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Shashi Tharoor

シャシ・タルール

Shashi Tharoor

Profile

Gender
Male
Born
1956-03-09 （London, England, United Kingdom）
Nationality
Indian
Languages
Malayalam, English, French
Religion
Hinduism
Residence History
London (birth) → Mumbai (raised) → Kolkata (schooling) → New Delhi (university) → Medford, Massachusetts (Tufts University / Fletcher School) → Geneva (UN career) → Thiruvananthapuram (residence, constituency)

Career

Occupations
Writer, Politician, Diplomat (former)
Active Years
1964-
Affiliations
Indian National Congress, International Committee of the Red Cross (advisor, 2008–2011), Board of Overseers, The Fletcher School (former), Aspen Institute (board of trustees)
Memberships
New York Institute for the Humanities (Fellow)
Influenced By
Kofi Annan
Influenced
Younger Indian politicians and writers

Education

St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi
History
Degree: BA
Period: 1972–1975
Year of Graduation: 1975
Country: India
Served as student union president; founded the St. Stephen's Quiz Club
The Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University
International Relations
Degree: MA / MALD / PhD
Period: 1975–1978
Year of Graduation: 1978
Country: United States
Youngest person at the time to receive a doctorate from the Fletcher School (age 22)

Awards

Sahitya Akademi Award
2019
Work: An Era of Darkness / Inglorious Empire
Organization: Sahitya Akademi
Result: 受賞
Commonwealth Writers' Prize (Eurasia)
1991
Work: The Great Indian Novel
Organization: Commonwealth Writers' Prize
Result: 受賞
Hindustan Times Literary Award
1990
Work: The Great Indian Novel
Organization: Federation of Indian Publishers
Result: 受賞
Pravasi Bharatiya Samman
2004
Organization: Government of India
Result: 受章（2007年受領）

Awards & Nominations

Works

Major Works

The Great Indian Novel

1989 Novel (satire) 423 pages

A satirical re-imagining of Indian history through the framework of the Mahabharata, retelling modern Indian events in a mythic narrative.

reinterpretation of historypolitical satire

India: From Midnight to the Millennium

1997 Non-fiction (history / commentary) 420 pages

A study of India's political and social evolution since independence, discussing its challenges and opportunities in the late 20th century.

post-independence historynationhood and governance

An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India (published in UK as Inglorious Empire)

2016 Non-fiction (critique of colonialism) 320 pages

A critical examination of British colonial rule in India and its economic and social consequences, arguing for recognition of colonial harms.

critique of colonialismreassessment of history

Bibliography

  • The Great Indian Novel (1989)
  • The Five Dollar Smile and Other Stories (1990)
  • Show Business (1992)
  • India: From Midnight to the Millennium (1997)
  • An Era of Darkness / Inglorious Empire (2016/2017)

Style & Themes

Literary Style
witty English prosesatirical and essayisticpostmodern techniques
Recurring Motifs
fusion of history and mythcritique of colonialismanalysis of politics and power

Health

  • Injury (temple accident)
    2019
    Brief hospitalization followed by recovery. Limited lasting impact on political activity.

Legacy

A public intellectual with an international diplomatic career and numerous books. Renowned for his command of English and influential nonfiction critiquing colonialism; widely influential in India and abroad.

Academic Societies

  • New York Institute for the Humanities

In Popular Culture

  • TED talks and Oxford Union speeches widely viewed; prominent on social media

Quotes

  • "India is not, as people keep calling it, an underdeveloped country, but rather, in the context of its history and cultural heritage, a highly developed one in an advanced state of decay."
    Source: Essay / speech (multiple sources)

Trivia

  • Received his PhD from the Fletcher School at a notably young age (22)
  • Vegetarian and has publicly stated his aversion to eating animal carcasses