This is an old revision of this page, as edited by 59.92.131.237 (talk) at 08:07, 25 December 2005. The present address (URL) is a permanent link to this revision, which may differ significantly from the current revision.
Revision as of 08:07, 25 December 2005 by 59.92.131.237 (talk)(diff) ← Previous revision | Latest revision (diff) | Newer revision → (diff)Michael Witzel (born 1943) is Wales Professor of Sanskrit at Harvard University. He has been teaching Sanskrit since 1972. He is noted for his studies of the dialects of Vedic Sanskrit, old Indian history and the development of Vedic religion. He is editor-in-chief of the Electronic Journal of Vedic Studies (EJVS).
Witzel has become controversial among Indians more for his political activism than his scholarship. He is often published by Frontline, a pro-Communist Indian magazine whose editor is on record claiming that Tibetan Buddhists are happy under Chinese rule. Witzel is also often seen associating with India's Marxist acamdeimicians who, thriving on state patronage, attempt to project themselves as India's "official" intelligentsia.