British writer, historian and biographer Patrick French died in London after battling cancer for four years, said his family. He was 56.
His wife Meru Gokhale, former Editor in Chief at Penguin Random House India, said: "At 8.10 am this morning my beloved husband Patrick French passed away in London after a brave battle with cancer. He was an exceptional father, friend, husband, teacher and mentor to many. His kindness and love will stay with us forever. He went in peace, without suffering."
French, who was inaugural dean of the School of Arts and Sciences at Ahmedabad University in 2017 and also held a visiting position at Ashoka University, died in the morning, his mother-in-law and Jaipur Literature Festival (JLF) co-founder Namita Gokhale told PTI.
"It was so sudden. We all are so heartbroken. The death took place in London. He had been suffering from cancer for the past four years," Gokhale said.
Among those who sent in their tributes were Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor, and historians William Dalrymple and Ramachandra Guha.
Writer and historian William Dalrymple said on Twitter: "Heartbroken to hear about the death of Patrick French, who I have loved and admired since we were both thirteen, and who was the Best Man at my wedding. He was funny & clever & charming, always full of enthusiasm & energy. He was also the greatest biographer of our generation."
The London-based historian, who did his PhD in South Asian Studies and an MA in English and American Literature, both from the University of Edinburgh, majorly focused on political and social analysis of India in the decades directly before and after independence in 1947.
He also worked on the period following economic 'liberalisation' in the 1990s.
Besides his writing and his academic work, French also briefly dabbled in politics.
In 1992, he unsuccessfully contested the general election in the UK as a Green Party candidate.
His famous works, translated into more than a dozen languages, include "Younghusband: The Last Great Imperial Adventurer (1994)", a biography of British explorer Francis Younghusband, "Liberty or Death: India's Journey to Independence and Division", and "Tibet, Tibet: A Personal History of a Lost Land".
French, who also held visiting positions at the University of Warwick, University of the South Pacific, NYU Abu Dhabi and University of Pennsylvania, won several awards for his work.
He was the winner of the Sunday Times Young Writer of the Year Award, the Royal Society of Literature Heinemann Prize, and the Somerset Maugham Award.
In 2003, French declined the Order of the British Empire (OBE).
(With PTI inputs)