Romila Thapar is an Indian historian, professor and writer. Romila is known for writing books about Indian history and is one of the leading names among Indian historians.
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Wiki/Biography
Romila Thapar was born on Monday, 30 November 1931 (age 87 years; as in 2018) in Lucknow city of United Province in British India. His zodiac sign is Sagittarius. She went to St. Mary’s School in Pune and attended schools in different cities of India, which she changed according to her father’s postings. He completed his intermediate studies from Nowrosji Wadia College, Pune. He did his BA in Literature from Panjab University in Chandigarh and attended Miranda House, Delhi University. After completing her studies in Delhi, she wanted to go to London for further studies. Her father told her that he could either pay her dowry or send her to London and asked her to choose between the two. Romila chose to study. Recalling her father’s words, Romila says-
I have money I’ve set aside for you, but it’s only enough for a dowry or a degree from the University of London, so you have to choose.
Romila received her second undergraduate honors degree and doctorate in Indian History under A.L. Basham from the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London in 1958.
Physical Appearance
Height (Approx): 5′ 3″
Eye colour: black
Hair Color: Gray
Family, Caste and Husband
His father Daya Ram Thapar was the Director General of the Indian Armed Forces Medical Services. His mother’s name is Kaushalya. He has two elder siblings; One brother’s name is Romesh Thapar (journalist) and one sister’s name is Bimla Thapar.
Romila Thapar with her brother
Romila Thapar’s sister
His cousin Karan Thapar is a journalist.
Romila Thapar’s cousin, Karan
Romila Thapar’s family tree
livelihood
After spending a few years in England, she decided to return to India and joined Kurukshetra University as a reader in ancient Indian history in 1961. In 1963, she joined Delhi University, where she held the same position. She worked at Delhi University until 1970 and then moved to Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi. There, she served as Professor of Ancient Indian History until 1991. He is Professor Emerita at JNU.
Romila Thapar addressing in JNU
Major works
- Ashoka and the fall of the Mauryas
- Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations
- Recent Perspectives on Early Indian History
- History of India: Volume One
- Early India: From Origin to 1300 AD
controversies
- In 2019, Romila, along with 12 professors emeritus, were asked to submit their CVs to the Jawaharlal Nehru University administration for review of their positions (as professor emeritus). Reportedly, the university was looking to review the posts of all its emeritus professors who turned 75 before March 31, 2019. The decision of JNU administration received a lot of criticism from various quarters. In September 2019, in response to the order issued by the university, Romila refused to submit her CV to the administration and instead wrote a letter explaining the meaning of her position.
- In 2003, an online petition was launched against Romila’s appointment to the Cluj Chair of the Library of Congress, with over 2000 signatures. The opposition was on the grounds that she was ‘Marxist and anti-Hindu’ and that supporting a leftist was ‘a waste of American money’.
- Romila was criticized by the Government of India for not accepting the Padma Bhushan twice; First in 1992 and then in 2005.
Awards and Honors
- Member of the American Philosophical Society in 2019
- Keynote address at the 14th World Sanskrit Conference in Kyoto in 2009
- A Foreign Honorary Member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 2009
- Co-winner with Peter Brown of the Cluj Prize for the Study of the Humanities (a prize of US$1 million) for 2008
- General Secretary of Indian History Congress in 1983
Honorary Doctorate and Fellowship
- Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship since 1976
- Honorary Fellowship from Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford, 1986
- SOAS Honorary Fellowship from the University of London, 1992
- Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from the University of Chicago in 1993
- Honorary D.Litt. from the University of Peradeniya in 1992
- Honorary Doctorate of Social Sciences from the University of Edinburgh in 2004
- Honorary D.Litt. from Oxford University in 1997
- Honorary D.Litt. from Calcutta University in 1997
- Honorary Doctorate from Brown University (USA) in 2010
Address
23B Road, Maharani Bagh, New Delhi 110065
Favourite Things
- Subject: Botany, Ancient History
- Historians: Eric Hobsbawm, AL Basham
- Sports: Horse riding, swimming
fact
- He likes reading and writing.
- He specializes in ancient India.
Romila Thapa’s book
- His grandfather was a school teacher, and was also appointed to review the local press for the British administration.
- Romila’s maternal grandfather was a lawyer. He insisted on all five of his daughters completing their graduation and Romila’s mother was one of them.
- When his mother Kaushalya was traveling from Rangoon to Lahore, she was pregnant with Romila. He thought of staying at his sister’s house in Lucknow. It was a coincidence that Romila was born in Lucknow.
- Soon after her birth, Romila continued her journey with her mother to live in the Thal Fort in the North-West Frontier Province (now Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, Pakistan), where her father had been transferred from Lahore.
- Romila spent her childhood in three different places, as her father was an army officer, so she was transferred frequently.
- Romila lived with her parents while her other elder siblings grew up in boarding schools.
- In his childhood, he loved horse riding and swimming.
- During her school days at St. Mary’s School, Pune, Romila used to attend Mahatma Gandhi’s prayer meetings with her friends in the evening at Dr. Mehta’s Nature Cure Clinic near Wadia College in Pune. Recalling that time, Romila told that she had paid the mandatory amount of Rs. On one occasion there were Rs 5 (a huge sum in those days) asking for Gandhiji’s autograph. As she was leaving, Gandhi held the sleeve of her kurta and asked-
Yes, is it silk? (Is it silk?)” he asked and she replied, “Yes (yes)!” “Never wear silk. Do khadi pahono! (Never wear silk, wear khadi!)
- Reportedly, it was his father who fostered his affection for the study of the past. When his father visited a museum in Madras (now Chennai), he brought back several books on history, impressed by the Chola bronze icons preserved in the museum. Reading and discussion between father and daughter on this topic inspired Romila to study history.
- When she went to London for further studies, the lifestyle there changed her outlook towards society.
A young Romila Thapar in conversation with Bertrand Russell (1955, London)
- After graduating from the University of London in 1955, his teacher AL Basham (famous for his book “The Wonder That Was India”) advised him to apply for a scholarship to the University of London to pursue a PhD. After hesitating for some time, Romila finally applied.
- Romila has written many chapters of NCERT history books.
Romila Thapar’s book in NCERT
- Romila Thapar is often criticized by a section of people for being Marxist and anti-Hindu. In 2016, Romila, along with other historians and writers, joined protests in the JNU controversy, condemning the sedition case against then JNUSU president Kanhaiya Kumar.
- Despite being honored with several titles and awards, he refused to accept the Padma Bhushan twice (first in 1992 and again in 2005). The reason she gives for rejecting these is that these awards were not actually state awards but government awards and hence she preferred to stay away from them.
- He is a bibliophile (a person who deeply loves books) and can often be seen buying books from book sellers nearby.
Romila Thapar visiting a book seller’s shop
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn