Romila Thapar recently wrote about the history of dissent in India in her new book; Image source: timesofindia.com

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I first came across Romila Thapar’s work during my graduation from the University of Delhi, In the ancient India paper, her book, *Asoka and the decline of Mauryas* was an essential reading. I’m not going to lie, for someone from a science background in class 12th, reading Romila Thapar’s work was a bit daunting, but as the book progressed, the arguments and events connected seamlessly, and by the end of it I had a more socio-politically rich perspective on the Mauryan age. This was my first experience with Romila Thapar.

After that up until my post-graduation, her works became an essential part of my reading list, and with time I got to know more about her, her academic writing, her critique of those who tamper with history for their political needs and her championing the cause of academic freedom.

Thapar has been in academia, long before social media was even a thing. Her contributions are far too eloquent and important for a mindless troll to understand. But I am getting ahead of myself. Before we hear about her contributions, let’s get to know her.

Romila Thapar is the daughter of Daya Ram Thapar, an army doctor and eventually the director-general of Armed Medical Forces. Because of her father’s job, she kept moving a lot as a kid and did her schooling in various places. Her brother, Romesh Thapar, was a renowned journalist, founder-editor of monthly journal Seminar. After completing her bachelor’s from Panjab University in English literature, She moved toward history and did a doctorate from the S.O.A.S (School of Oriental and African Studies), London, under the guidance of A.L. Basham, one of the most proficient historians of ancient India.

> After completing her doctorate, Thapar joined Kurukshetra university as a reader in Ancient Indian History till1962, she held the same position at Delhi University for the next seven years. After that, she joined Jawaharlal Nehru University as a Professor, where she is now Professor Emeritus.
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Her teaching career is just a part of her academic contribution, and those who were lucky enough to be her students talk fondly of her. Another part of her academic contribution was the book she wrote, books that now are considered essential reading for those studying ancient Indian history. Her notable contributions include *‘Aśoka and the Decline of the Mauryas’, ‘Ancient Indian Social History: Some Interpretations’*, and’ *Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300’*. The first book of Thapar's ‘*A History of India*’ is designed for a general readership and spans the time period from India's earliest days through the advent of Europeans in the sixteenth century.

> Thapar places Ashoka's policy of dhamma in its social and political context, as a pragmatic policy devised to keep together an empire made up of varied races and cultures, in her first book, ‘*Asoka and the Decline of the Maurya (1961)*’
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She has received more than a few honours and awards. She is an Honorary Fellow of S.O.A.S  in London, where she got her PhD in 1958 and was also awarded the prestigious Kluge Prize for Lifetime Achievement in the Humanities and Social Sciences by the US Library of Congress. She has also received honorary doctorates from several prestigious universities.

She opposes what she refers to as a "communal view" of Indian history, in which events throughout the previous thousand years are read primarily from the lens of  Hindu-Mulsim conflict, blinding us from a larger perspective   This communal history, according to Thapar, is "very selective" in its facts, "deliberately biased" in its interpretation, and does not follow modern techniques of analysis, often motivated by political needs and desires of few.

Few people achieve the kind of excellence, Romila Thapar has achieved in her field. A giant in the field of history, her work on Ancient Indian History would forever remain a landmark in Indian academia.