Sumit Sarkar
Encyclopedia
Sumit Sarkar (born 1939) is an Indian historian of modern India
.
families. His father was Professor Susobhan Chandra Sarkar
, a Head of Department of History at Presidency College, Calcutta and the founder Head of Department of the Department of History, [(Jadavpur University)]. His elder sister was Sipra Sarkar, a very well known Professor of History at Jadavpur University
, Calcutta. His maternal uncle was Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
, India's first planner. His maternal grandfather was Subodh Chandra Mahalanobis, a Professor and Head of Department of Physiology at Presidency College, Calcutta. He is married to fellow historian Tanika Sarkar
, who is a Professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University
, New Delhi
.
, Presidency College, Calcutta where he obtained a First Class First in B.A. (Honours) in History, and at the University of Calcutta
where he obtained a First Class First in M.A. in History and later, a Ph.D. in the same subject under the supervision of Professor Suren Sen. He was a Research Fellow
at Wolfson College, Oxford
. He taught for many years as a lecturer at the University of Calcutta, and later as a reader
at the University of Burdwan. Until recently, he was Professor of History at the University of Delhi
, where he began teaching career in 1976.
He was one of the founding members of the Subaltern Studies Collective. In some of his later writings he has sought to combine an empirical study of themes in late-colonial Indian history with an intervention in current debates about the extent and nature of western colonial domination. He entitled one of his essays "Decline of the Subaltern in Subaltern Studies", criticizing the turn to Foucauldian studies of power-knowledge that left behind many of the empiricist and Marxist efforts of the first two volumes of Subaltern Studies. He writes that the socialist inspiration behind the early volumes led to a greater impact in India itself, while the later volumes focus on western discourse, reified the subaltern-colonizer divide and then rose in prominence in western academia.
literary award by the West Bengal
government in 2004. He returned the award in 2007 in protest against the expulsion of farmers
from their land.
(ICHR), publication of which was blocked in 2000 by the ICHR under the influence of then Indian government dominated by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
(BJP). The publication of the volume was eventually allowed by the Government of India once the Congress came to power after the general election of 2004.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
.
Background
He belongs to one of Bengal's most enlightened and progressive BrahmoBrahmo
A Brahmo is either an adherent of Brahmoism to the exclusion of all other religions, or a person with at least one Brahmo parent or guardian and who has never denied his faith...
families. His father was Professor Susobhan Chandra Sarkar
Susobhan Sarkar
-Background and education:Sarkar was born into a Brahmo family of Dhaka. After attending Dhaka Collegiate School and then studying history at Presidency College, Calcutta, he continued his studies at Jesus College, Oxford from 1923 to 1925. His daughter was Sipra Sarkar, a brilliant student of...
, a Head of Department of History at Presidency College, Calcutta and the founder Head of Department of the Department of History, [(Jadavpur University)]. His elder sister was Sipra Sarkar, a very well known Professor of History at Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University
Jadavpur University , is a premier educational and research institution in India.It is located in Kolkata, West Bengal and comprises two campuses - the main campus at Jadavpur and the new campus at Salt Lake...
, Calcutta. His maternal uncle was Professor Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis
Prasanta Chandra Mahalanobis FRS was an Indian scientist and applied statistician. He is best remembered for the Mahalanobis distance, a statistical measure. He made pioneering studies in anthropometry in India...
, India's first planner. His maternal grandfather was Subodh Chandra Mahalanobis, a Professor and Head of Department of Physiology at Presidency College, Calcutta. He is married to fellow historian Tanika Sarkar
Tanika Sarkar
Tanika Sarkar is a historian of modern India. Professor Sarkar's work focuses on the intersections of religion, gender, and politics in both colonial and postcolonial South Asia, in particular on women and the Hindu Right...
, who is a Professor of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
.
Education and career
He studied at St. Xavier's Collegiate SchoolSt. Xavier's Collegiate School
St. Xavier's Collegiate School was established in 1860 in Kolkata, India by missionaries of the Society of Jesus. The school is named after St. Francis Xavier...
, Presidency College, Calcutta where he obtained a First Class First in B.A. (Honours) in History, and at the University of Calcutta
University of Calcutta
The University of Calcutta is a public university located in the city of Kolkata , India, founded on 24 January 1857...
where he obtained a First Class First in M.A. in History and later, a Ph.D. in the same subject under the supervision of Professor Suren Sen. He was a Research Fellow
Research fellow
The title of research fellow is used to denote a research position at a university or similar institution, usually for academic staff or faculty members. A research fellow may act either as an independent investigator or under the supervision of a principal investigator...
at Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College, Oxford
Wolfson College is a constituent college of the University of Oxford in England. Located in north Oxford along the River Cherwell, Wolfson is an all-graduate college with over sixty governing body fellows, in addition to both research and junior research fellows. It caters to a wide range of...
. He taught for many years as a lecturer at the University of Calcutta, and later as a reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
at the University of Burdwan. Until recently, he was Professor of History at the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
, where he began teaching career in 1976.
He was one of the founding members of the Subaltern Studies Collective. In some of his later writings he has sought to combine an empirical study of themes in late-colonial Indian history with an intervention in current debates about the extent and nature of western colonial domination. He entitled one of his essays "Decline of the Subaltern in Subaltern Studies", criticizing the turn to Foucauldian studies of power-knowledge that left behind many of the empiricist and Marxist efforts of the first two volumes of Subaltern Studies. He writes that the socialist inspiration behind the early volumes led to a greater impact in India itself, while the later volumes focus on western discourse, reified the subaltern-colonizer divide and then rose in prominence in western academia.
Awards
He was awarded the Rabindra PuraskarRabindra Puraskar
The Rabindra Puraskar or the Rabindra Smriti Puraskar is the highest honorary literary award given in the Indian state of West Bengal. This award is administered by the Government of West Bengal under the aegis of the Paschimbanga Bangla Academy , Kolkata.The award is given for creative...
literary award by the West Bengal
West Bengal
West Bengal is a state in the eastern region of India and is the nation's fourth-most populous. It is also the seventh-most populous sub-national entity in the world, with over 91 million inhabitants. A major agricultural producer, West Bengal is the sixth-largest contributor to India's GDP...
government in 2004. He returned the award in 2007 in protest against the expulsion of farmers
Nandigram violence
The Nandigram violence was an incident in Nandigram in the West Bengal state of India, where, to curb the terror build by All India Trinamool Congress and Maoists, on the orders of the West Bengal government, police entered the Nandigram area and violence erupted...
from their land.
Controversy
He contributed a volume to the Towards Freedom project of the Indian Council of Historical ResearchIndian Council of Historical Research
The Indian Council of Historical Research is a Society . The ICHR is registered under Societies registration Act 1860 with the Department of Industries of Delhi Government, Delhi.Role...
(ICHR), publication of which was blocked in 2000 by the ICHR under the influence of then Indian government dominated by the Hindu nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party
Bharatiya Janata Party
The Bharatiya Janata Party ,; translation: Indian People's Party) is one of the two major political parties in India, the other being the Indian National Congress. Established in 1980, it is India's second largest political party in terms of representation in the parliament...
(BJP). The publication of the volume was eventually allowed by the Government of India once the Congress came to power after the general election of 2004.
Publications
- Towards Freedom: Documents on the Movement for Independence in India, 1946, (New Delhi, 2007)
- Beyond Nationalist Frames: Post-Modernism, Hindu Fundamentalism, History, (Delhi, 2002)
- Writing Social History, (Delhi, 1998)
- Modern India: 1885-1947, (Basingstoke, 1989)
- The Swadeshi Movement in Bengal, 1903-1908, (New Delhi, 1973)
External links
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1815/18150930.htm
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1809/18090880.htm
- "Delhi Historians Group's Publication "Communalization of Education: The History Textbooks Controversy", A report in 2002, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University, India.