A memorial celebration of life for Jagdish Prasad Sharma, emeritus professor in the Department of History, will take place at 4:00 p.m. on Sunday, March 14, at the Elks Club, 2933 Kalakaua Avenue in Waikiki.
Professor Sharma passed away on February 21. He is survived by spouse, UH Manoa Asian Studies Professor Mimi Sharma, and children Arun and Nitasha Sharma.
The India native was a renowned historian of ancient India and of India religions and cultures, and his knowledge was in high demand throughout the nation and the world. Sharma played a major role in the establishment and continuity of the South Asian Studies Program at UH Manoa, including serving as its director.
Best known for his publication Republics in Ancient India, Sharma also maintained a steady program of writing and editing with special reference to pre-modern South Asia, and collaborated on numerous other publications.
He obtained his PhD from the University of London’s School of Oriental and African Studies. Prior to joining the UH Manoa history faculty in 1964, Sharma taught at Colombia University, the University of Virginia and the American University in Washington, D.C., and also served as a visiting professor at Banaras Hindu University and the universities of Rajasthan and Allahabad.
Sharma remained at UH Manoa until his retirement in 2003. His contribution to students included chairing/sitting on more than 150 master and doctoral committees.
Following his retirement, he worked on several projects, including a revision and expansion of Republics in Ancient India, as well as further development of his studies of Jainism and Buddhism.
In lieu of flowers, please send donations to The Jagdish P. Sharma Educational Foundation, c/o Asian Studies Program, Moore Hall 415, 1890 East-West Road, University of Hawai