A conversation on diplomacy, archives, and the value of looking beyond iconic figures in writing South Asian and diplomatic history.
Few diplomats combine the making of history with its writing as authoritatively as Ambassador T. C. A. Raghavan. He has led India’s High Commissions in Singapore and Pakistan and served as Director General of the Indian Council of World Affairs, giving him a wide-ranging view of statecraft across regions. He is also a trained historian from Jawaharlal Nehru University, whose books range from the Mughal era to India-Pakistan relations and are marked by archival depth and attention to overlooked figures. This fusion of diplomacy and historical method defines his work. Dr Manu Sharma spoke with Ambassador T.C.A. Raghavan about how these strands shape his thinking.