The Fukuoka Asian Culture Prize, established in 1990 by the Japanese city of Fukuoaka, recognises outstanding achievements by individuals or groups in preserving and creating the unique and diverse cultures of Asia.
Guha received the notification letter of the prize at a function here today.
The prize will be conferred upon the historian on September 17 in Fukuoka International Congress Center in Japan, following which the awardees will be deliberating lectures at high-schools and universities across the city.
Guha, who is best known for his book, 'India After Gandhi' is slated to speak on "Gandhi, India and the World" at the event.
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In his acceptance speech, Guha expressed gratitude to Krishna Das, former editor at Economic and Political Weekly (EPW).
"I published my first essay 32 years ago in the EPW. Without the EPW I would never have published an article, never have published a book. I would not be here today. My scholarship would be unknown," Guha said.
He also thanked Anjan Ghosh, his professor at Indian Institute of Management, Kolkata and his cousin and former historian Dharma Kumar.
The Grand Prize this year went to Thant Myint-U from Myanmar and the Arts and Culture Prize was won by Vietnamese fashion designer Minh Hanh.
Other Indian Fukuoka Prize winners include sitar maestro Ravi Shankar, danseuse Padma Subrahmanyam, historian Romila Thapar, sarod player Amjad Ali Khan, social and cultural critic Ashis Nandy, post colonial studies scholar Partha Chatterjee, environmental activist Vandana Shiva and contemporary artist Nalini Malani.