Rajmohan Gandhi taught political science and history at the University of Illinois. Earlier, he had served as a Research Professor with the New Delhi Think-Tank, Centre for Policy Research.
In 2002, he received the Sahitya Akademi for his Rajaji: A Life, a biography of Chakravarti Rajagopalachari. His previous book, a biography of his grandfather Mahatma Gandhi, Mohandas: A True Story of a Man, His People and an Empire, received the prestigious Biennial Award from the Indian History Congress in 2007. Apart from several biographies, his works include Understanding the Muslim Mind, Revenge and Reconciliation: Understanding South Asian History, A Tale of Two Revolts: India 1857 & the American Civil War. Rajmohan Gandhi’s latest book, Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten, was launched in September this year. He is currently serving as a Jury Member, Nuremberg International Human Rights Award and is the Co-chair, Centre for Dialogue & Reconciliation, Gurgaon, India.
Punjab: A History from Aurangzeb to Mountbatten
In this, the first major account of undivided Punjab, award-winning historian, biographer & scholar,Rajmohan Gandhi, traces its history from the death of Aurangzeb, in the early eighteenth century, to its brutal partition in 1947, coinciding with the departure of the British.
Relying on fresh sources as well as previous accounts provided from opposing perspectives, the author gives a compelling narrative about the great events of the time in the region.
Believing that modern India and Pakistan cannot be understood without comprehending the Punjab that was, the author delves into the idea of Punjabiyat — Punjabiness — the literature and poetry of creative giants like Bulleh Shah, Waris Shah, Iqbal, Amrita Pritam and Saadat Hasan Manto, the spiritual teachings of the Sikh Gurus and Sufi saints, and, above all, the testimonials and narratives of ordinary Punjabis, to create an unforgettable portrait of a place – undivided Punjab – that continues to fascinate us and of its hard-tested and resilient people, Hindu, Muslim and Sikh.