Dr. Ruksana Sharma Pokhrel is a historian specializing in the intellectual, social, and cultural histories of India, with a particular emphasis on the Bhakti and Sufi movements. She has completed her Ph.D. in History at Sikkim University, Gangtok, under the supervision of Prof. V. Krishna Ananth. Her doctoral dissertation, “Locating the Emancipatory Potentials in the Bhakti and Sufi Movements: A Study on their Strengths and Limitations,” examines the liberatory dimensions and constraints of devotional traditions, especially in relation to caste, gender, and marginality.
She previously earned her M.Phil. in History from Sikkim University with a dissertation on “Representation of Women in Ancient Texts with Special Reference to Abhijnana Shakuntalam,” and her M.A. in History from the same institution, she completed her B.A. in History from North Bengal University.
Her research interests include gender and literary studies, devotional movements, caste and power relations, subaltern and feminist re-readings of medieval texts, and the ethical and emancipatory dimensions of pre-modern thought.
Dr. Pokhrel has published in reputed academic journals and presented her work at various national and international conferences. She is also a recipient of the Junior Research Fellowship (JRF) awarded by the Indian Council of Historical Research, New Delhi.
Beyond research, she has been engaged in academic communities through workshops, organizing committee work, and mentorship, with a strong commitment to making history engaging and meaningful through teaching and scholarship.
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