Jonah Blank

Jonah Blank is an American author, journalist, and foreign policy analyst whose work centers on the Indian subcontinent's culture, history, and affairs. His academic background includes history studies at Yale University and anthropology graduate work at Harvard, where he received a Boren Fellowship for international research. This fellowship facilitated his early immersion in Asian cultures, notably in Japan as a financial editor and later through extensive fieldwork in India and Pakistan. Blank is proficient in Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati, and Urdu, and possesses deep knowledge of Hindu, Islamic, and other Asian religious traditions.

Beyond his academic pursuits, Blank has contributed to foreign policy as a policy advisor to the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations, focusing on South Asian and Near Eastern affairs. He has also held positions at U.S. News & World Report and written for publications like The New Yorker and Foreign Affairs. Currently, he serves as a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation. His research often explores the intersection of traditional religious beliefs with modern societal changes, particularly within Muslim communities in South Asia.

Jonah Blank's academic journey began with a history degree from Yale University. He later pursued graduate studies in anthropology at Harvard, where he was awarded the David L. Boren Fellowship. This fellowship enabled him to conduct research outside the United States, leading to his first book, "Arrow of the Blue-Skinned God: Retracing the Ramayana through India." His travels across India and Pakistan have provided him with firsthand experience of the region's diverse cultures and religious landscapes. Blank's linguistic skills include proficiency in Sanskrit, Hindi, Gujarati, and Urdu, complementing his extensive knowledge of the traditions and teachings of Hinduism, Islam, and other Asian religions.

Utilizing the Boren Fellowship, Blank engaged with the Dawoodi Bohra Muslim community, primarily based in Mumbai. As the first anthropologist to study this traditionally reserved group, his research culminated in the book "Mullahs on the Mainframe: Islam and Modernity Among The Daudi Bohras." This work offers Western readers an introduction to the Daudi Bohras, a unique Muslim sect that integrates orthodox Islamic practices with modern ideologies. The community demonstrates how traditional religious beliefs can coexist with secular education, relative gender equality, and the use of the internet, challenging Western notions of modernity's exclusivity.

After earning his PhD from Harvard, Blank embarked on a career in journalism and foreign policy. He joined the staff of U.S. News & World Report and contributed to prominent publications such as The New Yorker and Foreign Affairs. Seeking to directly influence U.S. foreign policy, he transitioned to government service as a policy advisor on South Asia/Near East affairs for the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. He is also affiliated with the Council on Foreign Relations and currently works as a Senior Political Scientist at the RAND Corporation, continuing his analysis of international affairs.