Hindus have always been portrayed as a defensive and risk-averse community. They fought only when forced to do so, and as a result, they mostly ended up on the losing side. They never took the fight to the enemy’s camp and barring a few cases, they remained ensconced in theirContinue Reading
During the third Anglo-Mysore war in 1792 between the East India Company and Tipu Sultan of Mysore, Cowasjee, a Parsi bullock-cart driver and four other British soldiers were taken prisoner by the Sultan at Seringapatam, Karnataka. In a true barbaric Islamic way, their noses were cut off before releasing alongContinue Reading
Mathura, the birthplace of Bhagwan Krishna, is one of the Sapta Puri, the seven cities considered holy and also revered as Mokshyadayni Tirth. Besides being a place of such religious importance, Mathura also had a strategic trade location through which multiple routes passed. The primary route was Uttarpatha (Grand TrunkContinue Reading
Since time immemorial, to be precise, for the last 3000 years, the two animals have been used immensely in battles: elephants and horses. Usually, three major characteristics define the usability of animals in battles: size, weaponry, and controllability. Elephant’s size is intimidating, while its tusks, feet, trunk and forehead areContinue Reading
There was also a weird case of partition that happened between East Pakistan (now Bangladesh) and India in the Cooch Behar region (Siliguri). Both countries had enclaves in each other’s territories. Not one but 198 such enclaves were submerged entirely in another nation’s territory and inhabited by 51,549 people. 37,334Continue Reading
Kanhoji Angre was a Hindu warrior who had no parallels in our history. Rising through the ranks, he became the most feared sea warrior on the Konkan coast in the early 18th century. All European naval powers, be they British, Portuguese or Dutch, could never defeat him. A few times, theyContinue Reading
One of the finest cavalry attacks in modern military history occurred on September 23, 1918, when Indian and British forces conquered the Israeli city of Haifa from the Ottoman Army. The Battle of Haifa was one of several in the Sinai and Palestine Campaigns to take the critical Suez CanalContinue Reading
Social media has now become the new battlefield for a war that was deeply contested on land, sea and air for centuries. This modern warfare, thankfully, does not involve lethal weaponry and blood-spattered battlefields. But on the flip side, it is probably more toxic, hard-hitting and potent artillery in theContinue Reading
Gar Firdaus Bar mein Zameen Ast, Hamin Ast Hamin Ast if there is paradise on earth, this is it, this is it and this is it –Persian poet Firdaus Sometime in the mid-8th century, Arabs under governor Junaid from Sindh attacked Kashmir, however, powerful king LalitadtiyaContinue Reading
Tansen was born Ramtanu Pandey in 1500 to a prominent poet and musician Mukund Pandey. He strongly influenced his son and raised him in an environment where classical music was an essential part of day to day life. In childhood, he learnt the music from his guru Haridas and becameContinue Reading