Shankar Nair

Shankar Nair serves as an Associate Professor and Director of Graduate Admissions and MA Programs in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of Virginia. His expertise lies in the religious and intellectual history of the Indian subcontinent, particularly focusing on cross-cultural interactions between Hindu and Muslim scholars during the Mughal era. He is also engaged in administrative roles that shape graduate education in his field.

Dr. Nair completed his academic training at Harvard University, where he earned a BA, MA, and PhD. His educational background underscores his deep engagement with the interdisciplinary study of religious traditions and intellectual histories.

His research interests revolve around Sufism, Islamic philosophy, and Hindu theology, with a special emphasis on how these traditions intersected in early modern South Asia. He investigates the role of translation in fostering intellectual exchange, particularly through collaborative projects between Muslim and Hindu scholars that transformed Sanskrit texts into Persian and Arabic. Future research will explore these interactions in colonial and modern contexts, addressing evolving responses to religious diversity.

In teaching, he offers courses such as Classical Islam, Modern Islam, Sufism, and advanced readings in Arabic, Persian, and Sanskrit. His pedagogical focus bridges textual analysis with historical and philosophical interpretations of religious traditions.

• Awards: UVA Alumni Board of Trustees Teaching Award (2019).

Nair’s advising record is not listed here, and no grants are mentioned in the provided materials. His work contributes to understanding interreligious dynamics and the transmission of knowledge through translation in South Asian contexts.