About the Series

This lecture series at Krea University, proposed by Professor Nirmala Rao, Vice Chancellor, Krea University addresses current issues in world politics to promote local, national, and global engagement among the student body. Upcoming lecture themes include international humanitarian law, water and environmental security, challenges of climate change, war and forced migration, refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs), and the future of global governance. The lectures will be delivered by a diverse range of academics and practitioners, offering Krea students an invaluable opportunity to connect their academic studies to real-world issues and engage with leading experts. The series will be convened by Sherman Teichman, Emeritus Founding Director of The Institute for Global Leadership at Tufts University (1984-2016) and Dr Dyotana Banerjee, Assistant Professor of Politics, SIAS (School of Interwoven Arts and Sciences), Krea University.

About the Talk
The talk is based on Professor Jalal’s monograph titled Muslim Enlightened Thought in South Asia, an engaging intellectual history of modern Muslim poets, philosophers, educators, novelists, historians, artists, and public intellectuals who drew on a long Muslim intellectual tradition, beyond the “Western” liberalism of empire. Interpreting the pathbreaking contributions of an array of creative Muslim figures, the talk challenges the portrayal of them as exemplars of an insular “apologetic modernity.” It highlights a strand of Muslim thought and intellectual liberality that has been overlooked by scholars focused on dour theologians. The talk analyzes the forces that have contributed to the narrowing of intellectual space since the late twentieth century and the resilience of expansive and enlightened ideas that have kept hope alive in dark times. By foregrounding the enlightened conceptions of Ghalib, Sayyid Ahmad Khan, Iqbal, and Sadequain on faith, selfhood, history, and time—and bringing other Muslim thinkers out of the shadows—the talk offers a nuanced reformulation of the meaning of religion for our challenging times. It will interest a wide readership invested in the history of Islam and South Asia.

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