Why subscribe?
The Long Memory is a substack-based platform built for dissecting India’s vast and layered past with a civilizational outlook catering pragmatically to contemporary relevance. Too much of what passes for historical writing today exists at one of two extremes, it is either dense academic scholarship that rarely reaches a general reader, or polemical commentary that mistakes controversy for insight. Between these poles lies a significant void: rigorous, readable research into the chapters of Indian history that can bring interesting facets of history which mainstream historiography has long neglected.
The Long Memory exists to fill that void. We are a platform dedicated to recovering India’s forgotten and understudied histories: exploring dynastic evolutions, vernacular traditions, pre-colonial political formations, and civilisational currents that deserve serious scholarly attention. Our work is grounded in meticulous research, written in prose that is accessible and engaging to a lay reader without sacrificing intellectual depth. We believe academic rigour and engaging writing belong together.
We are envisioning the documentation of a living past, which is present for the Indian populace in their stories, practices, festivals and beliefs but untouched by contemporary academia. The name ‘long memory’ is a reminder that despite colonial disturbances and reconstructions, the native genius lives on. The Indian people still live their traditions without feeling the pangs of cultural alienation. Of course, we, as a civilisation, have lost a lot. But we are living.
The Long Memory Project aims to be a process of recognition for the authors and readers, rather than a revivalist endeavour. Revivalism is a fallout of nostalgia, and nostalgia signifies a loss. We feel nostalgic when we feel a break in history. The Long Memory Project seeks to be a testimony of the continuity of tradition where it exists. We believe that there is no nostalgia about things that are still part of our civilisational being. Hence, history as living memory has the potential to be an indispensable tool of decoloniality – a tool for Pratyabhijñā (self-recognition). After all, “upon regaining memory”, proclaims the Chandogya Upanishad (7.26.2), “there is complete liberation.”
This is also a home for emerging scholars. We seek to build a community where serious young researchers can contribute original work, drawing on history’s intersections with literature, philosophy, art, religion, and economics to reveal a richer understanding of India’s past. Emerging scholars will find here not only recognition and reward for their work but also opportunities to sharpen their craft, deepen their methods, and build meaningful connections with peers who share their intellectual commitments.
We are not interested in reaction or polemic. We are interested in the recovery of narratives and perspectives diffused with a long civilisational memory that has waited long enough to be heard.
For queries, please contact the Editorial Board at submissions@longmemory.in
An initiative of the Centre for Studies in Indian Social Systems (CSISS), Nation First Policy Research and Change Foundation (NFPRC).
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