Dreams of Sikandar: Alexander the Great and Colonial India Phiroze Vasunia | Professor of Greek and Latin, University College London
Wednesday, December 2, 2020
Dreams of Sikandar: Alexander the Great and Colonial India
Phiroze Vasunia | Professor of Greek and Latin, University College London
Ever since he invaded the land in the fourth century BCE, Alexander the Great has fascinated the inhabitants of South Asia. This lecture looks at the long and colourful afterlife of Alexander (or Sikandar, as he is known in many Indo-Persian traditions).
The lecture explores some of his putative early representations in the ancient period and as well as images from the Mughal period. But the main focus will be on colonial British India, i.e. on British, Indian, and other responses to Alexander during the era of colonial rule. We will examine the popularity of the Porus-Alexander episode in British India in the contexts of colonialism and nationalism. A wide array of materials, including texts, manuscript illustrations, and film, will be discussed and presented.
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