Historian KN Panikkar passes away at 90

Thiruvananthapuram: Renowned historian and founding chairman of the Kerala Council for Historical Research, K N Panikkar, passed away on Monday at the age of 90. He died at Sree Uthradom Thirunal Hospital, where he had been undergoing treatment.

A prominent scholar known for his Marxist approach to historical writing, Panikkar was widely regarded as one of India’s leading historians. His work emphasised secular values and promoted a scientific and progressive approach to the study of Indian history. Over several decades, he played a key role in shaping academic discourse on culture, politics and colonialism in modern India.

Born in 1936 in Guruvayur, Panikkar completed his schooling at Chavakkad Board High School. He later pursued higher studies at Government Victoria College in Palakkad and at the University of Rajasthan.

Panikkar served as a faculty member in the history department at Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi. During his tenure, he held several key academic positions, including head of the department, dean of the School of Social Sciences and chairman of the Archives of Contemporary History. He also served as a visiting professor at several universities abroad.

Later, Panikkar became the Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit in Kalady. At the time of his death, he was serving as chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council.

Panikkar authored several influential books, including Culture and Consciousness in Modern India, Against Lord and State, British Diplomacy in North India, Interrogating Colonial Modernity, and Culture, Ideology and Hegemony. His works critically examined colonialism, communalism and cultural politics in India.

In 2017, the Kerala Sahitya Akademi honoured him with its Distinguished Fellowship in recognition of his contributions to historical scholarship.