Buzz GK: Historian

Showing posts with label Historian. Show all posts

Nov 27, 2015

11/27/2015

Noboru Karashima , the distinguished Tamil scholar and historian of South Asia, Passed away in Tokyo on November 26. He was 82.

His research has rewritten the economic and social history of medieval South India and had published

number of writings on them. He also had played a critical role in developing Indo-Japan cultural ties.

Karashima's Career and earlier life

Noboru Karashima was Professor Emeritus at the University of Tokyo and Taisho University.
His use of statistical techniques to distil information from a mass of inscriptions was his seminal contribution to South Indian history.
Professor Karashima was instrumental in setting up the International Association of Tamil Research, and had been its president from 1989 to 2010.
He was the principal organiser of the 8th World Tamil Conference in Thanjavur in 1995. He also was the president of the Japan Association for South Asian Studies from 1996 to 2000.
Publications: He has written numerous books on South Indian History.His last major book is A Concise History of South India, published last year.
Awards and Honours: He is recipient of the Padma Shri (2013) for his contributions in building India-Japan ties. Also was awarded with Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize (1995), Japan Academy Prize (2003).

11/05/2015

India’s former Ambassador to Nepal and modern Indian historian Bimal Prasad passed away in New Delhi at the age of 92.

He was a close associate of independence activist, social reformer Jayaprakash Narayan who had pioneered Total Revolution Movement in 1974-75.

Bimal Prasad (born in 1925) was intellectual with socialist inclinations and was known for his postcolonial analysis of the Indian independence movement.
He was a graduate of Patna University and he went as a Fulbright Scholar to Columbia University and did his Ph.D. On the ‘Origins of India’s Foreign Policy’ which became a seminal work.
Professor: He was professor of South Asian Studies and Dean of School of International Studies Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) and also had taught history at Patna University.
Ambassador: He was appointed ambassador to Nepal by Prime Minister Chandrashekhar (1991–1995).
Books: Prasad had authored a number of books on JP’s philosophy and life including ‘Socialism, Sarvodaya and Democracy‘, ‘Gandhi, Nehru and JP, Studies in Leadership‘ and ‘A Revolutionary’s Quest.’
Other offices: He had served as the Chairman of Institute of Gandhian Studies (Varanasi), Director of Gandhi Smriti and Memorial, Honorary Fellow of Nehru Memorial Museum and Library (NMML) and Honorary Director of Rajendra Prasad Academy (New Delhi).
He was Senior Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London and Visiting Professor at the University of Leeds.