Gauri Gupta

  

Volume 9 | Issue II | June 2025

Neeraj Modi School ’26

Jaipur, India

  

My fascination with history began when I stumbled upon Rise of Empires: Ottoman on Netflix. What began as casual viewing quickly drew me into how empires are built and sustained. That curiosity led to my first major academic research endeavor. Publishing my paper with The Schola allowed me to challenge the traditional portrayal of the Crusades as mere wars. My paper argues that these conflicts laid the groundwork for Europe’s colonial systems by advancing bureaucratic structures, centralised taxation, and ideological control. The editorial team’s thoughtful feedback helped refine my writing and understanding of historical complexity. As an Indian student born in Mumbai and currently living in Jaipur, my interests span history, physics, and visual storytelling. I am also the founder of Art Ki Pathshala, a youth-led initiative that uses art to build life skills and provide inclusive education to children in underserved communities. We’ve reached over 5,120 students across India through art kits, online workshops, and mentorship. Whether I’m tracing the roots of empire or leading an art camp in a classroom, I return to the same belief: that ideas, when shared with care, can become acts of change.