AIIS is extremely thankful to Dr. Indira Viswanathan Peterson, Emeritus Professor of Asian Studies at Mount Holyoke College, for a gift last year given to help support the scholarly programming of AIIS. Dr. Peterson is a noted scholar of pre-modern languages and literatures, specifically Tamil and Sanskrit, as well as of south Indian religious and cultural history and the performing arts. A former AIIS fellow herself, Dr. Peterson intended the gift as an opportunity to support a field that she loves through an organization that has supported her work throughout her career.
Dr. Peterson’s first AIIS fellowship, in 1987-88, focused on the study of commentarial manuscripts in Indian libraries. This research led to the publication of a monograph on the sixth-century Sanskrit poem Kirātārjunīya, as well as a critical edition and first complete English translation of the work. On her second fellowship, conducted in 2016-17, she searched for and read manuscripts of Marathi and polyglot dance-dramas in Thanjavur, for her book in progress on courtly drama in early modern South India. In between the two fellowships, Dr. Peterson has published several monographs and important translations, including her Poems to Siva: The Hymns of the Tamil Saints. Reflecting on her work with AIIS, Dr. Peterson writes, “My experience exemplifies the value AIIS places on every aspect of knowledge about India, embodied in a unique commitment to language study and research across the entire range of disciplines and time periods. I am delighted to give back in some measure, by contributing to fellowships and prizes enabling studies in pre-modern languages and subjects, including research illuminating their relations with the modern.”
As a result of her generous gift, in 2026 AIIS was able to support several students and scholars working in her areas of interest. Dr. Peterson’s gift supported two Sanskrit language students, one in her own name and one under the name of her advisor, noted Sanskrit scholar, Dr. Daniel H. H.Ingalls. The gift also supported two of our Junior Fellows in 2026-27, working on issues of Southern India and Sanskrit learning. Finally, AIIS was able to fund a special book prize, the Indira Viswanathan Peterson Prize in Sanskrit Studies, awarded to Eric Gurevitch’s remarkable first book, Everyday Sciences: Practical Knowledge and Knowledgeable Practice in Medieval South Asia, which will be published early in 2027. Dr. Peterson’s generous gift has strengthened the fields of Sanskrit and South Indian Studies by supporting scholars to continue their language training, conduct fieldwork, and continue to explore new frontiers.
Thank you, Dr. Indira Viswanathan Peterson!