Koenraad Elst (born 1959) is a Belgian Indologist, author, and political commentator known for his writings on Hindu nationalism, Indian history, religious identity, and debates surrounding secularism and historical interpretation in South Asia. Over the course of his career, he has authored more than 30 books examining themes such as Hindutva, the Aryan migration debate, Ayodhya, interreligious conflict, and the intellectual history of Hindu revivalism.
His work occupies a controversial yet visible place within discussions on Indian historiography and cultural politics, particularly through his critiques of dominant academic narratives on religion, colonialism, and identity in India.
Koenraad Elst was born on August 7, 1959, in Leuven, Belgium, into a Flemish Catholic background. He studied Indology, Sinology, and philosophy at KU Leuven, later completing a doctoral thesis on Hindu revivalism, published as Decolonizing the Hindu Mind.
Between 1988 and 1992, he conducted research at Banaras Hindu University, an experience that shaped his long-term engagement with Indian religious and political thought.
Alongside his academic work, he was associated with journalism and political commentary in Belgium, including editorial work with the Flemish journal Teksten, Kommentaren en Studies.
Elst’s writings focus largely on questions of historical interpretation, civilizational identity, and religious politics in India. A significant aspect of his work involves critiques of what he describes as colonial and secular frameworks in the study of Indian history and Hindu traditions.
He has argued in favour of the “Out of India” theory regarding Indo-European origins and has written extensively against what he considers ideological distortions in historical writing.
Elst’s major publications include Decolonizing the Hindu Mind, Negationism in India, The Saffron Swastika, Who is a Hindu?, Ayodhya and After, Ram Janmabhoomi vs. Babri Masjid, Mahatma Gandhi and His Assassin, and Hindu Dharma and the Culture Wars.
Published widely through presses including Voice of India, his books have circulated extensively among readers interested in debates on Hindu thought, Indian politics, and cultural history.
🔸 Author of over thirty books on Indian history, religion, and cultural politics 🔸 Research scholar associated with Banaras Hindu University (1988–1992) 🔸 Visiting Professor in Indo-European Studies at Indus University
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