DU Professor Charu Gupta awarded 2026 AK Coomaraswamy Prize

Delhi University Professor Charu Gupta has won the 2026 Ananda Kentish Coomaraswamy Prize for her book Hindi Hindu Histories: Caste, Ayurveda, Travel, and Communism in Early Twentieth-Century India. The award was announced on February 11 by the Association for Asian Studies.

In Hindi Hindu Histories, published in 2024, Ms. Gupta explores early twentieth-century North India through autobiographies and vernacular print culture. Drawing on a rich Hindi archive, she examines four contrasting figures—an anti-caste reformer, a woman ayurvedic practitioner, a nationalist travel writer and a Left journalist—to uncover diverse perspectives on caste, gender, nationhood and Hindu identity during a transformative period.

The book highlights the breadth and plurality of Hindu thought a century ago, while suggesting a narrowing of certain strands in contemporary times. Ms. Gupta’s broader research focuses on gender, caste, masculinity, medicine and religious identities, and has significantly reshaped debates on modern Indian history and print culture.

Named after noted art historian and cultural thinker Ananda K. Coomaraswamy, the prize recognizes outstanding scholarly work on South Asia and is regarded as one of the field’s most prestigious international honours.