Upinder Singh

Historian, Professor of History, Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University

Indian Amritsar, Punjab, India

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Quick Info

ProfessionHistorian, Professor of History, Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University
NationalityIndian
Date of Birth22/06/1959
Age66 years
BirthplaceAmritsar, Punjab, India

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Bio/Wiki

Nickname(s)U Singh
Personal Life
Date of Birth22/06/1959
BirthplaceAmritsar, Punjab, India
Zodiac signCancer
HometownNew Delhi
Educational Qualification(s)
College/University
  • St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, India
  • University of Delhi, Delhi, Delhi
  • McGill University, Montreal, Canada
Qualification
  • BA (Honours) in History from St. Stephen’s College, Delhi, India
  • MA in History from the University of Delhi, Delhi, India (1981)
  • MPhil from the University of Delhi, Delhi, Delhi (1984)
  • PhD at McGill University, Montreal, Canada (1991)
  • MPhil in History from the University of Delhi, Delhi, India
  • PhD from McGill University, Montreal, Canada with thesis titled Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: an epigraphic study (300-1147 CE)
NoteThe topic of her PhD thesis was “Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: an epigraphic study (300-1147 CE).”

Physical Stats & More

Height163 cm (5' 4")
Eye ColorBlack
Hair ColorSalt & pepper

Personal Life

HusbandVijay Tankha (head of the philosophy department at Delhi University's St. Stephen's college)
Marital StatusMarried
Children
  • Madhav Tankha
  • Raghav Tankha
Family
Parents
FatherManmohan Singh (former Indian Prime Minister)
MotherGursharan Kaur (homemaker)
Siblings

Career

Major Publications
Books
  • Kings, Brahmanas, and Temples in Orissa: An Epigraphic Study AD 300-1147 (1994)
  • Ancient Delhi (1999)
  • Mysteries Of The Past Archaeological Sites In India (2002)
  • The Discovery of Ancient India: Early Archaeologists and the Beginnings of Archaeology (2004)
  • A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century (2008)
  • Rethinking Early Medieval India: A Reader (2012)
  • Asian Encounters: Exploring Connected Histories (2014), alongwith Parul Pandya Dhar
  • Political Violence in Ancient India (2017)
  • Buddhism in Asia: Revival and Reinvention (2018), alongwith Nayanjot Lahiri
  • Ancient India: Culture Of Contradictions (2021)
  • Delhi: Ancient History (2006, edited)
  • Ancient India: New Research (2009, co-edited)
  • Asian Encounters: Exploring Connected Histories (2014, co-edited with Parul Pandya Dhar)
  • The Idea of Ancient India: Essays on Religion, Politics, and Archaeology (2016)
Papers
  • Amaravati: the dismembering of the Mahācaitya (1797–1886) (2001)
  • Cults and Shrines in Early Historical Mathura (c. 200 BC-AD 200) (2004)
Teaching Experience
  • St. Stephen's College, Delhi (1981-2004)
  • University of Delhi, History Department (2004-2018)
  • Ashoka University, Professor of History and Dean of Faculty (2018-present)
Research Fellowships
  • Leiden University
  • Cambridge University
  • Harvard University
  • Leuven University
Awards and HonorsInfosys Prize in Social Sciences - History (2009, inaugural recipient)
Research Interests
  • Ancient Indian social, economic, and religious history
  • Intersection between political ideas and practice
  • Indian archaeology
  • Modern histories of ancient sites and monuments
  • Cultural interactions between India and Southeast Asia
  • Violence in ancient India

Some Lesser Known Facts

1. Upinder Singh is an Indian historian and serves as a Professor of History at Ashoka University.
2. She is also the Dean of Faculty at Ashoka University.
3. Previously, she was the Head of the History Department at the University of Delhi.
4. She is the daughter of former Indian Prime Minister, Manmohan Singh.
5. Upinder Singh received the inaugural Infosys Prize in Social Sciences (History).
6. During her early childhood, she lived in Amritsar before moving to New York with her parents.
7. Returning to India in 1969, she settled in Delhi.
8. Her passion for reading was nurtured by her father.
9. Initially studying economics, she later pursued a career in History.
10. She has been honored with several fellowships for her contributions to history research.
11. She is married to Vijay Tankha and they have two sons.
12. All of Manmohan Singh's daughters are married outside the Sikh faith.
13. Throughout her career, Upinder Singh has held various academic positions and contributed to numerous committees.
14. She has pioneered the use of archaeological, epigraphic, and numismatic evidence to reconstruct early Indian history.
15. Her scholarly work spans from the Paleolithic and Mesolithic ages to 1200 CE.
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