Bipin Chandra
Encyclopedia
Bipan Chandra is an India
n historian, specialising in economic and political history of modern India.
Chandra has been associated with the "Marxist school" of Indian historiography. Presently, he is the Chairman of the National Book Trust
, New Delhi
He was a member of the University Grants Commission
, New Delhi
. He was also a Chairperson of CHS, JNU.
, Himachal Pradesh
. His original surname is Sud, but he decided to exclude it from his said name, in order to uphold his ideologies based on egalitarianism. Incidentally, Chandra married into a prominent Sud family.
, Lahore
, Stanford University
, USA and the University of Delhi
, where he completed his Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Bishweshwar Prasad.
at Hindu College, Delhi
. He was the UGC National Lecturer in 1973-74. He was a Reader
in the History Department of Delhi University, before becoming the Professor
of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University
, New Delhi
, soon after the university was founded. He was one the earliest members of the Centre for Historical Studies (CHS), JNU and helped in setting it up. He is presently an Emeritus
Professor at the CHS. He was also a Visiting Professor at the Colegio de Mexico.
He was the General President of the Indian History Congress in 1985. He set up the journal Enquiry and was a member of its editorial board for a long time.
He has delivered several chaired lectures, such as Kosambi Memorial Lecture, K.P.Jayswant Memorial Lecture, V.D.Mahajan Memorial Lecture, Heras Memorial Lecture, and the inaugural lecture of the first E.M.S. Namboodiripad Memorial Seminar.
, New Delhi
He was a member of the University Grants Commission
, New Delhi
. He was also a Chairperson of CHS, JNU.
The historians with impeccable academic credentials, and international renown like R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar
, Bipan Chandra, Satish Chandra
and Arjun Dev whose text books had been prescribed in schools for a long time were under virulent attack from communalists.
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n historian, specialising in economic and political history of modern India.
Chandra has been associated with the "Marxist school" of Indian historiography. Presently, he is the Chairman of the National Book Trust
National Book Trust
National Book Trust, is an Indian publishing house, founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education within the Government of India....
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
He was a member of the University Grants Commission
University Grants Commission (India)
The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He was also a Chairperson of CHS, JNU.
Biography
Chandra was born in Kangra ValleyKangra Valley
Kangra Valley is situated in Himachal Pradesh, India. It is a popular tourist destination, with the peak season around March and April.Dharamsala, the headquarters of Kangra district, lies on the southern spur of Dhauladhar in the valley .-Geography:...
, Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh
Himachal Pradesh is a state in Northern India. It is spread over , and is bordered by the Indian states of Jammu and Kashmir on the north, Punjab on the west and south-west, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh on the south, Uttarakhand on the south-east and by the Tibet Autonomous Region on the east...
. His original surname is Sud, but he decided to exclude it from his said name, in order to uphold his ideologies based on egalitarianism. Incidentally, Chandra married into a prominent Sud family.
Education
He was educated at Forman Christian CollegeForman Christian College
Forman Christian College University, or FCCU, is a chartered university in Lahore, Pakistan, named after its American-born founder, Dr. Charles William Forman.- History :...
, Lahore
Lahore
Lahore is the capital of the Pakistani province of Punjab and the second largest city in the country. With a rich and fabulous history dating back to over a thousand years ago, Lahore is no doubt Pakistan's cultural capital. One of the most densely populated cities in the world, Lahore remains a...
, Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
, USA and the University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
, where he completed his Ph.D. under the supervision of Professor Bishweshwar Prasad.
Academic
He taught for many years as LecturerLecturer
Lecturer is an academic rank. In the United Kingdom, lecturer is a position at a university or similar institution, often held by academics in their early career stages, who lead research groups and supervise research students, as well as teach...
at Hindu College, Delhi
Hindu College, University of Delhi
Hindu College, Delhi is one of the oldest and well-known colleges in India, that was set up in 1899. It is under the affiliation of University of Delhi.It has seen enviable growth over the years. It offers undergraduate as well as postgraduate courses in Science, Humanities and Commerce...
. He was the UGC National Lecturer in 1973-74. He was a Reader
Reader (academic rank)
The title of Reader in the United Kingdom and some universities in the Commonwealth nations like Australia and New Zealand denotes an appointment for a senior academic with a distinguished international reputation in research or scholarship...
in the History Department of Delhi University, before becoming the Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University
Jawaharlal Nehru University, also known as JNU, is located in New Delhi, the capital of India. It is mainly a research oriented postgraduate University with approximately 5,500 students and a faculty strength of around 550.-History:...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
, soon after the university was founded. He was one the earliest members of the Centre for Historical Studies (CHS), JNU and helped in setting it up. He is presently an Emeritus
Emeritus
Emeritus is a post-positive adjective that is used to designate a retired professor, bishop, or other professional or as a title. The female equivalent emerita is also sometimes used.-History:...
Professor at the CHS. He was also a Visiting Professor at the Colegio de Mexico.
He was the General President of the Indian History Congress in 1985. He set up the journal Enquiry and was a member of its editorial board for a long time.
He has delivered several chaired lectures, such as Kosambi Memorial Lecture, K.P.Jayswant Memorial Lecture, V.D.Mahajan Memorial Lecture, Heras Memorial Lecture, and the inaugural lecture of the first E.M.S. Namboodiripad Memorial Seminar.
Administration
Presently, he is the Chairman of the National Book TrustNational Book Trust
National Book Trust, is an Indian publishing house, founded in 1957 as an autonomous body under the Ministry of Education within the Government of India....
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
He was a member of the University Grants Commission
University Grants Commission (India)
The University Grants Commission of India is a statutory organisation set up by Union government in 1956, for the coordination, determination and maintenance of standards of university education. It provides recognition for universities in India, and provides funds for government-recognised...
, New Delhi
New Delhi
New Delhi is the capital city of India. It serves as the centre of the Government of India and the Government of the National Capital Territory of Delhi. New Delhi is situated within the metropolis of Delhi. It is one of the nine districts of Delhi Union Territory. The total area of the city is...
. He was also a Chairperson of CHS, JNU.
Ideological Beliefs
He has been at the forefront of the pro-communist struggle in India since independence.The historians with impeccable academic credentials, and international renown like R.S. Sharma, Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar
Romila Thapar is an Indian historian whose principal area of study is ancient India.-Work:After graduating from Panjab University, Thapar earned her doctorate under A. L. Basham at the School of Oriental and African Studies, the University of London in 1958...
, Bipan Chandra, Satish Chandra
Satish Chandra
Satish Chandra is an Indian historian, whose main area of specialisation is medieval Indian History.-Early life:He is the son of Sir Sita Ram, a zamindar/educator/barrister/politician from Meerut.-Academic:...
and Arjun Dev whose text books had been prescribed in schools for a long time were under virulent attack from communalists.
Publications
- Communalism: A Primer, (New Delhi, 2004)
- In the Name of Democracy: The JP Movement and the Emergency, (New Delhi, 2003)
- Essays on Colonialism, (New Delhi, 1999)
- India After Independence, (jointly with Mridula Mukherjee and Aditya Mukherjee), (New Delhi, 1999)
- Ideology and Politics in Modern India, (New Delhi, 1994)
- Essays on Indian Nationalism, (New Delhi, 1993)
- Essays on Contemporary India, (New Delhi, 1993)
- The Epic Struggle, (New Delhi, 1992)
- India's Struggle for Independence, 1857-1947, (New Delhi, 1989)
- Indian National Movement: The Long Term Dynamics, (New Delhi, 1988)
- Communalism in Modern India, (New Delhi, 1984)
- The Indian Left: Critical Appraisal, (New Delhi, 1983)
- Nationalism and Colonialism in Modern India, (New Delhi, 1979)
- Freedom Struggle, (jointly with Amalesh Tripathi and Barun De), (New Delhi, 1972))
- The Rise and Growth of Economic Nationalism in India: Economic Policies of Indian National Leadership, 1880-1905, (New Delhi, 1966)
External links
- Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi
- National Book Trust, New Delhi
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1815/18150930.htm
- http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl1809/18090880.htm
- "Delhi Historians Group's Publication "Communalization of Education: The History Textbooks Controversy", A report in 2002, New Delhi: Jawaharlal Nehru University, India