Khilnanis research interests lie at the intersection of various fields. Journeying across india in pursuit of their storiesvisiting slum temples, ayurvedic call centers, bollywood studios, textile mills, and mughal fortresses khilnani offers trenchant portraits of emperors. With the same smooth, bold, and engaging style that characterized his excellent 1997 awardwinning book the idea of india, khilnani once again weaves an. The author of arguing revolution, he is at work on a biography of nehru forthcoming from fsg. The history of a subcontinent in 50 people sunil khilnani deftly tells indias story via key figures, albeit with a few omissions yasmin alibhaibrown. Sunil khilnanis exciting book addresses the paradoxes and ironies that have surrounded the project of inventing indiaa project that has brought indians considerable political freedom and carried their enormous democracy to the verge of being asias greatest free state but that has also left many of them in poverty and that is now threatened by divisive religious nationalism. Sunil khilnani tells 2,500 years of indian history through 50.
The result is a compendium ranging from buddha and mahavira to raj kapoor and dhirubhai ambani. Sep 01, 2001 i was born in new delhi in 1960, and grew up in kenya, romania, senegal, india, and scotland. An entertaining and provocative account of indias past, written by one of the countrys leading thinkers for all indias myths, its sea of stories and moral epics, indian history remains a curiously unpeopled place. See the complete profile on linkedin and discover sunils.
He earned his graduation from trinity hall, cambridge in 1983 and phd in soci. In this stunningly illustrated and deeply researched book, accompanying his major bbc radio 4 series, khilnani explores the lives of 50 indians, from the spiritualist buddha to the capitalist dhirubhai ambani lives. Sunil khilnani was born in new delhi and grew up in india, the continents of africa, europe, and asia. In the age of toxic hindu nationalism, india is an industry, a cult and a virus. Journeying across india in pursuit of their storiesvisiting slum temples, ayurvedic call centers, bollywood studios, textile mills, and mughal fortresseskhilnani offers trenchant portraits of emperors.
He was secretary general of the federation of indian chambers of commerce and industry ficci, and former director of the indian council for research on international economic relations. India in 50 lives sunil khilnani explores the life and legacy of mahavira jain, whose followers believe that the way to liberation is to live a life of nonviolence and renunciation. He is a scholar of indian history and politics best known as the author of the idea of india 1997. Indias history, sunil khilnani argues, is a curiously unpeopled place. Sunil khilnani when religion is being held up as a unique source of faith, we need to remind ourselves that there are other firm foundations upon which we can build moral and ethical projects, in both private and public life. One of the worlds most ancient cultures, india can be understood and. Feb 25, 2016 sunil khilnani s incarnations fills that space. As usually told, it has dynasties, epochs, religions and castesbut not many individuals. The relevance comes in part, of course, from the fact that india is the most populous democracy in the world and that it, unlike most of the countries that became independent in the postwar period, remained a. Indias past is full of remarkable individuals, yet we know so little about their life stories and most of what we know is filtered through myth and childhood bedtime stories.
In incarnations, sunil khilnani fills that space, bringing to life fifty extraordinary men and women who changed both india and the world. Singh is remembered today as the politician who took on indira gandhi in the congress partys heartland state. Sunil khilnani is avantha professor and director, kings india institute, at kings college london. India in 50 lives has been written in a genial light tone with a scholarly touch and is a well researched book. Still, for the insights that sunil khilnani has been able to extract and share in this work, this is piffling criticism indeed. He delves into indias past seeking out those who have influenced indias religious, social, economic and political thinking. India in 50 lives also talks about how raj kapoor combined social realism and eroticism in his film and made that so. Sunil khilnani in conversation with william dalrymple february 4, 2016 by the penguin india blog it was the last session on the day 4 of jaipur literature festival, but it was only dusk for the day, the enthusiasm of the readers knew no end. Incarnations, a history of india in fifty lives association for asian. He was secretary general of the federation of indian chambers of commerce and industry ficci, and former director of the indian council for research on international. Sunil khilnani will be back in january 2016 with 25 more stories about the people who shaped the india of today. Sunil khilnani, born in new delhi and educated at cambridge university, teaches politics at birkbeck college, university of london. Incarnations a race whose muslin and silken robes could house two or three farmers within them.
India in 50 lives, which was later published as a book in 2016. The relevance comes in part, of course, from the fact that india is the most populous democracy in the world and that it, unlike most of the countries that became independent in the postwar period, remained a democracy. Mar 26, 2016 and india, one feels now, reading sunil khilnanis incarnations, is a racket. It is notable that khilnanis latest book and one written after a really long gap is incarnations a collection of fifty profiles of notable indians. A history of india in fifty lives, sunil khilnani fills that space, recapturing the human dimension of how the worlds largest democracy came to be through the stories of the. I was born in new delhi in 1960, and grew up in kenya, romania, senegal, india, and scotland. Feb 23, 2016 with incarnations, sunil khilnani the author of the acclaimed idea of india, tells the stories of 50 indians. He was the presenter of a bbc radio 4 series entitled incarnations. India in 50 lives, sunil khilnani, director of the india institute at kings college london and author of the idea of india. A young nehru had experienced rural india for the first time when he came.
The author of the influential and acclaimed book the idea of india, sunil khilnani is the avantha professor and director of the india institute at londons. Formerly the starr foundation professor and director of the south asia studies program at the johns hopkins university school of advanced international studies in washington, d. The 50 lives he sketches in a series of brief essays span the full 2,500 years of the subcontinents discoverable history. Incarnations ebook by sunil khilnani 9780241208236 rakuten. India in 50 lives, sunil khilnani, director of the india institute at kings college london and author of the idea of india, gets a fine balance between kings and. The other views india as an arena of civilizational. Sunil khilnanis incarnations is a nuanced and insightful writing of history via 50 fascinating lives. And india, one feels now, reading sunil khilnanis incarnations, is a racket.
One sees india as the victim of recurring invasions, its history a series of rude interruptions that violate the purity of a sacred land. I was educated at trinity hall, cambridge, where i took a first in social and political sciences, and at kings college, cambridge, i completed a ph. As usually told it has dynasties, epochs, religions, and castesbut not that many individuals, sunil khilnani writes in his book incarnations. So in incarnations, i want to return the human element to our sense of indias history. Incarnations the podcast download all the episodes from the series and listen at your leisure. India in fifty lives, the eminent indian historian sunil khilnani sets out to paint an impressionistic history of that endlessly complex country. Sunil khilnani is holder of the avantha chair and director of the india institute, which he established at kings in 2011. He was educated at trinity hall, cambridge, where he took a first in social and political sciences, and at kings college, cambridge, where he gained his phd in. With incarnations, sunil khilnani the author of the acclaimed idea of india, tells the stories of 50 indians. Professor sunil khilnani explores the life and legacy of charan singh, the lawyer turned politician who. In incarnations, also released as a bbc radio series and podcast, khilnani explores how the lives of fifty indians across 2,500 years have shaped indias history as we know it. A history of india in fifty lives, sunil khilnani fills that space, recapturing the human dimension of how the worlds largest democracy came. Sunil khilnani is avantha professor and director of the india institute, kings college london, and author of the idea of india.
Incarnations was to be in the presence, not of some indian. Rajiv kumar, an economist, is senior fellow at the centre for policy research. Last november, a literary festival in delhi had a lively panel called biography and. In his latest book, incarnations, sunil khilnani, director of the kings college london india institute, helps broaden and deepen our understanding of and appreciation for the rich history of south asia, particularly india. Read incarnations india in 50 lives by sunil khilnani available from rakuten kobo. The power of the zamindars, who were mainly brahmin or rajput, was challenged in a series of peasant movements between 1919 and 1921, when charan singh was in his late teens. Incarnations, a history of india in fifty lives association. Professor sunil khilnani introduces the second series of incarnations. Professor sunil khilnani explores the life and legacy of charan singh, the lawyer turned politician who championed the cause of indias farmers. A profound meditation on the meaning and significance of india, which, khilnani politicsuniv.
Born in new delhi, he grew up in india, africa, and europe. Jan 17, 2017 the idea of india by sunil khilnani 1. The idea of india by sunil khilnani linkedin slideshare. Apr 12, 2016 sunil khilnanis incarnations is a nuanced and insightful writing of history via 50 fascinating lives. Sunil khilnani is the author of the acclaimed and influential the idea of india fsg, 1998. Khilnani s research interests lie at the intersection of various fields. Incarnations by sunil khilnani overdrive rakuten overdrive.