Romila Thapar elected as member of American Philosophical Society

Eminent historian and writer Romila Thapar has been elected as international member of American Philosophical Society (APS) at its Annual Spring Meeting.

About Romila Thapar

• She is Professor Emerita of history at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in New Delhi.
• She is renowned for her careful scholarship on emperor Aśoka, epigraphy of Mauryan period, and ground-breaking studies and multiple historiographies surrounding contested Hindu and Muslim history of Somnath.
• She not only embraced contemporary philosophical debates, producing a model of open-minded and inclusive history but also advanced both theory and practice of Indian historiography.
• Dr. Thapar was among 1,013 members elected to APS at its spring 2019 meeting. Her APS citation reads- ‘she is the greatest living historian of India’.

About American Philosophical Society

• It is the oldest learned society in United States (US).
• It was founded in 1743 by Benjamin Franklin (American polymath and one of Founding Fathers of US) for purpose of ‘promoting useful knowledge.’
• It provides a forum for free exchange of ideas while holding conviction that intellectual inquiry and critical thought are inherently in best interest of public.

Month: Current Affairs - June, 2019