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Pratipal Bhatia

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Pratipal Bhatia (1936-2024) was an Indian historian and numismatist, specialising in the coins of early medieval India. She was Professor of History at Delhi University.

Biography

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“Her doctoral thesis was published in 1970 as The Paramaras; it remains the standard historical reference for this central Indian dynasty.” – John Deyell[1]

After completing her PhD on the Paramaras at Delhi University in 1962, Bhatia did post-doctoral studies at the University of Pennsylvania (1964-65) and the School of Oriental and African Studies, London (1967-69). She then returned to Delhi University and took up a position in the Department of History, eventually rising to Professor and Head of Department (1974-2001). After retirement, she became a fellow of the Asia Research Institute in Singapore (2002-2003), and a Senior Fellow of the History Department of the National University of Singapore (2004-2012).[2]

She was a member of many societies: honorary member of the International Numismatic Council, and a fellow of the Royal Numismatic Society, Royal Asiatic Society, American Numismatic Society, Oriental Numismatic Society, and a life member of the Indian History Congress and the Numismatic Society of India.

Her memorial was held at Gurudwara Shri Rakab Ganj Sahib, in New Delhi, on 10 August 2024.

Selected publications

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  • The Paramāras, c. 800-1305 A.D. (New Delhi, Munshiram Manoharlal, 1970).
  • Emily Eden collection of Sasanian, Kushano-Sasanian, Kidarite and Indo-Sasanian type coins (British Museum, London)", Journal of the Oriental Society of Australia, 48, 2016, [97]-134.
  • "Indo-Sasanian – An unpublished hoards of Indo-Sasanian type coins in the Allahabad Museum", Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society 208 (2011), pp. 21-28.
  • "Medieval India – An important unpublished Adivaraha coin in the Ashmolean Museum, Oxford", Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society 205 supplement (2010), pp. 39-44.

References

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  1. ^ John S. Deyell, author of Living Without Silver: The Monetary History of Early Medieval North India (Oxford University Press, 1999). This quote is from Deyell’s obituary for Bhatia, Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society 258 (Winter 2024), p. 26.
  2. ^ Obituary by John Deyell, Journal of the Oriental Numismatic Society 258 (Winter 2024), p. 26