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Art & Culture

Coins that outlived their kings: 2,500 years of Indian money

Punch-marked silver, Gupta gold dinaras, Tughlaq's token currency, every coin is a time capsule. Decode the metals, the motifs, and the messages they carried.

27 September 2026 · 30 min read

Medieval History

The Reformer and the Visionary: Alauddin's Markets and Tughlaq's Experiments

One Sultan fixed the price of everything from grain to horses to fund history's first standing army in India. His successor tried to move the capital 1,500 km, print token currency, and tax a famine-struck doab, and failed spectacularly at all three. The Khaljis and Tughlaqs, explained.

27 September 2026 · 34 min read

Medieval History

The Southern Powerhouses: Cheras, Hoysalas, Kakatiyas and the Yadavas of Devagiri

While Delhi was still a Tomar town, the Deccan and the far south were ruled by dynasties UPSC loves to test: the Cheras who guarded the spice trade, the Hoysalas who carved soapstone into lace, the Kakatiyas ruled by a warrior queen, and the Yadavas whose capital became Tughlaq's dream.

27 September 2026 · 34 min read