A O Hume And The Birth Of The Indian National Congress
byAO Hume, the founder of the Indian National Congress was a principled Scotsman. What made him take up the Indian cause?
Biography
Jim Corbett: Animal Lover, Hunter And Photographer
byThough Jim Corbett was a renowned hunter, his legacy as a naturalist is stronger. How did he switch from the rifle to the camera?
Shivaji And Aurangzeb: Divisive Historical Narratives
byMaratha ruler Shivaji and Mughal emperor Aurangzeb were driven by ambition. Today, their stories perpetuate divisive narratives.
Srinivasa Ramanujan: God’s Missing Link
bySrinivas Ramanujan was India’s greatest modern mathematician. Yet till this day, no one knows how he arrived at his theorems.
The Subaltern Travel Writer Who Introduced Curry and Shampoo to Britain
bySake Dean Mahomet is a subaltern travel writer who embarked on an adventure that introduced curry and shampoo to Britain.
The Quiet Genius of Toru Dutt
byToru Dutt was the first female Indian poet to write in English and French. She died young, at only 21, but left behind a volume of work.
The Difficulty of Gandhi’s Non-Violence
byMahatma Gandhi lived in a violent time. He dealt with this by living a philosophy of non-violence. But was his non-violence brutal?
Why India’s Farmers Continue to Revere Sir Arthur Cotton
byA British civil engineer continues to be revered by farmers around the Godavari river. What makes Arthur Cotton the people’s engineer?
How Salar Jung Built the World’s Largest One-Man Art Collection
bySalar Jung III put together the world’s largest one-man collection of art. What was it like to collect art in early 20th century India?
Vemana: The People’s Poet
byVemana, a 17th-century Telugu mystic-poet, wrote against caste and superstition. What makes him a household name today?
Shikari Shambu: The Hunter Who Never Hunts
bySavio Mascarenhas has been drawing Shikari Shambu for 20 years. He explains what went into making this beloved character.
How A Dutch Commander Became Travancore’s Great Captain
byEustachius De Lannoy, a Belgian captain of the Dutch East India army, served the Maharajah of Travancore, leaving his legacy.
How a German Missionary Made the First English-Malayalam Dictionary
byIn the 1830’s, German missionary Hermann Gundert introduced punctuation to Malayalam and produced its first dictionary.
Jayalalithaa: The Unloved Child who Became the People’s Amma
byJayalalithaa juggled many parts – actress, leader, and Amma. Through snippets of her life, we explore the brand she leaves behind.
The Timeless R.K. Narayan
byR.K. Narayan brought the Indian village to the world, through novels set in the fictional town of Malgudi. What makes his work so timeless?