I am a historian of decolonization and the global Cold War, with a regional specialization in South Asia and a thematic interest in US diplomacy in the decolonizing world. My work focuses on post-1945 political transformation, the role of non-state actors and indigenous groups in international relations, religiously infused nationalisms and activisms, as well as definitions of sovereignty. I received a B.A. from Columbia University's School of General Studies and an M.A. and Ph.D. in History from Harvard University. Currently, I am a Past & Present Fellow at the Institute of Historical Research, School of Advanced Study, University of London (2019-2021).
My work analyzes the intersection of nationalism and internationalism in the emergence of postcolonial nation-states during twentieth century global decolonization. States-in-Waiting, my manuscript, shows how nationalisms that did not achieve statehood during decolonization's moment of seeming political possibility sought out informal sources of international recognition. My recent articles include "Decolonization in the 1960s," Past & Present, February 2019 and "Jayaprakash Narayan and the Politics of Reconciliation," The Indian Economic and Social History Review, April 2019. I have written on the Second World War's Battle of Kohima for The Washington Post's Made by History column.