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Biography
Seema K. Chauhan is the Assistant Professor of Asian Religions in the School of Religion, Theology, and Peace Studies. She holds an MPhil in Classical Indian Religions from the University of Oxford (2015) and a PhD in South Asian Religions from the University of Chicago (2021). Prior to her arrival at Trinity College Dublin in 2023, Seema held the Asoke Kumar Sarkar Early Career Fellowship in Classical Indology at the University of Oxford (2021-2022). She specialises in Hinduism, Buddhism, and Jainism in South Asia, and has broader interests in comparative literature and premodern history.
Currently, Professor Chauhan is establishing a new area of expertise in Asian Religions in the School of Religion. She offers unique undergraduate courses that cover multiple religions, time periods, and methodological approaches in the study of South Asian religions. This year, her courses include "REU12772 Introduction to Hinduism and Buddhism", "REU22703 Religion Through Bollywood", "REU33732 Hindu Mythology" and "REU44742 Ancient Indian Religions". Moreover, she supervises capstone projects and postgraduate research in Asian religions, philosophy and literature and welcomes further enquiries into such topics of research.
Publications and Further Research Outputs
- Seema K. Chauhan, Jaina Narrative Refutations of Kumarila: Relative Chronology and the History of Jaina-Mimamsa dialogues, Journal of Indian Philosophy, 51, 2023, p239 - 261Journal Article, 2023, DOI , URL
- Seema K. Chauhan, Knowing Me, Knowing You: Hindu Goddess Traditions according to Jinasena's Harivamsapurana, International Journal of Hindu Studies, 2025Journal Article, 2025, DOI
- Seema K. Chauhan, The Origin of Brahmins in Prakrit Jaina Literature, Modern Asian Studies, 60, (1), 2026, p33 - 64Journal Article, 2026, DOI , URL
- Seema K. Chauhan and Eric M. Gurevitch, Introduction to Provincialising Brahmins in the Study of Premodern Caste, Special Issue for Modern Asian Studies, 60, (1), 2026, p1 - 7Journal Article, 2026, DOI , URL
- Seema K. Chauhan and Eric M. Gurevitch, Provincialising Brahmins in the Study of Premodern Caste, Modern Asian Studies, 60, (1), 2026, p1 - 138Journal Article, 2026, URL
- Seema K. Chauhan, Review of "Jain Ramayana Narratives Moral Vision and Literary Innovation", Review of Jain Ramyana Narratives Moral Vision and Literary Innovation, by Gregory M. Clines , Reading Religion, 2022Review
- Seema K. Chauhan, (Mis)Understanding Hinduism: Representations of Hinduism in Jaina Puranas, University of Chicago, 2021Thesis
- Seema K. Chauhan, Peter Flügel, Renate Söhnen-Thieme and Heleen De Jonckheere, Bulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies, 87, (2), 2024Review Article
- Seema K. Chauhan, Review of In Dialogue with the Mah"bh"rata, by Brian Black , Nid"n: International Journal for Indian Studies, 2024Review
Research Expertise
My expertise lies in premodern Hinduism and Jainism through Sanskrit and Prakrit sources. I pay special attention to the ways in which we can recover the perspective of the minority in South Asia and how such perspectives revise our understanding of premodern South Asian history. As such, my current book project, A Tale of Two Religions: Jaina Stories about Brahmins in Premodern India, explores how Jainas narrate the origin of brahmin identity and brahmanical religion in the first millennium of the Common Era. This was a time in which Jainas were ignored and demonised by brahmins on the one hand, and sidelined in court politics on the other hand. I ask: What do Jainas have to say about the rise of brahmins and the fall of Jainas? What do Jainas say about the textual practices that brahmins used to write themselves into power? A Tale of Two religions charts the story of both Jainas and Brahmins in early India.
More generally, my research pertains to the construction of religion identities, South Asian history, philosophy, and Sanskrit and Prakrit narratives. Currently, I am exploring Jaina representations of literary authorship while exploring the intersection of Jainism and ancient court politics.
Recognition
- T.H Robinson Prize for Excellence in a Classical Language, Cardiff University 2013
- Highest Overall Degree Mark in Religious and Theological Studies, Cardiff University 2013
- The Committee on Southern Asian Studies Summer Research Fellowship, University of Chicago 2021
- Gupta Dan Bursary, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies 2014
- Okita Bursary, Oxford Centre for Hindu Studies 2015
- Asoke Kumar Sarkar Early Career Fellowship in Classical Indology, University of Oxford 2021-2022
- Martin Marty Center Junior Research Fellowship for the Interdisciplinary Study of Religion, University of Chicago 2020-2021
- Prize for Excellence in Teaching, University of Chicago Divinity School 2020
- International Association for Jaina Studies present
- American Oriental Society 2022
- Association for Asian Studies present
- American Academy of Religion present
- Steering Committee Member, South Asian Religions Unit AAR 2023
- Steering Committee Member, Jainism Unit AAR 2021