Category: Places

Chennai, Culture, History, People, Places

The Yale Controversy

Yale University in the USA is famous for liberal education. In 2016, it ran into an awkward situation. Liberals loudly demanded that the name of Calhoun College, an affiliated college, be changed. Calhoun, a former US Vice President, had once declared slavery as a “positive good” for America; this was against the very humanistic values that Yale stood for. After much dithering, Yale yielded. In 2017, they removed Calhoun’s portrait from the College and changed its name. That was just the start. Continue reading The Yale Controversy

S V KaushikLeave a comment
Fort Kochi, History, Kerala, People, Places

The Muslim Admirals of the Malabar Coast

he Marakkars were a community of Muslims that mostly lived in the kingdom of Cochin. They dominated the trade between the Coromandel and Malabar coasts (what would now be the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala). They owned ships and traded in spices and other goods, mostly destined for Europe. Continue reading The Muslim Admirals of the Malabar Coast

Thomas ManuelLeave a comment
Chennai, Culture, Delhi, History, People, Places

The Indian Travelogue of Niccolao Manucci

When the Mughal Prince, Dara Shikoh was defeated by his brother, Aurangzeb, he had an Italian artilleryman in his employ by the name of Nicolau Manucci. According to Manucci, he was offered the chance to join Aurangzeb’s army but he decided to flee instead. In his memoir, Storia do Mogor (or Story of the Mughal), Manucci paints a fabulous picture of his life and casts himself as the long-suffering hero and Aurangzeb as the evil villain, his arch-nemesis. But can we believe him? Continue reading The Indian Travelogue of Niccolao Manucci

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History, India, Mumbai, People, Uncategorized

The Pirate-Admiral of the Konkan

The main base of the Western Naval Command in Mumbai is, like all naval bases, named as a ship would be. It’s called the INS Angre. If you ever have the pleasure of visiting the naval base, you can spot an imposing statue taking pride of place. It is the statue of a fierce warrior of the Maratha Empire, sporting an even fiercer moustache. This is the base’s namesake, Admiral Kanhoji Angre, one of the Indian Navy’s historical heroes. Continue reading The Pirate-Admiral of the Konkan

Thomas ManuelLeave a comment
Culture, Fort Kochi, History, People, Places

Muziris- First Emporium of India

If you were a Roman trader in the 1st century CE, chances were you travelled east towards India to do business. You would have gotten onto a ship at Alexandria on the northern coast of Africa, sailed along the eastern coast of Africa, through the Red Sea, then crossed the Arabian sea and headed towards India’s western coast. There were a lot of port cities along that coast, but your first stop would have been Muziris. Why? Continue reading Muziris- First Emporium of India

Nayantara NayarLeave a comment
Culture, History, India, People, Places, Religion, Trivandrum

When Temples Were Banks

It is reported that Mahmud of Ghazni attacked India 17 times between 1000 and 1025 CE. The chief motive behind these raids was money. The kingdoms of India were famed for their unimaginable wealth, and Ghazni was keen to get his hands on as much of it as he could. Do you know where all this wealth that mesmerised Ghazni was locked up in? Temples! Continue reading When Temples Were Banks

jeshmachandLeave a comment
Food, History, India, People

The Great Wall of Thorns

In 1885, tax on salt was the third-largest source of revenue for the British Raj. To stop smugglers trying to avoid the tax, the British instituted the Inland Customs Line, which grew as their own territories expanded. The Inland Customs Line was essentially a line of check posts to collect tax on salt coming from outside British territory. But because the line snaked from Punjab to Odisha… Continue reading The Great Wall of Thorns

Thomas ManuelLeave a comment
Culture, History, Mumbai, People, Places, Religion, Traditions

The Bene Israelis of India

In the 18th century, during the third Anglo-Mysore war, the ruthless Tipu Sultan captured a group of army officers fighting for the British and ordered their execution. But when Tipu’s mother discovered the identity of two brothers among them, she requested they be spared. She said that the Quran spoke highly of them. And the Sultan complied! The two brothers were Bene Israelis. Continue reading The Bene Israelis of India

jeshmachandLeave a comment
Chennai, History, People, Places

The LIC Story

Vacations to Madras (Chennai) in the 1960s always included a drive down Mount Road: tourists HAD TO SEE modern India’s very own skyscraper called “L-I-C.” The LIC building was the regional Headquarters of “Life Insurance Corporation”, a government-owned mega-corporation. To the average Indian, it was the saviour during financial risks and disasters. Ironically, the LIC itself faced many risks and disasters before becoming Chennai’s iconic landmark. Continue reading The LIC Story

S V KaushikLeave a comment