Thiruvananthapuram, 09 March (H.S.):Eminent historian, scholar and public intellectual Prof. K.N. Panikkar passed away on Monday at the age of 90. He breathed his last at the SUT Hospital in Pattom, Thiruvananthapuram, where he had been undergoing treatment for age-related ailments.

Widely respected for his contributions to Indian historiography, Prof. Panikkar was regarded as one of the country’s most influential historians and a prominent voice defending secular values in public life. Over several decades, he played a key role in shaping academic debates on history, culture and politics in modern India.

Throughout his distinguished career, Prof. Panikkar held several important academic and administrative positions. He served as the Vice-Chancellor of Sree Sankaracharya University of Sanskrit at Kalady, Chairman of the Kerala Council for Historical Research, and the first Chairman of the Kerala State Higher Education Council. His leadership in these institutions helped strengthen historical research and higher education in the State.

Apart from being a historian, he was also widely known as a thinker, cultural activist and educationist who consistently advocated rational thought and secularism. His writings and public interventions often addressed issues related to communalism, colonialism and the cultural foundations of modern India.

Prof. Panikkar had his secondary education at Chavakkad Board High School. He later completed his undergraduate studies at Government Victoria College, Palakkad, before pursuing higher studies at the University of Rajasthan, where he obtained his postgraduate degree and Ph.D. He subsequently served as a faculty member in the Department of History at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU), New Delhi, mentoring several generations of students.

A prolific writer, Prof. Panikkar authored numerous influential books and scholarly works. Among his major publications are Against Lord and State: Religion and Peasant Uprisings in Malabar, Culture and Consciousness in Modern India, British Diplomacy in North India, Culture, Ideology and Hegemony: Intellectuals and Social Consciousness in Colonial India, Communal Threat, Secular Challenge, Contemporary India: Culture and Politics, and Interrogating Colonial Modernity. He also wrote his autobiography titled Kalushithamaya Kalam.

In recognition of his intellectual contributions, a book titled Charithramenna Porkkalam (History as a Battlefield), focusing on his life and work, was published in 2019.

Born to Krishnan Nair and Ichukkutty Amma of the Thaykkattu Kandiyoor family in Guruvayur, Prof. Panikkar is survived by his wife Usha, a native of Rajasthan and his former classmate. The couple has two daughters, Ragini and Shalini. His sons-in-law are Peethambar and R.V. Raman.

Prof. Panikkar’s passing marks the end of an era in Indian historical scholarship, leaving behind a rich intellectual legacy that will continue to influence generations of scholars and students.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman