Dr. Naina Dayal
FACULTY PROFILE
Personal Details
Name: Naina Dayal
Designation: Associate Professor, Department of History
Email: nainadayal@ststephens.edu
Designation: Associate Professor, Department of History
Email: nainadayal@ststephens.edu
Degrees
Ph.D., Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
Title of dissertation: 'Tellers of Tales: Pauranikas, Sutas, Kusilava, Vyasa and Valmiki'.
Supervisors: Professor Romila Thapar and Professor Kunal Chakrabarti.
Title of dissertation: 'Tellers of Tales: Pauranikas, Sutas, Kusilava, Vyasa and Valmiki'.
Supervisors: Professor Romila Thapar and Professor Kunal Chakrabarti.
M.A. in Ancient History, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.
I Division. First in the class.
I Division. First in the class.
B.A. History (Honours), St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi.
I Division. First in Delhi University in History (Honours).
I Division. First in Delhi University in History (Honours).
Prize/Fellowships
2014 - 2015: Fulbright-Nehru Postdoctoral Research Fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley.
1999 - 2002: Junior Research Fellowship to conduct doctoral research, awarded by the University Grants Commission.
1995: The Dip Chand Memorial Prize for being the best candidate in the B.A. (Honours) Examination in History held in 1995.
1995: The Dip Chand Memorial Prize for being the best candidate in the B.A. (Honours) Examination in History held in 1995.
Teaching Experience
2010 - till date: Assistant Professor, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi.
2006 - 2010: Lecturer, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (University of Delhi), New Delhi.
1998 - 1999: Lecturer, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi.
2006 - 2010: Lecturer, Lady Shri Ram College for Women (University of Delhi), New Delhi.
1998 - 1999: Lecturer, St. Stephen's College, University of Delhi, Delhi.
Publications
Books
Uma Chakravarti, Naina Dayal, Bharati Jagannathan and Snigdha Singh, eds, Of Thieves and Theris, Potters and Pativratas: Essays on Early Indian Social History for Kumkum Roy, Delhi: Primus Books, 2023. ISBN: 978-93-5687-033-8.
Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal, eds, Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2019. ISBN: 978-93-88292-34-4.
Religious Traditions and the Ideology of Bhakti (Vol. 3 of the Indira Gandhi National Open University's M.A. Course on Religious Thought and Belief in India), New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2003. ISBN: 81-266-0992-3.
Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal, eds, Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2019. ISBN: 978-93-88292-34-4.
Religious Traditions and the Ideology of Bhakti (Vol. 3 of the Indira Gandhi National Open University's M.A. Course on Religious Thought and Belief in India), New Delhi: Indira Gandhi National Open University, 2003. ISBN: 81-266-0992-3.
Forthcoming from Permanent Black
Working title of book: 'The Premier Performances of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata'
Articles
‘Buddhism in early India’, in G.N. Devy, Tony Joseph and Ravi Korisettar, eds, India: The Past 12,000 Years,, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company (forthcoming).
‘When a man raises the flag of dhamma but conceals his sins: Notes on fake ascetics in the Jatakas’, in Uma Chakravarti et al., eds, Of Thieves and Theris, Potters and Pativratas: Essays on Early Indian Social History for Kumkum Roy, Delhi: Primus Books, 2023. ISBN: 978-93-5687-033-8.
'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata', in Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal, eds, Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2019. ISBN: 978-93-88292-34-4.
‘Teaching early Indian history in 2015’, Chapter 9 in Nation Building through Higher Education, New Delhi: New Delhi Publishers & Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education, UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, University of Delhi, Delhi, 2016, pp. 47-50. ISBN: 978-93-85503-20-7.
Roy, Kumkum, Romila Thapar, and Naina Dayal, ‘Asoka’, in Richard Payne, ed., Oxford Bibliographies in Buddhism, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780195393521.
'On the premier performances of the Ramayana of Valmiki', in Kumkum Roy, ed., Insights and Interventions: Essays in Honour of Uma Chakravarti, Delhi: Primus Books, 2011, pp. 117-142. ISBN: 978-93-80607-22-1. A longer version of this article is available on sahapedia.org.
'Cities in early historic north India', in Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2000, pp. 266-276. R.N.I. ‘No. DELENG 11726/29/1/99-TC.
‘When a man raises the flag of dhamma but conceals his sins: Notes on fake ascetics in the Jatakas’, in Uma Chakravarti et al., eds, Of Thieves and Theris, Potters and Pativratas: Essays on Early Indian Social History for Kumkum Roy, Delhi: Primus Books, 2023. ISBN: 978-93-5687-033-8.
'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata', in Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal, eds, Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories: A Festschrift for Romila Thapar, New Delhi: Aleph Book Company, 2019. ISBN: 978-93-88292-34-4.
‘Teaching early Indian history in 2015’, Chapter 9 in Nation Building through Higher Education, New Delhi: New Delhi Publishers & Centre for Professional Development in Higher Education, UGC-Human Resource Development Centre, University of Delhi, Delhi, 2016, pp. 47-50. ISBN: 978-93-85503-20-7.
Roy, Kumkum, Romila Thapar, and Naina Dayal, ‘Asoka’, in Richard Payne, ed., Oxford Bibliographies in Buddhism, New York: Oxford University Press, 2014. ISBN: 9780195393521.
'On the premier performances of the Ramayana of Valmiki', in Kumkum Roy, ed., Insights and Interventions: Essays in Honour of Uma Chakravarti, Delhi: Primus Books, 2011, pp. 117-142. ISBN: 978-93-80607-22-1. A longer version of this article is available on sahapedia.org.
'Cities in early historic north India', in Hindi: Language, Discourse, Writing, Vol. 1, No. 2, 2000, pp. 266-276. R.N.I. ‘No. DELENG 11726/29/1/99-TC.
Academic Book Reviews
Review of Xinru Liu, Early Buddhist Society: The World of Gautama Buddha, in The Book Review, Vol. 46, No. 9, 2022, pp. 48-50, ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Himanshu Prabha Ray, The Return of the Buddha: Ancient Symbols for a New Nation, in The Book Review, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2016, pp. 9-10, ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Simon Brodbeck and Brian Black, eds, Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata, in Culture and Religion, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2010, pp. 169-171. ISSN: 1475-5610 (Print) 1475-5629 (Online).
Review of Alf Hiltebeitel, Rethinking the Mahabharata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King, in The Book Review, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2004, pp. 8-9. ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Shereen Ratnagar, Understanding Harappa: Civilization in the Greater Indus Valley, in The Hindu, 3 June 2001/16 June 2001 (International Edition). No. 28171/75.
Review of Paula Richman, ed., Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition, in The Book Review, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2001, pp. 35-36. ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Himanshu Prabha Ray, The Return of the Buddha: Ancient Symbols for a New Nation, in The Book Review, Vol. 40, No. 2, 2016, pp. 9-10, ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Simon Brodbeck and Brian Black, eds, Gender and Narrative in the Mahabharata, in Culture and Religion, Vol. 11, No. 2, 2010, pp. 169-171. ISSN: 1475-5610 (Print) 1475-5629 (Online).
Review of Alf Hiltebeitel, Rethinking the Mahabharata: A Reader's Guide to the Education of the Dharma King, in The Book Review, Vol. 28, No. 1, 2004, pp. 8-9. ISSN: 0970-4175.
Review of Shereen Ratnagar, Understanding Harappa: Civilization in the Greater Indus Valley, in The Hindu, 3 June 2001/16 June 2001 (International Edition). No. 28171/75.
Review of Paula Richman, ed., Questioning Ramayanas: A South Asian Tradition, in The Book Review, Vol. 25, No. 3, 2001, pp. 35-36. ISSN: 0970-4175.
E-lessons (peer reviewed)
Three e-lessons for the ancient India course developed at the Institute of Life Long Learning, University of Delhi, Delhi. (This was part of a Ministry of Human Resource Development, India project to develop e-content for teaching history to university students. The national coordinator of this project was Professor Upinder Singh of the Department of History, University of Delhi.)
My three lessons were on:
My three lessons were on:
1) Early Indian notions of history
2) The making of Puranic Hinduism
3) Forms and features of Puranic Hinduism. Published in 2011
2) The making of Puranic Hinduism
3) Forms and features of Puranic Hinduism. Published in 2011
Invited Lectures / Invited Paper Presentations
2021: ‘When a man raises the flag of dhamma but conceals his sins: Notes on fake ascetics in the Jatakas’. Paper presented at an international conference (‘Of Thieves and Theris, Hunters and Housewives’) in honour of Professor Kumkum Roy. Organized by the History Society of Miranda House, University of Delhi
2019: ‘The asceticism of Krishna Dvaipayana and Kanha Dipayana’. Paper presented at an international conference on Religion and Region in Indian History, Organized by The Asiatic Society, Kolkata.
2019: 'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata'. Lecture at the Ashoka History Spring Seminar. Organized by the Department of History, Ashoka University, Sonipat.
2018: 'Deconstructing Indian and Pakistani textbooks on our ancient pasts'. Presentation at an international conference on 'Teaching History'. Organized by The Seagull Foundation for the Arts in Kolkata.
2018: 'The epics in an age of religious plurality'. Lecture at the international seminar series at Nalanda University. Organized by the School of Historical Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir.
2018: 'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at an international conference in honour of Professor Romila Thapar at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Organized by The Book Reveiw Literary Trust, Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal.
2017: 'The sutas of the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at an international conference on 'The Mahabharata and Inter-Asian Cultures'. Organized by the Department of English, University of Delhi, held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
2017: Discussant for papers by R.P. Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland Goldman on the Uttarakanda of the Ramayana of Valmiki. Organized by the JNU Forum for Mutual Understanding, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2016: Lecture on the Sanskrit epics at Gargi College, University of Delhi. Organized by the English Department of Gargi College.
2015: ‘Aspiring to Ramarajya? The epics and good governance in India’. Paper presented at the American University, Washington D.C. Organized by The Asian Studies Program, Department of Philosophy and Religion, and School of International Service, American University, Washington D.C.
2015: ‘The Sanskrit epics in an age of religious plurality’. The Indu Bhatt Memorial Lecture at Yale University. Organized by the South Asian Studies Council, Yale University.
2015: ‘On the sutas of the Mahabharata’. Paper presented at Yale University. Organized by the South Asian Studies Council and the Department of Religious studies, Yale University.
2014: ‘On the sutas of the Mahabharata’. Paper presented at the University of California, Berkeley. Organized by the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies.
2014: Lecture on the Mauryas at the University of California, Berkeley. Organized by the Department of History, University of California, Berkeley.
2012: Discussant of a paper presented by Mekhola Gomes on the representation of the kshatriya as king in the Dharmashastras and Valmiki's Ramayana at the International Young Researcher's Conference on 'Writing histories of power/contestation' organized by the History Association, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2010: 'The sutas of the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at the Wednesday Faculty Seminar of the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2010: 'The transmission of brahmanical texts in early India'. Paper presented at an international workshop on 'Travelling cultures of knowledge' organized by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2007: 'Telling the Mahabharata: A sattra in a holy forest and a theatre of the macabre'. Paper presented at a University Grants Commission sponsored national seminar on the Mahabharata held at the Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi), New Delhi.
2007: Discussant of a paper presented by Brian Black on the Mahabharata at an international seminar on 'Revisiting transitions' organized by the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2005: 'On the premier performances of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at a seminar on 'Ancient India: New research' organized on behalf of Manana: Reflections on Indian Civilization by Professor Nayanjot Lahiri and Professor Upinder Singh (both of the Department of History, University of Delhi, Delhi). The seminar was held at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
2019: ‘The asceticism of Krishna Dvaipayana and Kanha Dipayana’. Paper presented at an international conference on Religion and Region in Indian History, Organized by The Asiatic Society, Kolkata.
2019: 'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata'. Lecture at the Ashoka History Spring Seminar. Organized by the Department of History, Ashoka University, Sonipat.
2018: 'Deconstructing Indian and Pakistani textbooks on our ancient pasts'. Presentation at an international conference on 'Teaching History'. Organized by The Seagull Foundation for the Arts in Kolkata.
2018: 'The epics in an age of religious plurality'. Lecture at the international seminar series at Nalanda University. Organized by the School of Historical Studies, Nalanda University, Rajgir.
2018: 'Sutas, nastikas and retelling the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at an international conference in honour of Professor Romila Thapar at the India International Centre, New Delhi. Organized by The Book Reveiw Literary Trust, Kumkum Roy and Naina Dayal.
2017: 'The sutas of the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at an international conference on 'The Mahabharata and Inter-Asian Cultures'. Organized by the Department of English, University of Delhi, held at the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts.
2017: Discussant for papers by R.P. Goldman and Sally J. Sutherland Goldman on the Uttarakanda of the Ramayana of Valmiki. Organized by the JNU Forum for Mutual Understanding, held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2016: Lecture on the Sanskrit epics at Gargi College, University of Delhi. Organized by the English Department of Gargi College.
2015: ‘Aspiring to Ramarajya? The epics and good governance in India’. Paper presented at the American University, Washington D.C. Organized by The Asian Studies Program, Department of Philosophy and Religion, and School of International Service, American University, Washington D.C.
2015: ‘The Sanskrit epics in an age of religious plurality’. The Indu Bhatt Memorial Lecture at Yale University. Organized by the South Asian Studies Council, Yale University.
2015: ‘On the sutas of the Mahabharata’. Paper presented at Yale University. Organized by the South Asian Studies Council and the Department of Religious studies, Yale University.
2014: ‘On the sutas of the Mahabharata’. Paper presented at the University of California, Berkeley. Organized by the Department of South and Southeast Asian Studies.
2014: Lecture on the Mauryas at the University of California, Berkeley. Organized by the Department of History, University of California, Berkeley.
2012: Discussant of a paper presented by Mekhola Gomes on the representation of the kshatriya as king in the Dharmashastras and Valmiki's Ramayana at the International Young Researcher's Conference on 'Writing histories of power/contestation' organized by the History Association, Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2010: 'The sutas of the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at the Wednesday Faculty Seminar of the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2010: 'The transmission of brahmanical texts in early India'. Paper presented at an international workshop on 'Travelling cultures of knowledge' organized by the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science and the Zakir Husain Centre for Educational Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2007: 'Telling the Mahabharata: A sattra in a holy forest and a theatre of the macabre'. Paper presented at a University Grants Commission sponsored national seminar on the Mahabharata held at the Sri Venkateswara College (University of Delhi), New Delhi.
2007: Discussant of a paper presented by Brian Black on the Mahabharata at an international seminar on 'Revisiting transitions' organized by the Centre for Historical Studies, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi held at the Jawaharlal Nehru University.
2005: 'On the premier performances of the Ramayana and the Mahabharata'. Paper presented at a seminar on 'Ancient India: New research' organized on behalf of Manana: Reflections on Indian Civilization by Professor Nayanjot Lahiri and Professor Upinder Singh (both of the Department of History, University of Delhi, Delhi). The seminar was held at the India International Centre, New Delhi.
Editorial Experience
2010: Editor of the e-lessons on ancient India developed at the Institute of Life Long Learning, University of Delhi, Delhi (see above).
2000- 2004: Editorial Assistant, Studies in History. (Studies in History is an international journal published by Sage Publications, New Delhi/ Thousand Oaks/London.)
Edited essays and reviews, communicated with authors around the world and oversaw the production of the journal.
2000- 2004: Editorial Assistant, Studies in History. (Studies in History is an international journal published by Sage Publications, New Delhi/ Thousand Oaks/London.)
Edited essays and reviews, communicated with authors around the world and oversaw the production of the journal.
Other Academic/ Educational/ Administrative Work
At St. Stephen’s College
Helped with undergraduate admissions at St. Stephen’s College in 2012, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2020 and 2021.
Staff Advisor to the Debating Society, St. Stephen’s College, 2021-2023.
Staff Advisor to the History Society, St. Stephen’s College, 2017-2021.
Staff Advisor to the Debating Society, St. Stephen’s College, 2021-2023.
Staff Advisor to the History Society, St. Stephen’s College, 2017-2021.
At the University of Delhi
Paper setting and evaluation work at the University of Delhi since 2007.
Department Research Committee for selecting PhD candidates at the Department of History, University of Delhi 2016-2019.
Curriculum development: On the Committee to develop 'History of India I' & 'History of India II' (New Courses at the University of Delhi) in 2015-2016.
Department Research Committee for selecting PhD candidates at the Department of History, University of Delhi 2016-2019.
Curriculum development: On the Committee to develop 'History of India I' & 'History of India II' (New Courses at the University of Delhi) in 2015-2016.
Other work
One of the organizers (with Ajay Dandekar, Kumkum Roy and Sreedeep Bhattacharya) of ‘Romila in Conversation: Many Pasts, Many Futures’ (held online in December 2021).
One of the organizers (with The Book Review Literary Trust and Kumkum Roy) of an international seminar (‘Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories’) in honour of Professor Romila Thapar held at the India International Centre, New Delhi in March 2018.
Reviewer for the Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Religions of South Asia, Permanent Black and Primus.
Advisor for Bharat ka Itihas: Bhag I (Trans.: History of India: Part I. Textbook in Hindi for Class VI for use in Delhi Government schools), New Delhi: State Council of Educational Research and Training, 2004.
One of the organizers (with The Book Review Literary Trust and Kumkum Roy) of an international seminar (‘Questioning Paradigms, Constructing Histories’) in honour of Professor Romila Thapar held at the India International Centre, New Delhi in March 2018.
Reviewer for the Indian Journal of Gender Studies, Religions of South Asia, Permanent Black and Primus.
Advisor for Bharat ka Itihas: Bhag I (Trans.: History of India: Part I. Textbook in Hindi for Class VI for use in Delhi Government schools), New Delhi: State Council of Educational Research and Training, 2004.