William Dalrymple will speak on and later sign copies of his latest book, “The Return of a King: Shah Shuja, the Great Game and the First Anglo-Afghan War, 1839-42,” when the Tenth Annual Uka and Nalini Solanki Foundation Lecture returns March 1 to The Pointe at Cal State-Long Beach.
Dalrymple is one of the founders and co-director of the annual Jaipur Literary Festival and the author of seven books about India and the Islamic world, all of which have won major literary awards, including “City of Djinns,” “White Mughals,” “The Last Mughal” and “Nine Lives: In Search of the Sacred in Modern India.”
He is currently working on a history of the First Anglo-Afghan War and a major show of Mughal art for the Asia Society in New York City. The Solanki lecture is an endowed lecture series established by Indian Americans Uka and Nalini Solanki with the intent to invite a distinguished individual to discuss South Asia-related topics.
“The Solanki lectures have had quality speakers from day one,” Arnold Kaminsky, senior coordinator of CSULB’s Yadunandan Center for India Studies, stated in a press release. “From the very first speaker, Bhagwati Professor of Economics at Columbia Arvind Panagariya, who spoke in 2003 on comparative development issues between China and India, we’ve had the best. The fourth Solanki lecture in 2006 featured Sam Pitroda, chair of India's National Knowledge Commission…Every single one of the Solanki lecturers has been formidable from distinguished scholars to successful journalists.”
Series organizer Tim Keirn, a member of the History Department since 1991, and co-coordinator of the Yadunandan Center, applauded the selection of Dalrymple this year. “He is a world-renowned travel writer as well as a historian and founder co-director of the Jaipur Literary Festival – India’s largest,” he said.
Kaminsky believes the Solanki lectures reflect the mission of the Yadunandan Center, which is dedicated to the impartial study of India’s cultures, peoples and history. “The center takes a leadership role in establishing and hosting a Southern California network for the development of India awareness among universities and colleges,” he said.
Controversy is no stranger to the Solanki lectures, Keirn pointed out. “The last two speakers in the series brought along plenty of topics for discussion,” he said, referring to Ramanchandra Guha last year and Mira Kamdar the previous year. “They have done a good job of connecting India’s past and present. The overall arguments not only help us understand India’s past but its future.”
“I encourage the university and the local community to attend the Solanki lectures,” he said. “No other series has had the consistency of high-quality speakers that this series has.” Those wishing more information should contact Keirn at ext. 5-4428 or by e-mail at Tim.Keirn@csulb.edu. To RSVP, call ext. 5-7010 or e-mail IndiaStudies@csulb.edu.