Kashmir-born Yaseen completed his undergraduate and master’s degrees in Political Science at the University of Delhi and an MPhil in Political Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University. He is a Visiting Lecturer in History at Mount Holyoke College.
Joukowsky Family Foundation Outstanding Dissertation Award is an annual prize awarded by the Graduate School for superior achievements in research by students who are completing their PhDs. Supported through the Joukowsky Family Foundation, the awards are given to students from each of the four main academic areas: humanities, life sciences, physical sciences, and social sciences. The award carries a US $2,500 honorarium.
Yaseen has received the award in the field of Social Science. His ground-breaking research delves into the previously unexplored lives and perspectives of poets, educators, ulema (Muslim scholars), activists, and rebels in Kashmir. His work challenges conventional historiographies and provides a fresh understanding of the complex dynamics in Kashmir.
Yaseen’s dissertation invites readers to examine the region from a new perspective by transcending colonial and postcolonial narratives. Employing the framework of an Islamic discursive tradition, he explores the social and political movements of Muslims in Kashmir. The concept of an “intellectual history from the below” emerges, emphasizing the significance of overlooked sources such as poetry, biography, and religious newspapers in revealing nuanced and contentious histories.
One of the notable aspects of Yaseen’s research is the extensive fieldwork and diverse skills it required. He conducted research in various countries, visiting libraries and personal archives to analyse documents written in Kashmiri, Urdu-Hindi, Persian, and Arabic. His efforts uncovered local Kashmiri voices on topics ranging from land and language to religion and political issues. Yaseen’s archival work has shed light on connections that challenge conventional narratives, offering a fresh perspective on Islam, identity, and politics during a transformative period. His work promises to shape scholarly discourse on the region and inspire further exploration into the complexities of Kashmir’s past and present.
He has also published an article titled Poetry as history: Maulana Muhammad Anwar Shopiani and the Ahl-i Hadith movement in Kashmir in the renowned Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society. The next step for Yaseen is to transform his dissertation into a book, a task that involves a different kind of intellectual labour but promises to be essential reading for scholars interested in Kashmir, South Asian history, and transnational Islamic networks.
Prior to joining Mount Holyoke College, Yaseen taught political thought at the University of Delhi and collaborated on interdisciplinary research projects with writers, filmmakers, and artists. At Brown University, he actively contributed to the Centre for Contemporary South Asia, organising teach-ins on dissent and hosting a speaker series that challenged conventional definitions of regions and disciplinary boundaries. His relationships with artists and filmmakers allowed him to expand the scope of the Centre’s humanities programming through screenings, artist talks, and exhibitions.
Yaseen’s exceptional research and contributions have earned him numerous awards and fellowships, including the Mellon/ACLS Dissertation Completion Fellowship, the Andrew W Mellon Humanities Fellowship, and the Florence Tan Moeson Fellowship. These accolades reflect not only the recognition of his personal work but also the support and mentorship he has received from the academic community at Brown and the unwavering support of his friends and family.
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