The School of History, Classics and Archaeology is delighted to announce that Dr Mahmood Kooria has been awarded a prestigious Philip Leverhulme Prize in History. Given in recognition of outstanding researchers’ work – which has already attracted international recognition and whose future career is exceptionally promising – each winner receives £100,000 which can be used to advance their research.Dr Mahmood Kooria is Lecturer in the History of the Indian Ocean World at the University of Edinburgh, and his research focuses on the premodern Indian Ocean world, the global history of law, Islamic cultures, matrilineal-matriarchal communities, Afro-Asian connections and manuscript traditions."The Prize would allow me to dedicate time to completing my book on matrilineal Muslims across the Indian Ocean and to advance my project on African jurists and intellectuals in medieval Asia," said Dr Kooria. "I hope to undertake targeted research travel to key archival sites, with two aims aligned with my mid- and long-term plans. For the project on African intellectuals in Asia, I plan to visit relevant sites in India, the Maldives, Sri Lanka and Indonesia, where Afro-descendant communities continue to engage with these historical legacies. Such travel would also help me develop collaborative networks for my long-term project on digitised manuscript collections in the Indian Ocean world. Direct engagement with institutions and scholars in these places, together with additional trips to Kenya and Tanzania, would help establish a consortium, facilitate sustained collaboration and explore funding opportunities beyond the UK and Europe."The School extends its warmest congratulations to Dr Kooria. You can read more about the 2026 Philip Leverhulme Prizes and find a full list of winners on the Trust's website, link below. Leverhulme Trust Dr Mahmood Kooria Born and raised in Kerala, southwest India, Dr Kooria has studied and taught at institutions across the world, joining the University of Edinburgh in December 2023. His research interests are in the premodern Indian Ocean world, global history of law, Islamic (legal, intellectual or textual) cultures, matrilineal-matriarchal communities, Afro-Asian connections, and manuscript traditions.You can find out more about Dr Kooria and his work on his University of Edinburgh staff and Research Explorer profiles, links below. Dr Kooria's staff profile Dr Kooria on Research Explorer Tags History Research Staff This article was published on Wednesday 21 October 2026
