Concept Note

Histories at the Limit of Nationalist History: Transition, Transgression and Transformation in South Asia

Scholars and researchers are invited to submit original research articles for publication in an upcoming academic volume exploring new historiographical perspectives beyond the conventional boundaries of nationalist history in South Asia.

For long, the writing of South Asian history has largely been shaped by nationalist frameworks that privilege state-centric narratives, institutional histories, and elite political actors. While these frameworks have contributed significantly to the discipline, they often overlook the complex interactions of communities, cultures, and local experiences that lie beyond the domain of official archives and macro-national narratives.

This proposed publication seeks to explore histories that exist at the margins—or limits—of nationalist historiography. It aims to bring together scholarly works that examine how minor, micro, and subaltern histories challenge, complicate, or reframe dominant narratives of the nation.

A central focus of the volume will be on community interactions, cultural exchanges, and everyday practices that shaped South Asian societies but remain insufficiently represented in mainstream historiography. Many of these histories cannot be reconstructed solely through conventional archival sources; instead, they emerge through oral traditions, alternative archives, community memory, folk narratives, literary representations, and vernacular knowledge systems.

By foregrounding these sources and perspectives, the volume seeks to anthologise diverse historical imaginaries that can reshape our understanding of institutions, nationalist cartographies, and identity politics in South Asia.

Possible Themes (Indicative)

• Community interactions and cultural exchanges in South Asia
• Micro-histories and subaltern perspectives beyond nationalist narratives
• Oral traditions, folklore, and memory as historical sources
• Alternative archives and vernacular knowledge systems
•  Literary representations and historical imagination
• Indigenous knowledge and community memory
• Borderlands, mobility, and contested cartographies
• Local histories and everyday life
• Reimagining institutions and power structures from below
• Identity, culture, and the politics of historical representation

 Submission Guidelines

• Articles must be original and unpublished.
• Length: 6,000–8,000 words (including notes and references).
• Citation Style: Chicago Manual of Style (Notes & Bibliography).
• Please include an abstract (250–300 words) and 5–6 keywords.
• Manuscripts should be submitted in MS Word format.

Important Dates

• Abstract Submission: 15 May, 2026
• Intimation about Acceptance: 31 May, 2026
• Full Paper Submission: 30 June, 2026
• Notification of Acceptance: 31 July, 2026

Submission & Queries

Email: exploringhistorygm@gmail.com

Website: https://exploringhistory.in

Researchers from History, Sociology, Cultural Studies, Literature, and related disciplines are warmly encouraged to contribute.

Join us in rethinking the limits of nationalist historiography and exploring the plural, layered, and contested pasts of South Asia.