Last Updated: November 01, 2023, 10:44 IST
London, United Kingdom (UK)
Nandini Das’ debut work, described as the true origin story of Britain and India told through England’s first diplomatic mission to the Mughal courts. (Image: British Academy Book Prize/Website)
Discover the winner of the 2023 British Academy Book Prize, Nandini Das, and her remarkable work ‘Courting India,’ unraveling the story of Britain and India’s origins
“Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire” by Nandini Das has been named the winner of the 11th British Academy Book Prize for Global Cultural Understanding. For her remarkable debut, the India-born author was honoured at a ceremony at the British Academy in London on Tuesday evening.
Das, who is a Professor of Early Modern Literature and Culture in the English faculty at the University of Oxford, won the leading international non-fiction prize worth GBP 25,000. The announcement was made by the Chair of the Book Prize judging panel, Professor Charles Tripp FBA.
The origin story of Britain and India
The 49-year-old author’s work is described as an origin story of Britain and India told through England’s first diplomatic mission to the Mughal courts. “Nandini Das has written the true origin story of Britain and India. By using contemporary sources by Indian and by British political figures, officials and merchants she has given the story an unparalleled immediacy that brings to life these early encounters and the misunderstandings that sometimes threatened to wreck the whole endeavour,” said Professor Charles Tripp while commenting on behalf of the judging panel.
“At the same time, she grants us a privileged vantage point from which we can appreciate how a measure of mutual understanding did begin to emerge, even though it was vulnerable to the ups and downs of Mughal politics and to the restless ambitions of the British,” he added.
‘Story of the first ambassadorial mission’
Professor Tripp described how through her beautiful writing and exceptional research, the jury was drawn to the contrast between an impoverished, insecure Britain and the flourishing, confident Mughal Empire and the often-amusing, sometimes querulous exchanges between their various representatives. “Moreover, we were reminded through this story of the first ambassadorial mission of the value of international diplomacy, but also of the cultural minefields that surround it in ways that still have resonance today,” he added.
The British Academy Book Prize, formerly known as the Nayef Al-Rodhan Prize, was established in 2013 to reward and celebrate the best works of non-fiction that demonstrate rigour and originality and have contributed to public understanding of other world cultures and their interaction.
Professor Julia Black, President of the British Academy, said, “This is the British Academy’s 11th year of celebrating well-researched books that improve global cultural understanding. Every year, the need to understand each other across borders, boundaries and cultures seems ever more pressing. This year is no exception.” “The power of good writing and a well-told story in getting people to understand each other should not be underestimated. This book does just that, drawing on the best of the academic and the literary traditions to shed light on how we are today,” she added.
