Vol. 13 No. 1 (2025)
Journal Space and Culture, India: Asia Pacific Region

Book Review Commentary

Resurrecting India’s Struggle for Independence: Pioneering Role of Babu Jagat Singh

Published 2025-06-23

  • Rana P.B. Singh
    • ,
  • Priyanka Jha

Rana P.B. Singh
(Former) Professor of Cultural Landscapes & Heritage Studies, & Head, Department of Geography, Institute of Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, India

Priyanka Jha
Assistant Professor, Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Science, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi, UP 221005, India

Abstract

Based on a five-year project (2019-2023) that investigated colonial correspondences and records held in various archives, a research document has been prepared to re-investigate the colonial history of the Banaras estate. Pradeep Narayan Singh, the representative of the Royal Family, has patronised this project through a significant grant and infrastructure. Over time, the report has been published as a research monograph, considering the role and activities of ‘Babu’ Jagat Singh, a member of the Royal Family of Banaras, who in the 18th Century led the group of revolutionaries and also led the first exploration of the Buddhist site of Sarnath; however, erroneously he was projected as a destroyer. This research has dispelled the earlier misconceptions about him, as supplemented by authentic archival sources.

Keywords

Banaras (Varanasi), Colonial History, Jagat Singh, Jagatganj, Royal Family, Sarnath

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Author Biography

Rana P.B. Singh

Rana P.B. Singh is a Visiting Professor at the Centre of South Asian Studies, Gifu Women’s University, Gifu, Japan. He is the President (Asia) of RWYC- Reconnecting With Your Culture (an affiliate of Euro. Comm. and UNESCO) and the Founding President of Rana Foundation for Cultural Heritage (Varanasi). His publications include 46 anthologies and books, as well as 345 papers. https://bhu-in.academia.edu/RanaPBSINGH/

Priyanka Jha

Priyanka Jha holds master’s and doctoral degrees from Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, and conducted postdoctoral research at the Department of Philosophy and History of Ideas, Aarhus University, Denmark. Her main research themes include political theory, specifically Indigenous, Decolonial, and Feminist perspectives, as well as the History of Ideas, and feminist historiography. On these topics, her publications include over two dozen papers in reputed journals and three research monographs.

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