The Dutch Spy Who Revealed The Passage To India
by“Day and night my heart yearns to see strange countries… something to talk about when one is old.”
Biography
Madhava of Sangamagrama: The Keralite Who Knew Infinity
byA 14th-century Keralite mathematician devised important mathematical concepts centuries before Isaac Newton took the credit.
The Great Gama: The Legendary Wrestler Who Inspired Bruce Lee
byFor over 50 years, the Great Gama was India’s mighty and indomitable wrestler.
Al-Biruni: The First Anthropologist
byAl-Biruni acted as a scientific bridge between cultures, translating Sanskrit texts to Arabic and vice-versa.
Lessons From Verghese Kurien’s Life
byHow did Verghese Kurien steer India to emerge as the world’s largest producer of milk, employing 50 million farmers?
How Biddu From Bangalore Popularized Disco With Kung Fu Fighting
byWith ‘Everybody Was Kung-Fu Fighting’, Biddu Appaiah heralded the dawn of disco music.
Janaki Ammal And The Chromosome Atlas Of Cultivated Plants
byThe cytogeneticist Janaki Ammal catalogued India’s plants, and modified Indian sugarcane to make it sweeter.
Remembering The Witty Mirza Ghalib
byGhalib Mirza was a self-deprecating poet of the 18th century. He was the last great poet of the Mughal Empire.
Why Periyar E.V. Ramaswamy Was Ahead Of His Time
byPeriyar E.V. Ramaswamy fought for Dalit rights, women’s empowerment and linguistic freedom for South India.
Remembering the Grand Old Man of India
byDadabhai Naoroji gave the Indian freedom struggle its ‘Aha!’ moment. The Indian Brexit was a product of his theories.
Colin Mackenzie: The Scotsman Who Became The First Surveyor General Of India
byIndia’s first Surveyor General started out as an engineer but found his calling as an archivist and cartographer.
Noor Inayat Khan: Sufi Princess, Children’s Author & British Spy
byNoor-Inayat Khan, Tipu Sultan’s Great-great-great grand daughter was a Sufi princess, author, and celebrated British spy.
Annie Besant: The Champion of Women’s Rights
byWomen’s rights activist, Theosophist, and supporter of Irish and Indian self-rule, Annie Besant’s legacy is immortal.
Rahul Sankrityayan: The Father of Hindi Travel Writing
byThe father of Hindi travel writing, saw the world as a humanist and wrote with the understanding of an anthropologist.
Baiza Bai: The Banker-Warrior Queen of Gwalior
byBaiza Bai, Gwalior’s queen subjugated her enemies and ruled her kingdom by using an astute skill: Banking and Finance.