Diaspora (Commonwealth Union) _ British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding, a prestigious international non-fiction award worth GBP 25,000, has been awarded to India-born author Nandini Das for her debut book ‘Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire’. The book is hailed as the “true origin story of Britain and India” narrated through England’s inaugural diplomatic mission to the Mughal Courts. Das, a 49-year-old Professor in the English faculty at the University of Oxford, provides a fresh perspective on the origins of the empire, focusing on the arrival of the first English ambassador, Sir Thomas Roe, in India during the early 17th century.
Professor Charles Tripp, Chair of the prize jury, lauded Das for utilizing contemporary sources from Indian and British political figures, officials, and merchants, offering immediacy to the story’s early encounters and the challenges that jeopardized the mission. The book sheds light on the mutual understanding that began to surface amid the tumultuous landscape of Mughal politics and the ambitious aspirations of the British. Tripp commended Das’s beautiful writing and exceptional research, highlighting the stark contrast between a struggling, insecure Britain and the thriving, confident Mughal Empire, bringing forth the often-amusing yet sometimes querulous exchanges between their representatives.
Established in 2013, the British Academy Book Prize was formerly known as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize. The award aims to recognize and celebrate exceptional works of non-fiction that exhibit rigor, originality, and contribute to the public understanding of diverse world cultures and their interactions. Nandini Das is set to receive a prize of GBP 25,000 for her remarkable achievement in the literary realm. This acknowledgment highlights the significance of her work in contributing to a broader understanding of cultures and fostering intellectual engagement through non-fiction literature.
