Benjamin B. Cohen

Benjamin B. Cohen is a Professor in the Department of History at the University of Utah, where he has served since 2002, progressing from Visiting Assistant Professor to his current position as full Professor since 2016. A scholar of South Asia with expertise in the early-modern and modern periods of the subcontinent's history, Cohen is particularly known for his work on the Deccan region and Hyderabad.

His educational background includes a BA in English from Earlham College (1988), an MA in South Asian Studies from the University of Wisconsin-Madison (1997), and a PhD in History from the same institution (2002). Cohen is trained in Telugu, Urdu, and Hindi, which supports his archival research on South Asia.

Cohen's research spans multiple interconnected themes: the history of princely states (particularly Hyderabad), urban environmental history, social clubs in colonial India, and scandal studies. His work often examines the intersection of colonial and princely power structures, challenging simplistic narratives of colonial domination. He has developed a particular expertise in Hyderabad's history, exploring its urban development, water management, and social institutions through multiple lenses.

His scholarly output reveals a clear trajectory from his early work on princely state governance to increasingly nuanced examinations of urban spaces, social institutions, and environmental challenges in colonial and postcolonial India. The most recent publications demonstrate his continued focus on Hyderabad's urban environment, particularly water infrastructure and management, while maintaining his interest in social history and power dynamics.

• Faculty Fellow, University of Utah (2022)
• Senior Short-term Fellowship, American Institute of Indian Studies (2022)
• Advisory Board, Indian Council of Historical Research (2016)
• Fellowship, Tanner Humanities Center (2011)
• Great Ideas in the Humanities, College of Humanities (2011)

Cohen has secured significant research funding, including the 2024-2025 grant 'Wooden Chains: India and Its Environment C. 1700-1947,' and earlier projects on sustainable urbanization in Hyderabad and urban water systems. His teaching portfolio includes courses on Ancient India, Modern India, Asian History to 1500, and specialized seminars. Though specific student advisees aren't listed in the available materials, his academic trajectory suggests extensive mentoring of graduate students in South Asian history.

His current research focuses on a long-term history of the Deccan examined through the lens of water, building on his earlier work on Hyderabad's Musi River flood of 1908 and Hussain Sagar tank conservation. This environmental history project represents a synthesis of his longstanding interests in the Deccan region, urban development, and the intersection of natural and political systems.