I was born in Kenya of parents who migrated from India in 1926. Growing up, I distinguished myself as a bright student. After completing my "O" levels, I joined St. Stephen's College, in the University of Delhi. I graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in History. I then returned to Kenya, where I joined the Kenya Government Service before being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship. I enrolled at the University of Oregon, where I earned my Master of Arts degree. I then became a history lecturer of the University of Nairobi (then known as Royal College Nairobi). I complemented my teaching with research works under the supervision of the Faculty of History, University of London, where I also… received my PhD. My dissertation, A History of the Asians in East Africa, ca. 1886 to 1945, was originally published by the Oxford University Press in 1969.