Dr. Aniket De

Biography

Aniket De is an Assistant Professor in the field of history with a specialization in modern South Asia and the Indian Ocean. His work critically addresses global debates surrounding race, sovereignty, federalism, and border-making from a South Asian anti-colonial perspective. De's book, 'Boundary Laughter: Popular Performances Borders South Asia' (Oxford University Press, 2021), showcases extensive archival research and ethnographic fieldwork on a popular theater form called Gambhira, performed by Hindus and Muslims on both sides of the India-Bangladesh border. The book originated from his undergraduate thesis and analyzes how people on either side of the border grappled with the trauma of Partition through performances filled with humor and laughter, creating what he terms 'shared cultural spaces.' His current research project examines the accommodation of cultural and political differences within the broader framework of the Indian Ocean, identifying previously unnoticed connections between race, sovereignty, and the structures of federalism in British India. De has received major fellowships to support his work, including from the Social Science Research Council and the American Institute of Indian Studies. He was born and raised in Howrah, India, and completed his BA at Tufts University and his PhD at Harvard University, where he has developed collaborative historical projects that focus on vernacular languages.

Research Interests