About the Talk
This presentation explores the encounter between Telugu modernity and the Chenchu frontier. Through the figure of the Chenchu in literary and historical texts, the talk examines how courtly and colonial Telugu writings reshaped the ecological and cultural frontier of the Telugu village.
About the Speaker
Professor Christopher Chekuri teaches History at San Francisco State University. He earned his BA in Economics and PhD in History from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research focuses on states and families, modern Telugu literary criticism, early modern empires in the Indo-Islamic world, comparative colonialism and nationalism, and globalization.
Professor Chekuri recently completed the documentary Eternal Trees, Eternal Mountains, an intimate exploration of Chenchu life and history in a globalizing India. He is also the managing editor of Maidaanam.com, a public humanities initiative dedicated to the history, culture, and society of the Deccan region.
