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Dr Jonathan Saha

Dr Jonathan Saha

  • Position: Associate Professor
  • Areas of expertise: History of Myanmar/Burma; British Imperialism; Animal History; the Colonial State; Corruption; Legal History; Medical History
  • Email: J.Saha@leeds.ac.uk
  • Phone: +44(0)113 343 3544
  • Location: 4.34a Parkinson Building
  • Website: Colonizing Animals | Twitter

Profile

I completed my PhD at the School of Oriental and African Studies, and worked as Lecturer in Modern History at the University of Bristol, before joining the School of History at the University of Leeds.

Research interests

I specialise in the history of nineteenth and twentieth-century colonialism in Southeast Asia, focusing particularly on British Burma. My study of official misconduct in the fin de siècle Burma Delta explored how the colonial state was experienced and imagined in everyday life, showing how corruption contributed to the maintenance of British rule, perpetuating racial divisions and gender ideologies.

As well as corruption, I have published on crime, medicine and ‘madness’ in colonial Burma. Over the last few years I have been working on a history of animals in British Burma, drawing out their intrinsic role in the construction and maintainance of the imperial order. The research for this project has been funded by two grants from the Arts and Humanities Research Council.

<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://ahc.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>

Professional memberships

  • Fellow of the Royal Historical Society
  • Fellow of the Higher Education Academy
  • Committee Member of the Social History Society
  • Editorial Collective of the History Workshop Journal

Student education

I teach on the history of Southeast Asia, covering everything from the medieval 'Charter States' right through to the Cold War. I have also run modules on the history of crime and punishment in British India, as well as the history of animals across colonial Asia.

Research groups and institutes

  • Leeds Global History

Current postgraduate researchers

<h4>Postgraduate research opportunities</h4> <p>We welcome enquiries from motivated and qualified applicants from all around the world who are interested in PhD study. Our <a href="https://phd.leeds.ac.uk">research opportunities</a> allow you to search for projects and scholarships.</p>