ma·sa·la
məˈsälə/
noun
Any of a number of spice mixtures ground into a paste or powder for use in culinary undertakings.
Masala History (MH) is a multidisciplinary digital platform that hosts scholarly and expert content on South Asia. Focusing on the fields within humanities and the social sciences, our contributors curate and create content geared towards those interested in a deeper engagement with topics related to South Asia. Our writers and curators produce intellectual content that is meticulously researched, and written/spoken/recorded with a particular interest in cracking the ivory tower model from the inside. Our essays and conversations on history, politics, and culture delve into the complexities of South Asian societies in unique ways; through our content, MH provides a space for critical engagement with a wide range of topics, as well as for informed debate and discussion.
Drawing on the genealogy of ‘masala’, the platform brings together established mainstream areas of study (e.g. gender, language, literature, nationalism), with less established frameworks as well as experimental forms (e.g. diaspora, marginal histories, affect studies, post-humanism). In our essays, podcasts, and photo narratives, we showcase content that address topics of historical and contemporary relevance. Our essays section offer long-form essays related to history, politics, and culture of South Asia written by scholars, and experts from outside academia. MH features shorter forms of writing as well including photo narratives and oral histories (forthcoming) from the subcontinent. We also host interviews, and reviews of books and events, in podcast and written formats. In offering a digital platform that can bring diverse groups of people interested in South Asia together to create, curate, and comment on wide-ranging historical as well as topical issues, MH becomes one of the first global intellectual digital enterprise on South Asia.
The MH platform especially supports scholarship of early career scholars and write-ups from early career professionals in related fields. If you are interested in becoming a contributor, contact us.