Born in New Zealand, educated in England and employed in America for 23 years, Jonathan Gil Harris took the long route to India, moved here in 2013 and is now the Professor of English at Ashoka University and President of the Shakespeare Society of India. He is primarily interested in questions of migration, foreignness and globalization, and is the author of six books, including the recent best-seller, The First Firangis: Marvellous Tales of Heroes, Healers, Charlatans, Courtesans and Other Foreigners Who Became Indian.
In this talk he introduces us to the architectural genius of Ethiopian slave-general Malik Ambar, who was instrumental in designing Aurangabad. A long-standing rival of Emperor Jehangir and father-figure to Shahaji (father of Shivaji), he is also credited with teaching the Marathas a guerrilla martial art form that helped them fend off the Mughals.
