James Laine

Who is James Laine?

James W. Laine is an American professor and writer, most famous for his controversial book on the 17th century Maratha king Shivaji, Shivaji: Hindu King in Islamic India. The publication of the book was followed by heavy criticism and the attack on the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute in Pune, India. In view of the attacks and the public unrest, the book was banned in the Indian state of Maharashtra in January 2004. The ban was lifted by the Bombay High Court in 2007, and in July 2010 the Supreme Court of India upheld the lifting of ban, which was followed by public demonstrations against the author and the decision of the supreme court.

Laine has produced an analysis of the dispute.