Colonial Confinement of Hinduism

Before the British Crown officially took over the reins of their colonial empire in India, the preceding period of late eighteenth and early nineteenth century was defining in more ways than one. Of course, common knowledge is that these years were laying the foundation for the events of 1857, but behind the political jargon and …

United Bengal: Greater Pakistan by Other Means

There are many episodes in the history of a country about which people are needed to be made aware of not just for their relevance as an important event from the past but also for their relevance in the present and implications for the country's future. Today's topic is a classic example where need for …

Suhrawardy & The Bengal Famine of 1943

Every single life lost, especially due to hunger, is a tragedy which is completely avoidable, but, unfortunately famines were very much a frequent occuring phenomenon in pre-independence India. Ancient India had fewer instances and the rulers of that time took various measures to provide relief to the affected but, by the eve of Islamic invasions, …

Hindu Shahi Ruler Anandpal: Battle of Chhuchh

In a previous post titled "Hindu Shahi Maharaja Jaipal and The Islamic Invasion" we learnt about the resistance offered by the guardians of the north-west of our civilization, how a myth has been created that it was an easy path for the barbaric Islamic hordes into this ancient landmass. This post carries the events from …

Dashavatara Temple of Deogarh

This is a very short post about this beautiful temple which deserves a lot more visitors than what it usually gets. The Dashavatara Temple located in Deogarh, some 125 km from Jhansi is one of the very few temples from Gupta Era that survived the Islamic onslaught on the medieval India. Though it doesn't have …

The Crimean War of 1853-56 CE & The Telegraph

Technology has always played a significant role in the business of war. Either the primitive bow and arrows or the average catapults or what the Ajatashatru’s military had used, the innovative weapons called the rathamusala (a chariot with a mace attached, causing much mayhem) and the mahashilakantaga (a siege engine resembling a huge catapult) or …

Sack of Chittor by Akbar:1567-68CE

There are many aspects which define a ruler’s character and how he/she should be judged by the history. How they treat the non-combatant population of their opponent during or after the battle is one of them. While it is true that in the latter part of his reign, Mughal Emperor Akbar (1556 – 1605 CE) …

Hindu Shahi Maharaja Jaipal & The Islamic Invasion

There is a widespread myth about Indian history that the Islamic invaders from the central Asia who descended upon Afghanistan, then part of the Indian civilization had sort of a free pass in capturing it, that the native rulers were such dumb puppets that they gave no resistance and were also not given support by …

The Brus Crisis: How and Why Did It Originate?

The Brus were in the news recently because the central government of India finally reached a settlement with the aggrieved tribe. There was a quadripartite agreement between the government of India, state government of Tripura, state government of Mizoram and MBDPF (Mizoram Bru Displaced People's Forum) and some other groups representing the Brus. But, what …

Chaotic Beauty of Madurai in Maduraikkanchi

There have been beautiful towns and cities in India ever since the ancient times. Some cities still live and breathe, some do not have that luxury. From the ruins of Rakhigarhi and Mohenjodaro, to painful ruins of once flourishing Vijaynagara in Hampi, to Kashi and Mathura, still busy in their hustle and bustle, numerous other …