M. R. Raghava Varier

M . R. Raghava Varier
Born (1936-01-15) 15 January 1936 (age 88)
NationalityIndian
Alma mater
  • University of Calicut (under-graduate degree, graduate and doctoral degree)
  • Office of the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India, Mysore
  • Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi (M. Phil)
Occupation(s)Epigraphist
Academic
Known forKerala History

M. R. Raghava Varier (born 15 January 1936), also M. R. Raghava Warrier, is an Indian epigraphist and historian, formerly a Professor at the University of Calicut, from Kerala. He currently lives in Cheliya, Edakkulam-Koyilandi in Kerala.[1][2][3] Varier is generally considered as left historian by political analysts.[4]

Education

Varier graduated from the University of Calicut in 1972 and was trained in epigraphy at the Office of the Chief Epigraphist to the Government of India, Mysore (1973). He holds a post-graduate degree in "Malayalam Language and Literature" from Calicut University (1976), M. Phil (1977–80) in History from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi and doctoral degree (1986) on folk songs of northern Kerala from the University of Calicut. From 1997 to 1999, he served as Senior Fellow in the Cultural Department, Government of India (New Delhi).[3]

Awards and recognitions

Varier has been invited to a number of institutions, including Maison des Sciences de l'Homme, Paris under the Indo-French Programme (2004), Exeter University (funded by Art and Humanities Research Board, London), University of Tokyo (2010), De Montfort University, London and the British Museum (2012). He served as the President - Epigraphy, Historical Archaeology and Numismatics in 1998 Indian History Congress.[3]

Varier is one of the few Indian scholars to examine medieval Malayalam manuscripts collected in Bibliotec Nazionale de Roma, Rome and Apostoloca Vaticana, Vatican. He is also a member of several federal bodies, committees, trusts, and university senates.[3] He has been involved in a number of projects, including a Japanese project to explore the Chinese pottery in Kerala (1988), and a project on the Historical Atlas of South India (funded by the Ford Foundation) where he was a consultant. He is also associated with the Muziris Heritage Project as a "Consultant" since 2009.[3] He translated ancient inscriptions to Malayalam, it's published and highlighted in the South Indian Inscriptions Volume 43 released by Archaeological Survey of India.[5]

Cultural History of Kerala (1999), written by Varier with Rajan Gurukkal, is a standard textbook for the history of Kerala.[6] His work Jainamatham Keralathil received the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award in 2012 in the scholarly literature category.[7] He also received the Abu Dhabi Sakthi Award for overall contribution (T. K. Ramakrishnan Award) in 2021.[8] In 2023, he received the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Fellowship.[9]

Publications

Year of publication Work Reference
1990 Varier, M. R. "Trade Relations between Kerala and China 1200-1500 AD". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 51: 690–698. [10]
1988 Varier, M. R. "Marine Technology in Ancient Tamilakam". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 49: 114–121. [11]
2020 Varier, M. R. A Brief History of Ayurveda. [12]

References

  1. ^ Staff Reporter (29 October 2015). "Academic historians express serious anguish at prevailing conditions". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  2. ^ Shaji, K. a (3 February 2017). "A 21st century find spotlights prehistoric rock art". The Hindu. ISSN 0971-751X. Retrieved 6 December 2018.
  3. ^ a b c d e M. R. Raghava Varier (Profile)
  4. ^ Radhakrishnan, M. G. (30 November 1998). "ICHR member lashes out at panel of editors chosen to write cultural history of Kerala". India Today. Retrieved 12 March 2021.
  5. ^ Baiju, KM (28 January 2021). "Now, read ancient inscriptions in Malayalam". english.mathrubhumi.com. Archived from the original on 29 September 2021. Retrieved 29 September 2021.
  6. ^ Syllabus - University of Delhi - M A History http://www.du.ac.in/du/uploads/PG-Syllabus/Pg_syll/121011_MA_History.pdf
  7. ^ "ലോനപ്പന്‍ നമ്പാടനും സുസ്‌മേഷ് ചന്ദ്രോത്തിനും അബുദാബി ശക്തി അവാര്‍ഡുകള്‍". Mathrubhumi. 18 July 2013. Archived from the original on 18 July 2013. Retrieved 3 January 2023.
  8. ^ "അബുദാബി ശക്തി അവാർഡുകൾ പ്രഖ്യാപിച്ചു; ശക്തി ടി കെ രാമകൃഷ്‌ണൻ പുരസ്‌കാരം ഡോ. എം ആർ രാഘവ വാര്യർക്ക്‌". Deshabhimani. 15 October 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2023.
  9. ^ "Kerala Sahitya Akademi fellowships announced". The New Indian Express. 26 July 2024. Retrieved 14 August 2024.
  10. ^ Varier, M. R. Raghava (1990). "Trade Relations between Kerala and China 1200-1500 AD". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 51: 690–698. JSTOR 44148316.
  11. ^ Varier, M. R. Raghava (1988). "Marine Technology in Ancient Tamilakam". Proceedings of the Indian History Congress. 49: 114–121. JSTOR 44148360.
  12. ^ Varier, M. R. Raghava (12 June 2020). A Brief History of Ayurveda. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-099210-1.