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History

The Men Who Dug Up India's Past: Rea, Sewell, Burgess, Elliot and the Scholars of the Raj

Colonial-era archaeologists and historians and their contributions: Alexander Rea at Adichanallur, Longhurst at Hampi, Sewell's Forgotten Empire, Burgess and the Indian Antiquary, Elliot's historians; plus Madanapalle and Tagore, and Bankimchandra's novels.

30 September 2026 · 26 min read

History

Vitasta to Eripatti: The River Names, Tribal Languages and Land Terms UPSC Loves to Test

Ancient river names and their modern equivalents, the tribal languages Halbi Ho and Kui, Chola land-grant terms like Eripatti, and the Banjaras: the term-definition pairs that recur in UPSC prelims, decoded in tables.

30 September 2026 · 27 min read

Art & Culture

India, as the foreigners saw it: from Megasthenes to Marco Polo

Greek envoys, Chinese pilgrims, Arab scholars, outsiders wrote down the India that Indians didn't. Their accounts are among our richest historical sources.

27 September 2026 · 34 min read

Ancient History

The Tigers Who Ruled the Ocean: The Imperial Cholas

A fleet sacked Srivijaya in 1025 CE, villages elected their assemblies by lot, and bronzes danced: the imperial Cholas turned the Bay of Bengal into their lake.

27 September 2026 · 34 min read