bridges economic, social, and cultural approaches to early modern empires, with a particular emphasis on Persianate manuscripts and historiography.

• Empires
• Indo-Persian culture
• Historiography
• +3 more

Kathryn Babayan is a Professor at the University of Michigan , affiliated with the Middle East Studies department. Her research focuses on the cultural, social, and political histories of the Persianate world, particularly Iran, Iraq, Anatolia, and Central Asia. Her work integrates gender and sexuality studies , Safavid dynasty analysis , and material culture approaches to explore historical narratives. She is currently researching literacy practices in early modern Isfahan through her book The City as Anthology , examining how anthologies (majmu'a/muraqqa') reshaped urban experience and individual sovereignty. Collaborations include co-authoring Slaves of the Shah with Susan Babaie, Massumeh Farhad, and Ena Baghdiantz-McCabe, and co-editing Islamicate Sexualities with Afsaneh Najmabadi. Her publications bridge historiography , religion , and visual culture .

• Iranian History
• Persianate World
• Cultural Studies
• +7 more

Dalpat Rajpurohit is an Assistant Professor at the University of Texas at Austin's College of Liberal Arts, specializing in Hindi language and literature within the College's Asian Studies department. Holding a PhD from Presidency University, Kolkata, he teaches courses exploring South Asian history, religions, and literary traditions through Sanskrit and Hindi texts. Education: PhD in Hindi Literature, Presidency University Affiliations: University of Texas at Austin, Asian Studies, College of Liberal Arts Research: Focuses on pre-modern Hindi/Braj literary intersections with Bhakti, Vedanta, Riti, and colonial language shifts His work challenges simplistic binaries in Hindi literary historiography, demonstrating how early modern Indian poet-saints like Sundardas blended devotional and courtly traditions under Mughal-Rajput multiculturalism. He analyzes how Dādūpanthi saints navigated Jain merchant networks and Mughal imperial policies like sulḥ-i kull while advancing non-dualist Vedanta in Braj poetry. Rajpurohit's research has been recognized with the 30th Devishankar Awasthi Samman and Amar Ujala Best Book Award (2023) . He supervises graduate students in pre-modern Hindi archives, early modern literary networks, and topics like caste, gender, and multilingualism in South Asian literature.

• Hindi Language
• Literary Cultures of Early Modern India
• Religious Cultures of Early Modern India
• +11 more

Nalini Rao is an Associate Professor of World Art at Soka University of America. Her academic career includes positions at the University of Southern California, University of Hawaii Hilo, and California State Universities. She specializes in Indian art, archaeology, and religious studies, focusing on Hindu monasteries, relic worship, and pre-modern royal iconography. Education: PhD in Art History from UCLA (1991), PhD in Ancient History and Archaeology from University of Mysore (1981), MA in History of Art from University of Marathwada (1973). Research Interests: Hindu monastic institutions, Buddhist art, royal iconography, and maritime archaeology. She explores intersections between art, religion, and power in pre-modern India. Key Themes in Publications: Analysis of Vijayanagara royal imagery, Jain architecture in Sravanabelagola, and ritual symbolism in South Indian festivals. Her work bridges archaeology, art history, and cultural anthropology. Awards: Includes the IGNCA Award for Narrative Art (2014), PBRC Research Award (2010), and multiple fellowships for art history research. Teaching & Outreach: Courses span World Art, Asian Art History, and contemporary visual culture. Curated exhibitions on Indus Valley Civilization and modern Indian art.

• Hindu Monasteries in South India
• Relic Worship in Hindu and Buddhist Monasteries
• Vrindavana and Buddhist Stupa
• +5 more

Usman Hamid is an Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at Northwestern University. He specializes in early modern South Asia, with a focus on Islamic devotional and cultural histories. His work examines the intersection of religious materiality, transregional connections, and the Mughal Empire's cultural dynamics. Previously, he taught at Hamilton College. BCom from McGill University’s Desautels Faculty of Management MA from McGill University’s Institute of Islamic Studies PhD from University of Toronto’s Department of Near and Middle Eastern Civilizations His research explores how Indian Ocean networks shaped Muslim devotional aesthetics in Mughal-era South Asia, emphasizing material culture’s role in piety. Earlier work includes studies on Timurid Iran’s social history and Iranian migration to South Asia. His work has been supported by the SSHRC. Hamid collaborates with scholars like Pasha M. Khan, co-editing special sections in academic journals and co-authoring analyses on Persianate cultural exchange. Current projects trace the material and textual flows influencing Mughal-era religious practices.

• Early Modern South Asian History
• Islamic Studies
• Religious Materiality
• +4 more

Taymiya R. Zaman is a Professor of History at the University of San Francisco, serving as Chair of the Department of History, and Director of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies. She joined USF in 2007 and has held visiting professorships at the Institute of Business Administration and Lahore University of Management Sciences in Pakistan. Her research focuses on Mughal India, historical memory, and the intersection of autobiography and history. Education: PhD in History, University of Michigan (2007); B.A. in Philosophy, Smith College (2001) Her work explores historical memory in South Asia, the interconnectedness of life writing and history, and the transition from subjects to citizens in the Islamicate world. She has designed the History Department's 'Islamic World' emphasis and teaches courses on the Ottoman, Safavid, and Mughal Empires, alongside modern South Asia and the Middle East. Her publications span scholarly articles, narrative non-fiction, and fiction, including a Pushcart Prize-winning short story. She also engages in visual storytelling through art, illustrating Mughal-era texts to highlight marginalized historical figures like Gulbadan Begum. Awards: Distinguished Teaching Award (2022), Arthur I. Karshmer Award for Distinguished Service to Disability Issues (2023) Her research and teaching reflect a commitment to interdisciplinary approaches, blending history with literature, art, and cultural studies.

• Mughal India
• Historical Memory
• Auto/biography
• +5 more

Jane Mikkelson is an Assistant Professor at Yale University in the School of Humanities , with a faculty appointment in Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations . She holds a PhD from the University of Chicago (2019) in a joint program in South Asian Languages and Civilizations and Near Eastern Languages and Civilizations. Specializes in literary and intellectual cultures of South Asia and the Near East Works with classical Persian, Urdu, Arabic, and newer projects in Russian and English Research bridges poetry, philosophy, and geopolitical thought in early modern global contexts Her research explores how imaginative literature enables cross-disciplinary inquiry , focusing on planetary poetics, comparative aesthetics, and the interplay between Persianate literary traditions and European intellectual history. Recent publications analyze the Arabic concept of taste (dhawq) , the geopolitical turn in Persian literary criticism , and the transcultural availability of Avicenna’s philosophy to Persian poets. She co-authored works with Timothy M. Harrison on early modern world literature, emphasizing collaborative comparison between Bidel of Delhi and Thomas Traherne. Her courses include thought experiments , neurodiversity in world literature , and advanced seminars on classical Persian epic, lyric, and prose . She is currently working on a book titled Poetry and New Inquiry in the Early Modern Persianate World , alongside co-authored projects bridging South Asian, Near Eastern, and European cultural studies.

• Comparative Literature
• Persian Literature
• South Asian Studies
• +7 more

Zirwat Chowdhury serves as Assistant Professor in the Department of Art History at the University of California, Los Angeles, where she researches the interconnected histories and historiographies of art and visual culture across Britain, France, South Asia, and the Atlantic world during the 18th and 19th centuries. Her scholarship bridges imperial history with contemporary critical theory, examining how artistic forms reflected and shaped global power dynamics during the colonial era. Dr. Chowdhury earned her Ph.D. in Art History from Northwestern University in 2012. Her academic journey includes teaching positions at Reed College and Bennington College before joining UCLA, along with service as Journal 18's Notes & Queries Editor from 2019-2021. Her research interests center on transnational art histories, with particular focus on how British painting was transformed by imperial social relations despite many artists never traveling beyond Britain. She examines how painterly compositions became sites for discerning global social relations, connecting aesthetic philosophy with imperial geography. Her work consistently interrogates the visual representation of power, cultural exchange, and the material consequences of empire across diverse geographical contexts. Analysis of her publication record reveals a consistent trajectory examining the intersections of art, empire, and representation across multiple geographical contexts. Her articles demonstrate methodological innovation in connecting 18th-century visual culture with contemporary critical frameworks, particularly regarding race, gender, and postcolonial theory. The publications show increasing engagement with digital humanities approaches and collaborative scholarship, particularly evident in her work on Black presence in historical Europe. Hellman Society of Fellows at UCLA Getty Research Institute (NEH Postdoctoral Fellowship) William Andrews Clark Memorial Library/Center for 17th– and 18th-Century Studies at UCLA (Ahmanson-Getty Postdoctoral Fellowship) Institute of Historical Research (Mellon Dissertation Fellowship) Huntington Library (Andrew W. Mellon Fellowship) Paul Mellon Center for Studies in British Art Yale Center for British Art Attingham Summer School ('13) Royal Collection Studies ('18) Dr. Chowdhury's research has been consistently supported by major funding bodies across her career, from dissertation fellowships through postdoctoral awards. Her current book project, Enlightened Relations: 18th-Century British Art and the Indies , represents the culmination of these research trajectories. While specific graduate students aren't listed in the provided materials, her position as Assistant Professor indicates ongoing mentorship of MA and PhD candidates in art history.

• Art History
• Visual Culture
• British Art
• +7 more

Patton Burchett is a Professor of Religious Studies at the College of William and Mary. His research focuses on early modern North Indian devotional (bhakti) and tantric/yogic religiosity, the interrelations of magic, science, and religion in Indian modernity, and Hindu-Christian nationalisms. He is the author of A Genealogy of Devotion: Bhakti, Tantra, Yoga, and Sufism in North India (2019), which examines the historical interactions between these religious traditions. Burchett’s current projects include a study of the Indian yogi-fakir figure in colonial discourse and a collaborative research initiative exploring contemplative practices through interdisciplinary lenses. He also participates in the Nepal Water Initiative, investigating indigenous environmental knowledge and religious dimensions of water conservation. His teaching covers topics such as Hinduism, religion and politics, yoga, and tantric studies. Research Areas: Bhakti Traditions, Tantra, Sufism, Colonial Discourse, Religion & Ecology Grants: 2023 Collaborative grant on contemplative practices; Nepal water conservation grant His work bridges historical analysis, ethnography, and interdisciplinary collaboration, emphasizing the dynamic interplay between religious thought and socio-political contexts.

• Hinduism
• Bhakti Traditions
• Tantric Studies
• +7 more