The South Asia Center recently spoke with graduating senior Kirin Yadav about the academic opportunities she has pursued in South Asian history, museum studies, and public scholarship while at the University of Washington.
What degree(s) are you receiving?
I am receiving a Bachelor of Arts degree in History with minors in Anthropology and Writing.
What are your primary research interests?
My research interests include how gender has shaped contemporary perceptions of ancient figures in South Asian history and how oral history and community storytelling can be used as a main source of knowledge in museum collection spaces. Academically, during my time at UW, I have written much concerning gender and historical memory in South Asian history. Currently, I am also exploring the power of oral history and community knowledge at the Burke Museum through a comprehensive review of their South Asia collection.
What South Asia-focused papers or theses have you completed while at UW?
I have focused on exploring ideas of gender in ancient South Asian historical figures, but I have also made forays into the research focused on women in the ancient Near East. I initially was exposed to this research through a final project I completed in my sophomore year entitled “Painted Ladies: Women of the Achaemenid Empire.” From here, I discovered my interest in how historical memory can affect contemporary perceptions of the ancient past especially in regards to women. I completed another research paper on this subject on how these perceptions affected female spiritual icons, entitled “Honor & Chastity: An Analysis of Gender in Mirabai and Lal Ded.”
In my junior year, I completed a paper during my time abroad at University College London that continued in this vein of exploring historical memory and gender, entitled “The Myth of Passive Women in the Caliphate: The Contributions of Women to the Economic Success of the Arab Muslim Caliphates.” This research culminated in my senior honors thesis, “The Sultan and the Empress: How Perceptions of Gender in 1960s Contemporary Films Shaped the Historical Memories of Nur Jahan and Mahmud of Ghazni,” which was concerned with the way historical figures were remembered differently due to their respective genders in contemporary South Asian film.
What honors and awards have you received at UW?
During my time at UW, I have been happy to join the departmental honors program for History. Through acceptance into this program, I was able to greatly improve my writing and research skills. This led to my acceptance of the 2025 Outstanding Student Leader Prize from the Department of History. An award that was given to me due to the work I have done to integrate the study of history with community and public engagement.
What are your favorite class you have taken at UW (South Asia-focused or otherwise)?
If I had to pick a favorite class I have taken at UW, it would have to be either Professor Holly Barker’s course on Museum Decolonization and Cultural Collections or Professor Purnima Dhavan’s course on the History of Medieval and Mughal India. Both courses connected me with professors that have been influential in my time as an undergraduate and I feel extremely fortunate to have had such inspiring women as mentors.
What are your future plans after graduation?
Currently I am set to continue my academic journey at UW this coming Fall in the Master’s in Library Science program. I am extremely excited to explore this opportunity to learn more about information systems and archives so as to better equip myself for a career in making museum spaces accessible to cultural communities.
Any advice for new students?
For any new students just entering university I would advise that you be patient with yourself. I did not discover what I really wanted to pursue in college until my second year at UW and since then I have never felt that I am behind or lacking in any way. It takes time to find your passion and your community, so remember to be kind to yourself and keep that in mind when entering this next phase of your life.