Ramachandra Guha, author of Makers of Modern India

Inaugurating a major new series on figures who have shaped India in the modern world, Asia Society welcomes one of that country’s preeminent historians, Ramachandra Guha, for a special luncheon conversation with radio and Internet journalist Christopher Lydon, host for Radio Open Source, produced in partnership with Brown University’s Watson Institute for International Studies.

Guha's new book, Makers of Modern India, presents 19 brilliant and fascinating personalities who played critical roles in India's emergence as the world's largest democracy and a rising economic colossus. This anthology provides a representative sampling of the writings of key figures including Gandhi, Nehru, Ambedkar, and Tagore, as well as lesser-known but seminal writers like Rammohan Roy and Syed Ahmed Khan, placing them in the broad historical context of India's political evolution. Sunil Khilnani of Johns Hopkins University calls it "an indispensable introduction to the rich diversity of Indian political argument and a testament to the intellectual ferment out of which India emerged."

Historian, columnist, environmental activist and passionate cricket fan, Ramachandra Guha is the author of India After Gandhi: The History of the World's Largest Democracy and other books. A brown-bag lunch is available for purchase at an addition cost or bring your own. Lunch orders must be received at least 48 hours before the program.