Ranajit Guha FAHA (23 May 1923 – 28 April 2023) emerged as a prominent Indian historian and a seminal figure among the early architects of the Subaltern Studies collective.
This methodological approach within South Asian Studies is dedicated to the examination of post-colonial and post-imperial societies, emphasizing an analysis from the vantage point of marginalized social strata.
During his formative years, Guha found inspiration in the works of Indian historian Susobhan Sarkar, as evidenced in an interview conducted for the Bengali Intellectuals Oral History Project.
[3] He also acknowledged his affluent family background and upbringing in East Bengal, and some of his early influences including writers D. H. Lawrence, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and the Bengali poet Michael Madhusudan Dutt.
Commencing his teaching career at Chandernagore Government College in 1953, Guha faced suspension from the Bengal Educational Services due to scrutiny of his political history.
[9] This analytical lens, hitherto absent from mainstream studies, prompted the group to scrutinize the dynamics of class, gender, and caste-based subordination in shaping the historical narrative of the region.