Awadh Kishore Narain

A. K. Narain
Born Gaya, India
Residence Varanasi, India
Nationality Indian
Fields Archaeology, History, Numismatics, Indology
Institutions University of Wisconsin–Madison, Banaras Hindu University
Alma mater Banaras Hindu University, SOAS, University of London
Known for Research on the Indo-Greeks
Notable awards Holker
Guggenheim
Rockefeller
Ford Foundation
Dayaram Sahni Gold Medal
Chakravikrama Gold Medal

Professor Awadh Kishore Narain (A. K. Narain, 28 May 1925 – 10 July 2013) was an Indian historian, numismatist and archaeologist, who has published and lectured extensively on the subjects related to South and Central Asia. He is well known for his book, The Indo Greeks,[1][2] published by Oxford University Press in 1956, in which he discussed the thesis of British historian Sir William Woodthorpe Tarn.[3]

His later research was about the history of peoples of Central Asia who followed the Indo-Greeks, e.g. the Indo–Scythians, Indo–Parthians and the Yue Zhi-Kushans. He organised an international conference in London on the problem of the date of Kanishka. He continued working on the history of these people, their movements and interactions in the context of South and Central Asia as is evident from several of his articles and lectures. More recently, he was working on a multi-volume project entitled From Kurush (Cyrus) to Kanishka, several volumes of which are ready for publication. Two other areas of A.K.'s interest have been Historiography and Buddhist Studies.

Professor Narain, was born in 1925 at Gaya in Bihar, India and died on 10 July 2013 in Varanasi, India that has been his home for most of his adult life. In 1947 he was awarded a Post Graduate Degree in Ancient Indian History, Culture (AIHC) and Archaeology from Banaras Hindu University (BHU) securing the first position in the University and claiming the Dayaram Sahni Gold Medal. He earned his PhD degree from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London in 1954.

In his long association with his Alma Mater he held many academic and administrative positions at BHU. He has been the Manindra Chandra Nandi Professor of AIHC & Archaeology; Head of the Department of AIHC & Archaeology; Principal, College of Indology; Dean, Faculty of Arts and Director of Archaeological Excavations and Explorations Programme of the University. In 1971, he became Professor of History and South Asian Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, USA, where he was also the Chair of the Buddhist Studies Program.(http://www.southasia.wisc.edu/newsletter/sasianstudies.html)

In 1987, he sought early retirement from UW–Madison, and returned to India to found the Bhikkhu J. Kashyap Institute of Buddhist and Asian Studies of which he was the first Director. He remained Professor Emeritus of History and of Languages and Cultures of Asia at UW-Madison.

Professor Narain was a Visiting Research Associate, School of Oriental and African Studies, London; Visiting Professor, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minnesota; Visiting Professor, Visvabharati, Shantiniketan; Fellow, Institute of Research in Humanities, University of Wisconsin; Fellow, Institute for Advanced Study, Princeton, Visiting Fellow at Columbia University and New York University.

He was the recipient of many notable awards, and research grants including the Holkar Fellowship, Chakravikrama Gold Medal, Rockefeller Grant, Ford Foundation grant and Guggenheim Fellowship. He is a Life Fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, London and Honorary Fellow of the Royal Asiatic Society of Great Britain and Ireland. He is also an Honorary Member of the International Association of Buddhist studies.

Prof. Narain was also known for his extensive editorial contributions. He edited the following academic journals: (1) Bharati, Research Bulletin of College of Indology, BHU; (2) Puratattva, Bulletin of the Archeological Society of India; (3) Journal of International Association of Buddhist Studies; (4) Journal of Indian Buddhist Studies; (5) The Indian Journal of Asian Studies; (6) Asia Prashant (Journal of The Indian Congress of Asian and Pacific Studies); and (7) The Indian International Journal of Buddhist Studies.

Prof. Narain published over one hundred articles & reviews on topics related to history, polity, art, archaeology, anthropology, iconography, epigraphy and paleography, numismatics and religion in various national and international journals. (source:http://www.bhu.ac.in/alumni/aknairn.html)

Notable awards, research grants and other recognitions

Various organizational roles

Select publications

Professional, visiting, research and honorary positions

Founder-Director, Bhikkhu J. Kashyap Institute of Buddhist and Asian Studies, Sarnath, Varanasi, U.P., India.
Emeritus Professor of History and of Languages and Cultures of Asia, University of Wisconsin, Madison(USA)
At the University of Wisconsin, Madison:
               1990–2013:      Professor Emeritus, Department of History and South Asian Studies
               1971–90 :       Professor of History and South Asian Studies. 
1966–67: Visiting Professor of Indian Studies.

At the Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India : 1969–71 : Dean, Faculty of Arts (Humanities).
1963–69 : Principal, College of Indology
1960–71 : Manindra Chandra Nandi Professor and Head of the Department of Ancient Indian History, Culture and Archaeology
1959–71 : Director of Archaeological Excavations and Explorations Programme of Banaras Hindu University.
1960–71 : Director of Wisconsin College-Year-in-India Program.
1953–60 : Reader (Associate Professor) in AIHCA.
1947–53 : Lecturer (Assistant Professor) in AIHCA.

At other Places :

1994–95 : Visiting Fellow at the Columbia University in New York as well as at the New York University, New York.
1984–85 : Fellow at the Institute of Advanced Study, Princeton, USA.
1977 : Visiting Professor at Visvabharati, Shantiniketan, W.B., India
1971 : Visiting Professor, Macalester College, St. Paul, Minn. USA
1959–60 : Research Associate, School of Oriental & African Studies, University of London, London, UK

Citations

  1. ↑ Historians of India, Pakistan and CeylonBooks
  2. ↑ Google book results on A.K. Narain
  3. ↑ Professor A.K. Narain, Historian of India and IABS Founding Member, passed away

External links

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Thursday, March 31, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.