Mercy Dutta

Mercy Dutta is an Associated Faculty member and Postdoctoral Fellow at the South Asian Languages Council (SALC) at the University of Chicago, cohort 2023. Her research focuses on the historical role of creative literature (kavya) in shaping emotional norms and sociability in early South Asia, with particular attention to the first millennium CE. She explores how literary works influenced behavioral standards beyond urban and courtly contexts, engaging with themes like aesthetics, dramaturgy, and the sensory experience.

Education:

• B.A. (Honours) History, Miranda House, University of Delhi
• M.A. in Ancient History, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University
• MPhil in Ancient Indian History, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University (2020)

Her research interests bridge literary analysis and socio-cultural history, examining medieval Assamese literature and Vaisnavism. She investigates the intersection of emotion, power, and cultural transmission through pre-modern texts and their commentaries.