Franco Prussian War – The War That Made The Modern World
Franco-Prussian War is widely regarded as a pivotal event in European history, profoundly influencing the balance of power on the continent and reshaping the political landscape of the late 19th century. This intense conflict, which took place from 1870 to 1871, pitted the newly unified German states against the Second French Empire led by Napoleon […]
Kutchi And Bania Capital Built Oman. They Were The Lifelines Of Its Slave Economy
Kutchis were subjects of the Rao of Kutch, an independent princely state in India. Kutchi and Bania communities played a vital role in building Oman, serving as the capital builders. They were the lifelines of Oman’s slave economy. Sayyid Majid had no coinage of his own. He was dependent upon all the powers who had […]
What Adam Smith Said About India And East India Company In The Wealth Of Nations
Adam Smith, in his book “An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations” published in March 1776, discussed India and the East India Company. Adam Smith’s more popular book – An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of Nations – was published in March 1776. Though not often referenced, Smith […]
When Indian Techie Stole A Navy Fighter Jet
In 1963, an Indian Navy sailor named AS Gill, who was a Leading Aircraft Ordnance Mechanic, stole a Navy fighter jet from the Meenambakkam civil airport in Chennai. On August 12, 1963, a British-made single-engine Hawker Sea Hawk aircraft taxied out and took off from the Meenambakkam civil airport in Chennai. For the denizens of […]
How The East India Company Tried To Use Paintings To Lionise Robert Clive – And Failed
The East India Company tried to use marble portrait statues commissioned by the company in 1760, depicting men dressed as Romans, to lionize Robert Clive. However, their attempt failed, as less than a decade later, Robert Clive’s reputation as a hero had collapsed. During Robert Clive’s lifetime, the East India Company commissioned two portraits showing […]
The Tamil Queen Who Led An Army Of Women Against The East India Company
Rani Velu Nachiyar was the Tamil queen who led an army of women against the East India Company. “She will be amongst the best French speakers of the land, my lord.” The confidence in Jose de Pray’s voice was in stark contrast to his lean frame. The frailty of his body betrayed the sufferings he […]
How Medieval Indian Engineers Built Robots Powered By Water And Clockwork
Robots powered by water and clockwork were built by medieval Indian engineers, and multiple courts with whom they interacted also possessed them. These robots are well-attested by credible travelers. One of the most fascinating, and least understood, aspects of South Asia’s history is the evolution of its technology. With so little evidence surviving from secular […]
Colonial Exploitation Included Heritage Theft, And That Continues To This Day
Colonial exploitation included heritage theft, in which India’s wealth of heritage, antiquities, and artifacts were exported to the colonizers’ home bases. They shamelessly adorned their own museums and galleries with these treasures, and this practice continues unabated to this day. The whole idea of establishing a colony was to exploit the resources there and enrich […]
How Food Was Used To Oppress Indian Sailors On Colonial Ships
Ceri-Anne Fidler, in her doctoral thesis, describes how food was used to oppress Indian sailors on colonial ships. “The lascar was always sallow. It didn’t helpthat his name anagrammed rascal. He carrieda whiff of scurvy, a hint of rats in the hold,hulls battered by typhoons.” These words from a poem by Ranjit Hoskote are a […]
Did The US Steal Cherokee Land?
In 1810, the Cherokees could have rightfully claimed that the United States had stolen the five million acres ceded in 1805, and the US still owed the Cherokees an estimated amount of $43.5 million. In a recent lecture on her new book, Redressing Historical Injustice: Self-Ownership, Property Rights and Economic Equality, Wanjiru Njoya challenged current calls among some […]