Launch of TAKE South Asia
The contributions in TAKE South Asia draw from the contested nature of the term itself to reveal how it is determined by the two interconnected vectors: the growth of scholarship on the ancient Indian civilization and a strategic interest in studying post partitioned Indian Subcontinent. Yet, it cannot be ignored that the brevity of publications addressing the discipline of South Asia is corollary of the scholars primarily focusing on individual countries within the region. The lacuna prompted us to take a deep dive into the critical reflection on South Asia in its various dimensions. The interdisciplinary approach of the authors strives to bridge the visual arts with South Asian historiography. Its primary aim is rooted in the comprehensive evaluation of visual research methods as a valid framework for historical studies. Given the scope of the approach, TAKE South Asia covers a diverse thematic landscape – the contributions spanning fine arts analysis, connected histories, theoretical and methodological inquiries, and contemporary cultural patterns.