Renowned Indian historian Romila Thapar and Irish historian Peter Robert Lamont Brown have been conferred with prestigious 2008 Kluge Prize for lifetime achievement in the study of humanity. The prize money of $1 million will be shared by both the historians. Thapar and Brown have received the award at a ceremony in the Great Hall of the US Library of Congress’ Thomas Jefferson Building on December 10, 2008.

 

The Kluge Prize is given to recognise the contributions of the people in a wide range of disciplines including history, philosophy, politics, anthropology, sociology, religion, criticism in the arts and humanities, and linguistics. According to James H. Billington, Librarian of Congress, Peter Brown and Romila Thapar have done extensive studies and researches in almost every known discipline in the humanities and social sciences to create integrative history over vast periods of time and wide expanses of space.

 

The works of both the historians have brought new understandings to fields of historical inquiry that cover vast sweeps of geographical territory and a wide array of peoples, languages, and cultures within a specific civilisational context. After receiving the award, the 77-year-old Romila Thapar, stated that it is very vital to give importance to humanities. Brown has also praised the commitment of Kluge and the Library to the humanities.