Arik Moran, a scholar of South Asian history and culture, focuses his research on the Western Himalayan region. After obtaining a DPhil in History from the University of Oxford in 2010, Arik joined the Department of Asian Studies the next year and has been teaching there since. He specializes in the history and historiography of the erstwhile kingdoms of Himachal Pradesh, India. His research, for which the EU awarded him a Marie Curie CIG fellowship, investigates historical consciousness in light of oral traditions, religious beliefs and practices, and their links with pan-Indian movements. He is currently studying the historical evolution of ritual cultures in highland communities.