Famous As: Historian known for Authoring books about Indian history
Birthdate: November 30, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Renowned history scholar and JNU professor Romila Thapar has also taught at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. She has previously been in the news for rejecting the Padma Bhushan twice, stating she didn’t accept state awards. She has also often opposed Hindutva and the “saffronization” of education.
Abul A'la Maududi
20 6
Famous As: Philosopher
Birthdate: September 25, 1903
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Aurangabad, India
Died: September 22, 1979
Islamic scholar and philosopher Abul A'la Maududi was born into an elite Aurangabad family. He grew up to be fundamentalist who believed Islam should be free of Western influences and launched the Jamaʿat-i Islami. Though an important figure in Pakistani politics, he was also imprisoned for a while for opposing the government.
Mahadev Govind Ranade
20 3
Famous As: Judge, Social Reformer
Birthdate: January 18, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Niphad
Died: January 16, 1901
Mahadev Govind Ranade was an Indian social reformer, scholar, author, and judge. Ranade is credited with co-founding the Indian National Congress as well as founding several organizations like the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Widow Marriage Association, and Vaktruttvottejak Sabha. He also contributed as an editor of a nationalist publication named Induprakash.
Rajmohan Gandhi
16 3
Famous As: Historian, Politician
Birthdate: August 7, 1935
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Delhi, India
Ramachandra Guha
18 5
Famous As: Writer
Birthdate: April 29, 1958
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India (now in Uttarakhand, India)
Bengaluru-based Indian historian and author Ramachandra Guha is best known for his iconic books Gandhi Before India and India After Gandhi. As a journalist, he has also written on cricket and was a long-time columnist for The Hindu. He has also been honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award.
William Dalrymple
18 6
Famous As: historian, writer
Birthdate: March 20, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Scotland
At 22, William Dalrymple penned the award-winning book In Xanadu. His 6-year research in Delhi culminated in the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award-winning volume City of Djinns. He has also presented the 6-part docu-series Stones of the Raj and written for publications such as Time and The Guardian.
Ziauddin Barani
17 3
Famous As: Historian
Birthdate: 1284 AD
Birthplace: India
Died: 1357 AD
Islamic historian Ziauddin Barani is best remembered for his treatise on medieval India, Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi. A nadim of Muḥammad ibn Tughluq for 17 years, he was exiled after Tughlaq was deposed and died in poverty. Some of his works were inspired by Sufi mysticism, which viewed events as divine manifestations.
Rahul Sankrityayan
15 4
Famous As: Linguist, Author, Autobiographer, Biographer
Birthdate: April 9, 1893
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pandaha
Died: April 14, 1963
Rahul Sankrityayan was an Indian freedom fighter and writer. A polyglot, Sankrityayan loved traveling and helped develop travelogue writing as a literary form in India. Dubbed the father of Indian travelogue, Rahul Sankrityayan wrote several travelogues having spent 45 years on travels away from home. In 1963, he was honored with India's third-highest civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan.
Sugata Bose
15 3
Famous As: Historian, Author, Politician
Birthdate: September 7, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kolkata
Apart from being a noted South Asian historian and a Tufts and Harvard faculty, Sugata Bose is also a descendant of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A Presidency College and Cambridge alumnus, he has penned books such as His Majesty's Opponent and has also been a TMC MP.
Irfan Habib
14 5
Famous As: historian, writer
Birthdate: 1931 AD
Born to a Marxist historian father, Mohammad Habib, Irfan Habib followed in his footsteps and grew up to be a Padma Bhushan-winning historian and author. The Oxford-educated Habib is known for his long-time association with AMU and has also spoken on topics such as fascism and the Aryan question.
Birthdate: November 30, 1931
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, India
Renowned history scholar and JNU professor Romila Thapar has also taught at Cornell and the University of Pennsylvania. She has previously been in the news for rejecting the Padma Bhushan twice, stating she didn’t accept state awards. She has also often opposed Hindutva and the “saffronization” of education.
Abul A'la Maududi
20 6
Famous As: Philosopher
Birthdate: September 25, 1903
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Aurangabad, India
Died: September 22, 1979
Islamic scholar and philosopher Abul A'la Maududi was born into an elite Aurangabad family. He grew up to be fundamentalist who believed Islam should be free of Western influences and launched the Jamaʿat-i Islami. Though an important figure in Pakistani politics, he was also imprisoned for a while for opposing the government.
Mahadev Govind Ranade
20 3
Famous As: Judge, Social Reformer
Birthdate: January 18, 1842
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Niphad
Died: January 16, 1901
Mahadev Govind Ranade was an Indian social reformer, scholar, author, and judge. Ranade is credited with co-founding the Indian National Congress as well as founding several organizations like the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha, Widow Marriage Association, and Vaktruttvottejak Sabha. He also contributed as an editor of a nationalist publication named Induprakash.
Rajmohan Gandhi
16 3
Famous As: Historian, Politician
Birthdate: August 7, 1935
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: New Delhi, India
Ramachandra Guha
18 5
Famous As: Writer
Birthdate: April 29, 1958
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Dehradun, Uttar Pradesh, India (now in Uttarakhand, India)
Bengaluru-based Indian historian and author Ramachandra Guha is best known for his iconic books Gandhi Before India and India After Gandhi. As a journalist, he has also written on cricket and was a long-time columnist for The Hindu. He has also been honored with the Sahitya Akademi Award.
William Dalrymple
18 6
Famous As: historian, writer
Birthdate: March 20, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Scotland
At 22, William Dalrymple penned the award-winning book In Xanadu. His 6-year research in Delhi culminated in the Thomas Cook Travel Book Award-winning volume City of Djinns. He has also presented the 6-part docu-series Stones of the Raj and written for publications such as Time and The Guardian.
Ziauddin Barani
17 3
Famous As: Historian
Birthdate: 1284 AD
Birthplace: India
Died: 1357 AD
Islamic historian Ziauddin Barani is best remembered for his treatise on medieval India, Tarikh-i-Firoz Shahi. A nadim of Muḥammad ibn Tughluq for 17 years, he was exiled after Tughlaq was deposed and died in poverty. Some of his works were inspired by Sufi mysticism, which viewed events as divine manifestations.
Rahul Sankrityayan
15 4
Famous As: Linguist, Author, Autobiographer, Biographer
Birthdate: April 9, 1893
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Pandaha
Died: April 14, 1963
Rahul Sankrityayan was an Indian freedom fighter and writer. A polyglot, Sankrityayan loved traveling and helped develop travelogue writing as a literary form in India. Dubbed the father of Indian travelogue, Rahul Sankrityayan wrote several travelogues having spent 45 years on travels away from home. In 1963, he was honored with India's third-highest civilian honor, the Padma Bhushan.
Sugata Bose
15 3
Famous As: Historian, Author, Politician
Birthdate: September 7, 1956
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Kolkata
Apart from being a noted South Asian historian and a Tufts and Harvard faculty, Sugata Bose is also a descendant of Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose. A Presidency College and Cambridge alumnus, he has penned books such as His Majesty's Opponent and has also been a TMC MP.
Irfan Habib
14 5
Famous As: historian, writer
Birthdate: 1931 AD
Born to a Marxist historian father, Mohammad Habib, Irfan Habib followed in his footsteps and grew up to be a Padma Bhushan-winning historian and author. The Oxford-educated Habib is known for his long-time association with AMU and has also spoken on topics such as fascism and the Aryan question.
