How Bengal’s Nineteenth-Century Art Defined Women
Women’s roles as icons ranged from being seductive and erotic to mythical and religious as they imparted social, political, and ethical values.
The Habshi Dynasty of India
Amongst the hundreds of minorities within the Subcontinent, Black Indians of African origin stand out.
How do South Asian Americans Remember Home Cooking?
Culinary discourse—whether in fiction, memoir, or cookbook—sets in motion an extended discussion about food, nostalgia, and national identity
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
In a 1931 lecture, Mahatma Gandhi described a potential future for India, if only it could move beyond the caste system and communal tensions.
The South Asian Human Rights Tradition
Human rights discourse drawing on ancient Sanskrit texts focuses more on the responsibilities of individuals and states than on the rights themselves.
High Water and Its Discontents
About half of the world’s population depends on water from the Hindu Kush Himalayan region. Can India's hydro-hegemony help avoid war over this limited resource?
The Mesmeric Dr. James Esdaile
The acceptance of mesmerism in colonial Bengal depended on the public performance of Western medicine couched in the wonders of a supposed “native” magic.
Gender, Meat-Eating, and British Colonialism
As the power of the East India Company grew, British writers embraced the idea that the (alleged) passiveness of Indians was due in part to vegetarianism.
Kuda Bux: Fire-walking for Fame and Fortune
The Kashmiri American illusionist and mystic drew on his legendary powers of concentration to entertain and astound (in)credulous audiences.
Kolkata and Partition: Between Remembering and Forgetting
In West Bengal’s capital city, suppressing the painful history of the 1947 Partition allows for the celebration of moments of endurance and success.