Biography

Born in India, but raised in Chicago, I have always felt caught at the crossroads of cultures. Thus, as an undergraduate studying History at Pomona College, narratives of cross-cultural interaction and diaspora in the Indian Ocean world naturally captivated me. I curated an exhibit entitled “Navigating Culture: Islam and Encounter in the Indian Ocean World” that highlighted the historical role of Islam in exchanges between Africa and Asia. My undergraduate thesis, which I will further develop during my MPhil in World History at Cambridge, is on the Siddi people, or the African diaspora in India. My research examines the Siddi’s cultural entanglements with Europeans, Marathas, and Mughals in the period immediately preceding the colonial era. I am motivated to study the Siddi because I believe that the representation of marginalized groups in history is directly linked to the worldviews that govern their welfare today. Therefore, it is my goal to locate the voices of marginalized diasporas within the historical record, and to illustrate their often crucial role in shaping global events.

Previous Education

Pomona College