Podcasts about Mughal

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/middle-eastern-studies

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Descended from Mughal nobility, Akhtar al-Nisa Begum Nawab Sarbuland Jung grew up in Hyderabad in southern India, where she lived a quiet, private, and privileged life at the heart of the state's royal court. In 1896, at the age of 20, she married Nawab Muhammad Hamidullah Khan Sarbuland Jung, a prominent lawyer and the scion of a leading Muslim reformist movement. In 1909, the wealthy couple embarked on a four-month journey through the Middle East and Europe, performing the hajj in Mecca and sitting for tea with the future king and queen of England. A Journey to Mecca and London: The Travels of an Indian Muslim Woman, 1909–1910 (Indiana University Press, 2025) provides the first full English translation of Begum Sarbuland's Urdu travel diary from this journey, of which only three original copies remain. Originally intended for circulation among friends and family and later published, her informal entries not only reveal the everyday practices of an Indian woman of her time, but also detail her impressions and reactions as she explored the world alongside her husband. As Begum Sarbuland encountered other women and Muslims during her travels, those encounters shaped her reassessment of her own identity as a Muslim woman. Her observations hold continued significance for readers interested in critical questions about gender, Islam, and identity. Daniel Majchrowicz has thoroughly annotated his translation and paired it with rich appendices, including a biographical sketch of Begum Sarbuland and excerpts from Hamidullah Khan's own accounts of their journey. Engagingly written and enriched with years of original research, archival work, and family interviews, A Journey to Mecca and London restores the nearly forgotten narrative of one of India's first Muslim women travel writers to its rightful place in Indian and Islamic history. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

Visual artist Sahana Rahman and artist-producer Sananda Chatterjee catch up for a conversation rooted in South Asian craft, community and storytelling. They discuss embroidery traditions passed down generations through to the doing-word that real community actually is.About Sahana:Sahana Rahman is a visual artist based in Tāmaki Makaurau whose practice incorporates embroidery, painting, drawing and community activation, drawing on South Asian styles including Mughal miniature painting and shisha embroidery. Born and raised in Te Whanganui-a-Tara into a cross-cultural Bangladeshi and Sri Lankan Tamil home, she now runs communal embroidery workshops around the country. Her work explores decolonial practice and multicultural identity.➡️ Follow Sahana on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shannyszn/About Sananda:Sananda Chatterjee (Sandy to mates) is an artist of Bengali heritage, born in Kolkata and raised between Delhi and Tāmaki Makaurau. A multidisciplinary artist and producer, her work spans large ensemble theatre with Prayas Theatre to intimate projects exploring gender, relationships and belonging. She also works as a producer, mentor and Cultural Insights specialist.➡️ Follow Sananda on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bangalee_as_bro/About the podcast:Asian in Aotearoa is a podcast of conversations of Asian creatives, founded in 2020 by Jenna Wee in Tāmaki Makaurau, Auckland.Follow Asian in Aotearoa on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asianinaotearoa/Visit asianinaotearoa.comThis episode was made possible thanks to Foundation North and Creative New Zealand.

Sikhi is the religion of the underdog. And no Sikh in history embodied this more completely than Sultan ul Qaum Jathedar Jassa Singh Alhuwalia.Born fatherless into poverty during one of the darkest periods of Sikh history, Jassa Singh rose from feeding horses for the Budha Dal to being selected Panth Patshah by the Sarbat Khalsa. He conquered Lahore, sat on the Mughal throne in Delhi, fought Ahmad Shah Durrani face to face multiple times, and rebuilt the Darbar Sahib.This episode draws on Dr. Ganda Singh's definitive biography and primary Sikh, Afghan and Persian sources to tell the true story of Alhuwalia. Including the untold political intrigue of Jai Singh Kanihyaa's manipulation of the Misl system, the real story behind the Alhuwalia and Ramgarhia conflict, and what Jassa Singh's final political vision for Punjab actually was.As historian Hari Ram Gupta wrote, in the person of Jassa Singh Alhuwalia, the Guru actually made a sparrow kill hawks.This is the Sikh leader they forgot. This is The Sikh Renaissance.

Travel isn't just about places, it's about the stories and the people behind them. In this episode of the Indian Startup Show, I sit down with Dr. Tathagata Neogi, Co-Founder and CEO of Immersive Trails. Armed with a PhD in archaeology, he returned to Kolkata to build a dynamic, tech-enabled marketplace that connects conscious travelers with expert curators.  We dive into the realities of bootstrapping a startup, the challenge of educating investors on a niche business model, and how Immersive Trails is organizing India's fragmented local guide market.  Tathagata also shares powerful insights on building a high-trust team culture, leveraging AI to speed up market entry, and navigating the startup ecosystem while managing Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)  We also talk about working with his wife, 19th-century true crime and cemeteries in Kolkata . Finding toilets, and everything in between. So please enjoy the show. What You Will Learn In This Episode: The Origin Story: Transitioning from an archaeology PhD in England to launching a research-driven walking tour company in Kolkata. Early Wins & Skepticism: Hosting the very first walking tour at the South Park Street Cemetery and proving the concept to family and friends. Bootstrapping & Tech Challenges: Learning marketing on the fly and why finding the right tech leadership was a game-changer. Investor Relations: Why investors often confuse Immersive Trails with MakeMyTrip and how to effectively pitch an experience-based marketplace. The Value Proposition: Organizing the highly fragmented market of local tour guides and delivering quality-controlled experiences.. Culture & Leadership: Building a high-trust, empathy-driven team of five and rejecting toxic hustle culture. Co-Founder Dynamics: The unique advantages of building a startup alongside a spouse with complementary academic backgrounds. AI Integration: How Immersive Trails uses a custom AI model and writes 30% of their backend code with AI. Founder Lessons: Why hiring a technical co-founder early on is the one thing Tathagata would do differently. Visibility & Leadership: Tathagata opens up about living with Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) to bring visibility to founders navigating invisible disabilities. Popular Experiences: The platform offers a wide range of tours, with popular examples including a "Murder and Mayhem" true crime tour in 19th-century Kolkata, historical tours of the Red Fort from the perspective of Mughal women, and specialized food experiences in Lucknow Links Website: immersivetrails.com Connect with Tathagata Neogi: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tathagataneogi/   Hosted And Produced by Neil Patel https://www.linkedin.com/today/author/neilpatel2 Enjoyed this episode? Don't forget to subscribe and leave us a review! Share this episode with your friends. Listen and Subscribe to More Episodeshttps://www.indianstartupshow.com/ Music by Punch Deck.https://open.spotify.com/artist/7kdduxAVaFnbHJyNxl7FWV

This episode dismantles the Bhaichara myth by exposing centuries of Hindu-Muslim alliances against Sikhs, from the Mughal era to 1984 and beyond. Drawing on Gurbani, Sikh historical sources and geopolitical analysis, it argues that Sikh survival requires strategic clarity not interfaith sentimentality. Click to listen to more!

Matthew and Fenia continue the story of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier, following his sixth voyage to the Mughal court, his encounter with the Peacock Throne, the rough stone later known as the Hope Diamond, and the restless final chapter of one of history's most important diamond dealers. Key Takeaways Tavernier's sixth voyage, dated in the transcript as 1664 to 1668, is presented as the journey that made him famous.At the Mughal court, Tavernier encountered extraordinary imperial jewels, including the Peacock Throne and the rough stone later known as the Hope Diamond.The episode frames Tavernier as both adventurer and businessman, with close attention to how he classified, priced and traded diamonds.Tavernier's book matters because it preserves not just travel stories, but commercial knowledge, notes and drawings from decades of journeys.His voyages helped feed a shift in jewellery design, with large gemstones becoming a stronger focal point in European jewellery.The final part of his life reinforces the central portrait of Tavernier: wealthy, celebrated and still unable to stop travelling. Quotes 00:12:18 "There was an adventure, but it was commerce driven, I think." 00:15:05 "I think it's the people at the end of the day who made history and objects worth studying." 00:16:52 "The king was aware that Tavernier was not only gathering jewels, he was also gathering knowledge." 00:31:45 "He's widely recognized as the most important diamond dealer of the 17th century." 00:37:10 "A man who was born above a map shop in Paris who spent his life making those maps for real." 00:39:15 "He wasn't at peace unless he was on an adventure." Resources The Six Voyages of Jean-Baptiste Tavernier by Jean-Baptiste TavernierInternet ArchiveSmithsonian Museum www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

Raakhi was more than a tax. It was the financial backbone of early Khalsa sovereignty in eighteenth-century Punjab. This episode explores how Nawab Kapur Singh and the Khalsa transformed protection payments into a structured system of governance, laying the foundations of Sikh political authority. We break down how Raakhi worked, why local communities accepted it, and how it challenged Mughal control in practice. This is the story of how the Khalsa did not just fight for power but built systems that sustained it.

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/islamic-studies

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/architecture

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

Unruly Monuments: Disrupting the State at Delhi's Islamic Architecture (Cambridge University Press, 2025) examines how Delhi's Sultanate and Mughal architecture, dating from the twelfth to the seventeenth centuries, became modern monuments and were assimilated and ordered into public consciousness as spaces for tourism, leisure, and intellectual contemplation during the colonial and early postcolonial eras (1828-1963). It examines the resistance that challenges this ordering, rendering monuments unruly and unassimilable despite state efforts to control their narrative. This exposes the nation's contradictory claims of inclusivity while marginalizing subaltern groups. It guides readers through picturesque landscapes, museums, imperial displays, postcards, travel experiences, Partition refugee camps, and cinema. Analyzing these forms reveals how the archive of Indo-Islamic monuments was shaped through presences and absences. Each chapter examines everyday life, untangles knowable public transcripts, illuminates strategic excisions and hidden transcripts, juxtaposes evidence that has not yet been analyzed in conjunction, reads archival material against the grain, and finds archival layers in unfamiliar places. NBN Host: Sohini Majumdar Sohini teaches history at University of San Francisco and Santa Clara University.

Before the Hope Diamond had a name or a curse, it passed through the hands of one remarkable Frenchman. This episode tells the story of Jean Baptiste Tavernier, a 17th-century merchant whose six voyages to the East changed the way Europeans understood gemstones forever. Born in Paris in 1605 to a family of map-makers and engravers, Tavernier grew up surrounded by maps and the merchants who traded in them. By 22 he had already visited most of Europe and learned the languages to go with it. He was only getting started. Matthew and Fenya trace his first five voyages from Istanbul to India, from the Golconda mines to Dutch-controlled Batavia, ending just as Tavernier is about to open the imperial jewel casket of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. Part 2 is on the way Key Takeaways Your environment shapes your ambitions. Growing up in his father's map shop on the Ile de la Cite, surrounded by merchants talking about faraway countries, Tavernier later credited those conversations as the spark behind everything he did.Going against the established route can be a competitive advantage. With the Dutch and English East India Companies dominating the sea lanes, Tavernier revived the overland Silk Road instead, avoiding bigger rivals and trading along the way.Diplomatic skill matters as much as commercial skill. He carried European clocks and jewellery specifically as gifts for local rulers, smoothing his passage across dozens of borders without the backing of a powerful company behind him.His book is one of the best records we have of this era. Tavernier documented diamond mining operations, grading standards, currency exchange, and cultural customs. Historians and gemologists still reference "The Six Voyages" today.The Hope Diamond's curse may have been a marketing story. Tavernier never mentions where he acquired the blue diamond in his own accounts, and notably lived to around 80 with a long and successful life. Quotes 00:08:07 "If the effect of education may be linked to a second birth, I may truly say that I came into the world with a desire to travel... inspired me betimes with a design to see some part of those countries, which were represented to me in the maps from which I never could keep off my eyes." (Tavernier, read aloud from his book) 00:24:48 "The art of trading is the art of understanding men and their desires, whether they be in Paris or in the Indies." (Tavernier) Resources The Six Voyages of Jean Baptiste Tavernier by Jean Baptiste Tavernier www.courtville.ie www.gempursuit.com Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

India is in the midst of statue-building frenzy, with monuments springing up all over the country to the 17th century Hindu leader known as Shivaji. The warrior king has become a symbol – yes, another – of the rising power of Hindu nationalism, given his history of fighting the Mughal empire. But are his most ardent fans misreading Shivaji's legacy?  GUEST:Anupreeta Das is South Asia correspondent for The New York Times who has been following the Shivaji trend. She's also author of Billionaire, Nerd, Saviour, King

As Pauline Hanson's appeal seemingly grows by the week, at least according to opinion polls, how is she building a coalition that might not deliver her government but could make One Nation the second biggest party in the next parliament? Senator Hanson has never been an explicitly religious politician but there is small but important religious constituency that she is trying to woo.  India is in the midst of statue-building frenzy, with monuments springing up all over the country to the 17th century Hindu leader known as Shivaji. The warrior king has become a symbol – yes, another – of the rising power of Hindu nationalism, given his history of fighting the Mughal empire. But are his most ardent fans misreading Shivaji's legacy?  We have an image of Ethiopia as a harsh, even forsaken place, of famine and a landscape literally cracked by rising global temperatures. But Ethiopia's a country of resilient, resourceful people, who could thrive, if only world powers stopped meddling. That's the message of Australian aid worker VALERIE BROWNING. She's been living in Ethiopia's Afar region for 53 years, running an extraordinary organisation that's helped half a million women. She's back in Australia to visit family and publicise the work of the Barbara May Foundation that helps fund her work. Guests:Dr Benjamin Moffitt is a political scientist at Monash University and has been charting the progress of One Nation. Anupreeta Das is South Asia correspondent for The New York Times who has been following the Shivaji trend. She's author of Billionaire, Nerd, Saviour, KingValerie Browning is a nurse and author of "Maalika: My Life among the Afar Nomads in Africa”. She founded the the Afar Pastoral Development Association and the Barbara May Hospital.  

Mirza Ghalib's Har Ek Baat Pe Kahte Ho Tum Ki Tu Kya Hai is one of the most quoted, most performed, and most misunderstood ghazals in the Urdu canon. Burair and Kshitij go sher by sher through one of Ghalib's most layered and defiant ghazals — wounded pride, jealousy, blood and ash, wine and paradise, and a final, bitter jab at the Mughal court.Burair wrestles honestly with Ghalib's density — the philosophical leaps and unusual word choices that make this poet famously difficult even for native Urdu speakers. Kshitij offers his own reading of the khum sher, suggesting the wine vat represents something larger and all-encompassing, with the smaller vessels standing in as different paths — each holding a part of the whole, but not all of it. The two also unpack the cultural and religious context behind Ghalib's most provocative sher on paradise and wine, drawing on Burair's own upbringing in an Islamic household.The episode also touches on Gulzar's 1988 Doordarshan series Mirza Ghalib, starring Naseeruddin Shah, and how lines from this very ghazal were used in that series to dramatize the poet's struggles with court patronage and personal isolation.

दिल्लीचा रंगमहल, मदिरेचे चषक आणि मुघल सत्तेचा उडणारा फज्जा! चिखलठाणच्या पहिल्या भेटीनंतर राजकारणाचे फासे अत्यंत वेगाने पलटत होते. फेब्रुवारी १७२२ मध्ये निझाम वजीर या सर्वोच्च पदाची सूत्रे घेण्यासाठी दिल्लीला पोहोचला... पण तिथे गेल्यावर या कडक निझामाला भयंकर धक्का बसला! बादशहा आणि तरुण दरबारी या साठ वर्षांच्या म्हाताऱ्या निझामाची अक्षरशः टिंगल उडवत होते! इकडे उत्तरेत निझामाची घुसमट सुरू असताना, तरुण पेशवा बाजीराव मात्र दक्षिणेत वाऱ्यासारखा फिरत स्वतःची ताकद वाढवत होता. आणि १३ फेब्रुवारी १७२३ रोजी, माळव्यातील झाबुआ जवळ वदकशा नावाच्या गावात या दोघांची दुसरी ऐतिहासिक भेट झाली... सलग सहा दिवस बाजीराव आणि निझाम बंद तंबूत गुप्त वाटाघाटी करत होते! निझामाला वाटत होते की तरुण पेशव्याचा वापर आपण दिल्लीच्या राजकारणात स्वतःचा दबदबा वाढवण्यासाठी करू. पण बाजीरावाने निझामाच्या डोक्यातील गोंधळ आणि मुघल सत्तेचा पोकळपणा आपल्या तीक्ष्ण नजरेने अचूक हेरला! शत्रूच्या डोळ्यांत डोळे घालून त्याची भीती बाजीरावाने बरोबर ओळखली होती. पण... इकडे दिल्लीत निझामाविरुद्ध एक भयंकर आणि सिक्रेट ट्रॅप रचला जात होता... साक्षात मुघल बादशहाच आता निजामाच्या जीवावर उठणार होता! चारही बाजूंनी कोंडीत पकडला गेलेला हा गर्विष्ठ निझाम आता स्वतःचा जीव कसा वाचवणार? आणि बाजीराव याचा कसा फायदा घेणार? ... [Music Fades Out]... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

One historian. Seven centuries of India. One unforgettable conversation.In this episode of Rekhta Rubaru, legendary historian Professor Irfan Habib joins Moid Rasheedi for a sweeping conversation on the making of India's cultural, political and linguistic history.From the memories of Partition and the Lahore Resolution to the atmosphere in Aligarh during a turning point in India's history, Habib reflects on the dangers of allowing religion to shape the future of a nation. He also recalls Maulana Abul Kalam Azad's 1949 AMU convocation speech and the promise that helped preserve the university's character.The conversation moves through the world of Amir Khusrau, whom Habib describes as India's first patriotic poet, and traces the evolution of Hindavi, Persian, Urdu and Hindi. He also speaks about Akbar's vision, Gandhi's idea of Hindustani, Dara Shikoh's translation of the Upanishads, and Sir Syed Ahmed Khan's complex legacy in education, archaeology and colonial India.A rich, thought-provoking episode for anyone interested in Urdu, Indian history, language, culture, Partition, Mughal history and the many ideas that shaped India.

You can send a text, include contact info to get a response. Consider the British Empire in 1792, the year of Macartney's expedition to China and the year young Emperor Francis began to look askance at the French Revolution and all the ruling factions within it started to wish for a war.  Well at that time the empire was rather modest, a few spice islands, Canada, Gibraltar, New South Wales had started, there was a logging settlement in Honduras, and in India, Bombay Madras and Bengal, with Bengal the largest British territory in India.  Trade with China is substantial, around 25% of all, generating 16% of total government revenue.  But except for Penang, a stop on the way, no territory to support it.By 1803 the value of British trade increased 81%.  From the French revolutionary wars to 1803, the empire grew to include Trinidad, Ceylon and Malta, even after returning most captured possessions at the Peace of Amiens.  Then by 1814....The British position in India was massively increased, with the Mughal empire , Hyderabad, Mysore, and most of the South under various forms of British control.  Furthermore, the main waystations to get there, including the Cape colony of South Africa, and the Indian ocean islands were now under British control.The number of sugar islands increased and British Guiana became real and there were more gold Coast trading posts in Africa, and Tasmania was added to New South Wales. And before the decade was over the third Maratha war would cement control over much of the rest of India and see the establishment of the first post in Singapore.  With many supporting bases like St Helena where Napoleon was stashed along with the newly established Ascension Island to help support St Helena.I'm describing a different world now, different to 1792.  One where rivals to British sea power just do not exist. 

Pakistan routinely astonishes visitors with the gap between reputation and reality. The north alone – a staggering wall of peaks including five of the world's fourteen eight-thousanders – would justify the trip. But there is so much more: the ancient ruins of Mohenjo-daro, the Mughal splendour of Lahore, the frontier energy of Peshawar, and hospitality so generous it will bloe you away. This is South Asia at its most seductive and surprising.Love the pod? Get the guide! Out with each new podcast, we publish a guide to the country. Buy the TrodPod guide to Pakistan for just $3: https://www.patreon.com/c/trodpod/shop. Better yet, become a TrodPod member for just $5 a month and access TrodPod guides to every country in the world, released weekly with each new podcast episode! Sign up now: https://www.patreon.com/trodpod/membershipThanks for all your support!TrodPod is Murray Garrard and Elle Keymer. Sound editing by Leo Audio Productions. Design and marketing by GPS: Garrard Powell Solutions. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Was the legendary Orlov Diamond once the eye of a Hindu idol before becoming part of the Russian Crown Jewels? In this episode of Gem Pursuit, Matthew Weldon and Fenis Sigkoudi unravel the extraordinary story of the 189-carat diamond tied to Mughal emperors, Catherine the Great, theft, romance, and one of history's greatest gem mysteries. www.courtville.ie Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

From the Bahmani to the Qutb Shahis, Hyderabad's local identity is far more complex than the standard Mughal-centric narrative suggests.

Dr. Nasir Akhtar claims Wazir Khan was a sinner acting against Islam when he ordered the execution of the Chote Sahibzade at Sirhind. This episode exposes that claim as a deliberate and calculated lie.What Dr. Nasir Akhtar conceals is Surah Al-Kahf of the Quran which explicitly sanctions the execution of children who will grow up to spread kufr and fitnah. Wazir Khan was not acting against his faith. He was acting in complete accordance with it. Dr. Nasir Akhtar knows this which is why he never calls Aurangzeb a kafir despite his own misconstruction of the term, because contemporary Mughal sources explicitly confirm Aurangzeb killed Sikhs for Islam not for political reasons.Dr. Nasir Akhtar is not an isolated academic. He belongs to the same school of thought as Puneet Sahani. Where Sahani attacks Sikhs openly for resisting Hindutva, Akhtar does it subtly, presenting Muslims as viable Sikh allies while concealing centuries of Hindu Muslim cooperation against Sikh sovereignty in Punjab.The Chote Sahibzade died for Sikhi. The historical record confirms it. The theological sources confirm it. This episode proves it.

How did England's earliest travellers to India try to win favour in a Mughal golden age that scarcely noticed them?Professor Suzannah Lipscomb speaks with Dr Lubaaba Al-Azami about Tudor and early Stuart England's turn to global trade after Elizabeth I's break with Catholic Europe, and why Mughal India—vast, wealthy, and pragmatically governed—had little need for English wool or broadcloth.They trace the first arrivals: from a Catholic refugee to an Englishman's Mughal courtly success and marriage, as well as the first English 'walking tourist'.MOREEngland's First Ambassador to India: Thomas RoeListen on AppleListen on SpotifyThe Emperor Who Built the Taj MahalListen on AppleListen on SpotifyPresented by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb. The researcher is Max Wintle, audio editor is Amy Haddow and the producer is Rob Weinberg. The senior producer is Anne-Marie Luff.All music courtesy of Epidemic Sounds.Not Just the Tudors is a History Hit podcastSign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

दमाजी थोरातच्या त्या भयंकर कैदेतून आणि कच्च्या गुळाच्या आहारातून सुटल्यानंतर, बाळाजी आणि तरुण बाजीरावाचा ॲटिट्यूड आता अधिकच आक्रमक झाला होता! स्वराज्याला पैशांची आणि ताकदीची अत्यंत गरज होती. याच वेळी दिल्लीच्या राजकारणात एक डेंजरस भूकंप आला... सय्यद बंधू नावाचे दोन भाऊ दिल्लीचे सर्वेसर्वा बनले होते. त्यातील सय्यद हुसेन अली दख्खनचा सुभेदार म्हणून भयंकर मोठी फौज घेऊन आला. पण इकडे महाराष्ट्रात खंडेराव दाभाडे या खतरनाक सेनापतीने बागलणच्या आणि खानदेशाच्या जंगलात मुघलांची भयंकर कोंडी केली होती. हुसेन अलीने आपला सर्वात शूर सेनापती, झुल्फिकार बेग याला दाभाडेला संपवण्यासाठी पाठवले. पण खंडेराव दाभाडे हे काही साधे सरदार नव्हते... त्यांनी गनिमी काव्याचा एक असा ब्लॉक-बस्टर ट्रॅप लावला की मुघलांना पार घाम फुटला! त्यांनी मुद्दाम माघार घेण्याचे नाटक केले आणि मुघलांना बागलणच्या घनदाट आणि भयानक जंगलात ओढून आणले. तिथे मुघलांना ना रस्ता मिळत होता, ना लपायला जागा. आणि अचूक टायमिंग साधून अचानक चारही बाजूंनी मराठ्यांनी भयंकर हल्ला चढवला! या युद्धात मुघलांची अक्षरशः कत्तल झाली आणि झुल्फिकार बेग मारला गेला... मुघलांचा एकही उंट किंवा घोडा जिवंत परत गेला नाही! या ऐतिहासिक विजयाने मराठ्यांचा आत्मविश्वास गगनाला भिडला आणि मुघलांना मराठ्यांच्या ताकदीचा खरा अंदाज आला. आता वेळ होती थेट दिल्लीवर धडक मारण्याची! पण दिल्लीच्या त्या काळोख्या जगात कोणता भयंकर ट्रॅप त्यांची वाट पाहत होता? ... [Music Fades Out]... Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the execution of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj, the Maratha Empire stood on the brink of collapse. Leadership was uncertain. The Mughals were advancing. And the idea of Swaraj seemed close to fading. But history didn't unfold the way it was expected to. In this conversation, Medha Bhaskaran — author of Queen Tara: Kali of the Deccan — joins Bharatvaarta to trace the rise of Maharani Tarabai, a leader who emerged from the margins of power to take charge in one of the most critical moments in Indian history. We explore how Tarabai, initially far removed from succession, became a “destiny queen” — shaped not by circumstance alone, but by training, political exposure, and conviction. From her unconventional upbringing to her early understanding of power, the episode examines how her leadership was forged long before she formally took control. The conversation moves through the chaos following Sambhaji Maharaj's death — the fragmentation of authority, the pressure of Mughal expansion, and the difficult decisions that defined this phase. It highlights how survival itself became strategy, and how resistance was sustained not through brute force alone, but through adaptability and intelligence. We also unpack the nature of warfare in this period — from guerrilla tactics and disruption of supply lines to psychological warfare and misinformation — and how these methods allowed a smaller force to withstand a far larger empire. At its core, this episode is not just about a historical figure. It's about leadership under uncertainty, the role of women in moments of crisis, and how power can emerge from the most unexpected places. And above all, it is the story of a ruler who refused to let a collapsing moment define the future of a civilisation. ⸻ ⏱️ Chapters 00:00 – 01:10 • Opening Hook: Collapse of the Maratha Empire 01:10 – 04:30 • Sambhaji Maharaj's Execution & Aftermath 04:30 – 08:30 • Aurangzeb's Expansion & The Deccan Crisis 08:30 – 12:30 • The Idea of Swaraj Under Threat 12:30 – 16:30 • Who Was Tarabai? Background & Early Life 16:30 – 20:30 • Training, Influence & Formation of Character 20:30 – 24:30 • Crisis Leadership: How Tarabai Took Charge 24:30 – 28:30 • War-Time Realities: Fear, Loss & Survival 28:30 – 32:30 • Women in Power: Beyond Traditional Roles 32:30 – 36:30 • Strategy Beyond Strength: Thinking Over Force 36:30 – 41:00 • Guerrilla Warfare & Maratha Adaptability 41:00 – 46:00 • Psychological Warfare & Misinformation 46:00 – 52:00 • Unorthodox Tactics That Challenged the Mughals 52:00 – 57:00 • How Tarabai Outmaneuvered Aurangzeb 57:00 – 01:01:00 • Leadership Under Pressure & Civilisational Stakes 01:01:00 – 01:04:00 • Legacy of Tarabai & Forgotten Histories ⸻

In the fall of 1984, I was sitting in a darkened lecture hall at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, watching slides click through a Kodak Carousel projector. Greek marble. Benin bronze. Mughal miniature. Japanese woodblock. The professor's argument was plain: these works endured because they were beautiful, and beauty was the thread that connected every person in that room to every person who had ever stood before the original object. Down the hall, in a different semester, a film professor made a different case. Beauty, he said, was larger than prettiness. The ugly, the reprehensible, the fantastic, the comic: all of these were forms of beauty because all of them enchanted and instructed. A movie theater was a secular chapel. We watch together because beauty is a collective event. Both professors were right. Both were incomplete. And the question that has taken me forty years to formulate is the question my new book, The Human Universal Beautiful, attempts to answer: if beauty connects and instructs, who controls the connection? Who writes the lesson plan?

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Reuniting with Roots: A Journey Through Humayun's Tomb Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2026-04-05-07-38-19-hi Story Transcript:Hi: हमायूँ के मकबरे का विशाल और भव्य द्वार खुला और कबीर, अनन्या और मीरा ने अंदर कदम रखा।En: The grand and magnificent gate of Humayun's Tomb opened, and Kabir, Ananya, and Meera stepped inside.Hi: मौसम बसंत का था और हर ओर रंग-बिरंगे फूल खिले हुए थे।En: It was the season of spring, and colorful flowers were in bloom everywhere.Hi: फूलों की खुशबू हवा में तैर रही थी और दूर कहीं से पंछियों की चहचहाहट सुनाई दे रही थी।En: The fragrance of flowers floated in the air, and the chirping of birds could be heard in the distance.Hi: यह उनके परिवार का पुनर्मिलन था, और एक सुनहरा अवसर, खासकर कबीर के लिए जो कई वर्षों से विदेश में रह रहा था।En: It was a family reunion, a golden opportunity, especially for Kabir who had been living abroad for many years.Hi: कबीर, जिसकी उम्र पैंतीस साल थी, एक प्रख्यात इंजीनियर था जो लंबे समय से अपना घर और जड़ें भूल चुका था।En: Kabir, aged thirty-five, was a renowned engineer who had long forgotten his home and roots.Hi: उसे अपने परिवार और अपनी संस्कृति से फिर से जुड़ने की चाह थी, परंतु उसे इस दौर में एक अलग अनुभव का सामना करना पड़ रहा था।En: He longed to reconnect with his family and culture, but was facing a different experience during this visit.Hi: अनन्या, उसकी छोटी बहन, इतिहास की छात्रा थी, और उसे लगता था कि उनका परिवार भारत की सांस्कृतिक धरोहर को उतना सम्मान नहीं देता जितना उसे देना चाहिए।En: Ananya, his younger sister, was a history student, and she felt that their family did not give India's cultural heritage the respect it deserved.Hi: मीरा, उनकी माँ, बहुत उत्साहित थी कि दोनों भाई-बहन साथ हैं और एक-दूसरे के साथ समय बिता रहे हैं।En: Meera, their mother, was very excited that both siblings were together and spending time with each other.Hi: इस भव्य स्थल पर पहुंचकर अनन्या ने अपने ज्ञान और लगाव को साझा करने का अवसर लिया।En: Upon reaching the grand site, Ananya took the opportunity to share her knowledge and passion.Hi: "भैया, यह मकबरा मुग़ल वास्तुकला का अद्भुत नमूना है," उसने कहा।En: "Brother, this tomb is an amazing example of Mughal architecture," she said.Hi: कबीर ने उसकी बात ध्यान से सुनी लेकिन उसे यह सब अलग और नया लग रहा था।En: Kabir listened intently to her but found all this different and new.Hi: हर गली, हर कोना पर अनन्या ने कबीर को इतिहास के किस्से सुनाए।En: In every alley and corner, Ananya narrated historical tales to Kabir.Hi: पर वो उन विवरणों में गुम हो रहा था, वही जड़ें जो उसे भुलाई हुई लगती थीं।En: He found himself lost in these details, the very roots he felt he had forgotten.Hi: एक बड़े पुराने पेड़ के नीचे बैठते ही, कबीर की बेचैनी चरम पर थी।En: As soon as they sat under a big old tree, Kabir's restlessness reached its peak.Hi: उसने कहा, "अनन्या, क्या यह सब इतना महत्वपूर्ण है?En: He said, "Ananya, is all this really that important?"Hi: " उसकी आवाज में उलझन थी और अनन्या ने इसे महसूस किया।En: His voice was filled with confusion, and Ananya sensed it.Hi: तभी एक तीखी बहस छिड़ गई।En: Then a sharp argument broke out.Hi: अनन्या ने कहा, "तुम समझने की कोशिश भी नहीं कर रहे हो, भाई।En: Ananya said, "You're not even trying to understand, brother.Hi: यह सिर्फ इमारतें नहीं हैं, यह हमारी विरासत है।En: These are not just buildings, they are our heritage."Hi: " कबीर कुछ क्षण चुप रहा, फिर धीरे से बोला, "शायद मुझे तुम्हारे नज़रिये से देखना चाहिए।En: Kabir remained silent for a few moments, then softly said, "Maybe I should try to see things from your perspective.Hi: इतने साल से दूर रहने से मैं अपने आप को यहां अजनबी सा महसूस कर रहा हूँ।En: After being away for so many years, I feel like a stranger here."Hi: "मीरा, जो शांतिपूर्वक सब देख रही थी, मुस्कराई।En: Meera, who was quietly observing everything, smiled.Hi: उसने अपने बच्चों को इस तरह साथ देखकर संतुष्टि महसूस की।En: She felt content seeing her children together like this.Hi: कबीर ने अनन्या की हाथ पकड़कर कहा, "चलो, अब सारी बातें सुनाओ।En: Kabir held Ananya's hand and said, "Come on, tell me everything.Hi: मैं सीखना चाहता हूँ।En: I want to learn."Hi: " अनन्या मुस्कुराई, और वे फिर से मकबरे की ओर बढ़ चले।En: Ananya smiled, and they proceeded towards the tomb once more.Hi: यह दिन कबीर के लिए एक नई शुरुआत थी।En: This day marked a new beginning for Kabir.Hi: वह अपने परिवार और संस्कृति के प्रति एक नई भावना लेकर लौटा।En: He returned with a newfound feeling towards his family and culture.Hi: उसने अपनी जड़ें पहचान लीं और यह वादा किया कि अब वह इन्हें कभी नहीं भूलेगा।En: He recognized his roots and promised never to forget them again.Hi: कबीर और अनन्या ने एक-दूसरे को बेहतर समझने का निश्चय किया, और उन्होंने इस यात्रा का बाकी समय खुशी से बिताया, इस वादे के साथ कि वे एक-दूसरे का नजरिया समझने का प्रयास करेंगे।En: Kabir and Ananya decided to understand each other better, and they spent the rest of the journey happily, with a promise to try to see things from each other's perspectives. Vocabulary Words:grand: विशालmagnificent: भव्यfragrance: खुशबूchirping: चहचहाहटrenowned: प्रख्यातroots: जड़ेंreconnect: फिर से जुड़नाperspective: नज़रियाheritage: धरोहरopportunity: अवसरnarrated: किस्से सुनाएintently: ध्यान सेargument: बहसconfusion: उलझनstranger: अजनबीcontent: संतोषpromise: वादाnewfound: नईalley: गलीrecognized: पहचान लीobserve: देखनाexcited: उत्साहितarchitecture: वास्तुकलाpassion: लगावinsight: जानकारीopportunity: अवसरengulfed: गुमrestlessness: बेचैनीpeak: चरमcontent: संतुष्टि

In this episode of Gem Pursuit, we tell the extraordinary story of one of history's greatest lost diamonds - the legendary Florentine. A pale yellow diamond of almost 140 carats, the Florentine passed through some of Europe's most powerful dynasties, from the Medici family to the Habsburg emperors, before disappearing in the chaos that followed the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. For more than a century, its fate remained one of the great unsolved mysteries in gem history. Was it stolen, recut, or lost forever? Now, after over 100 years in the shadows, the Florentine has resurfaced - and its survival opens a new chapter in a story shaped by empire, exile, war and inheritance. In this episode, Matthew Weldon and Fenia Sigkoudi explore the stone's disputed origins, its links to the Mughal world, its place in the Habsburg treasury, and the remarkable events that led to its rediscovery. This is part three of our ongoing diamond series. If you enjoyed the episode, make sure you're subscribed wherever you listen, and if you have a moment, please rate and review the show on Spotify or Apple Podcasts. www.courtville.ie Get social with Courtville, follow us on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok This podcast was produced for Courtville by Tape Deck

Want to Be the Best Version of Yourself? Sign Up Here.https://app.beerbiceps.com/web/checkout/699d46a79b98fa69b168b402Check out BeerBiceps SkillHouse Courses Here - https://www.bbskillhouse.comFor all BeerBiceps vlog content Watch Life Of BeerBiceps - https://www.youtube.com/@LifeOfBeerBicepsCheck out my Mind Performance app: Level SuperMindLink:- https://level4665.u9ilnk.me/d/F1ZOZV4OnTShare your guest suggestions hereMail - connect@beerbiceps.comLink - https://forms.gle/aoMHY9EE3Cg3Tqdx9Join the Level Community Here:https://linktr.ee/levelsupermindcommunityFollow BeerBiceps SkillHouse's Social Media Handles:YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@BeerBicepsSkillHouseInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/beerbiceps_skillhouseWebsite : https://beerbicepsskillhouse.inFollow Ashish Bharatvanshi's Social Media Handles:-YouTube : https://www.youtube.com/@ashishbharatvanshi/videosInstagram : https://www.instagram.com/ashishbharatvanshi/?hl=enX : https://x.com/bharatvanshi01?lang=enIn episode #481 of The Ranveer Show, we are joined by historian and educator Ashish Bharatvanshi, who deep dives into the legendary life of Peshwa Baji Rao I, the Maratha Empire, and the intricacies of 18th-century Indian history. This episode explores the transition of the Maratha power, the significance of titles, and the personal discipline of the warriors who shaped India's destiny.In this conversation with Ashish Bharatvanshi, we discuss the true meaning of the title 'Peshwa' and how it evolved from a Prime Ministerial role to a warrior-general status under Baji Rao. This episode also covers the Visual Identity of Marathas, the physical agility and spiritual 'Tejas' (aura) required of a Peshwa, and the stark differences between historical reality and cinematic portrayals like Bajirao Mastani and Panipat.This podcast is a valuable resource for anyone interested in Maratha History, Peshwa Baji Rao, Indian Warfare Tactics, Leadership Lessons, and the untold stories of the Maratha Empire's expansion.(00:19) – Start of the episode(00:36) – Peshwa: Prime Minister or Warlord?(02:01) – Cinematic Lies vs Historical Reality(02:41) – War as a 12-Year Spiritual Sadhana(04:57) – Leadership: Sleeping with the Soldiers(05:32) – Diet & Mental Strength of Marathas(07:51) – The Real History of Mastani Bai(10:02) – The Maratha Civil War Explained(12:38) – Baji Rao: The Human Planet Mars(15:39) – Why Malwa was the Key to India(18:52) – 40 Years in Captivity: Maharani Yesubai(22:12) – Global Perspective on Shivaji Maharaj(26:44) – Marathas: The Kingmakers of Delhi(29:32) – Battle of Palkhed: Masterclass in War(41:04) – Why the Peshwas died in Debt(47:48) – Chhatrasal Bundela's Desperate Letter(56:13) – 41 Battles: Baji Rao's Undefeated Streak(1:03:36) – How the British actually Ruled India(1:12:13) – The Cult of Warrior Deities(1:15:21) – End of the episode

Delhi is haunted—by its ghosts, its ruins, and its unending capacity for rebirth. In the shadow of medieval mosques and Mughal tombs, the past refuses to stay buried. Saints, Sultans, poets, and lovers—all linger in the city's imagination, their stories shaping how we remember what once was. In Ghosted, historian and storyteller Eric Chopra journeys through the capital's most beguiling sites—Jamali-Kamali, Firoz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, the Mutiny Memorial, and Malcha Mahal—to unearth a Delhi that exists between worlds: a palimpsest where Sufis bless kings, jinn listen to grievances, and begums occupy dilapidated hunting lodges. What begins as a search for Delhi's haunted monuments becomes a meditation on why we are drawn to the dead and how ghost stories become vessels of collective memory. Blending archival research with folklore, myth, and reflection, Chopra paints an intimate portrait of a city forever in dialogue with its former selves. Through invasions and rebirths, he reveals that Delhi's spirit resides not just in its monuments but in the unseen presences that linger among them. Ghosted is a lyrical, haunting journey through the city's spectral landscape— an invitation to listen to what its echoes tell us about memory and identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Delhi is haunted—by its ghosts, its ruins, and its unending capacity for rebirth. In the shadow of medieval mosques and Mughal tombs, the past refuses to stay buried. Saints, Sultans, poets, and lovers—all linger in the city's imagination, their stories shaping how we remember what once was. In Ghosted, historian and storyteller Eric Chopra journeys through the capital's most beguiling sites—Jamali-Kamali, Firoz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, the Mutiny Memorial, and Malcha Mahal—to unearth a Delhi that exists between worlds: a palimpsest where Sufis bless kings, jinn listen to grievances, and begums occupy dilapidated hunting lodges. What begins as a search for Delhi's haunted monuments becomes a meditation on why we are drawn to the dead and how ghost stories become vessels of collective memory. Blending archival research with folklore, myth, and reflection, Chopra paints an intimate portrait of a city forever in dialogue with its former selves. Through invasions and rebirths, he reveals that Delhi's spirit resides not just in its monuments but in the unseen presences that linger among them. Ghosted is a lyrical, haunting journey through the city's spectral landscape— an invitation to listen to what its echoes tell us about memory and identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/literature

Delhi is haunted—by its ghosts, its ruins, and its unending capacity for rebirth. In the shadow of medieval mosques and Mughal tombs, the past refuses to stay buried. Saints, Sultans, poets, and lovers—all linger in the city's imagination, their stories shaping how we remember what once was. In Ghosted, historian and storyteller Eric Chopra journeys through the capital's most beguiling sites—Jamali-Kamali, Firoz Shah Kotla, Khooni Darwaza, the Mutiny Memorial, and Malcha Mahal—to unearth a Delhi that exists between worlds: a palimpsest where Sufis bless kings, jinn listen to grievances, and begums occupy dilapidated hunting lodges. What begins as a search for Delhi's haunted monuments becomes a meditation on why we are drawn to the dead and how ghost stories become vessels of collective memory. Blending archival research with folklore, myth, and reflection, Chopra paints an intimate portrait of a city forever in dialogue with its former selves. Through invasions and rebirths, he reveals that Delhi's spirit resides not just in its monuments but in the unseen presences that linger among them. Ghosted is a lyrical, haunting journey through the city's spectral landscape— an invitation to listen to what its echoes tell us about memory and identity. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

How did the tide turn towards the end of 1857 as British reinforcements gathered to strike the hearts of the rebellion: Delhi and Lucknow? Who was the British Commander, John Nicholson, and why was he feared by both friend and foe? Was the city of Delhi, under control of the last Mughal emperor, doomed from within? In Episode 6 of the series, Anita and William cover how Indian resistance during the 1857 uprising became weakened by dwindling resources, tactical disunity, and the growing British force.   Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Editor: Vasco Andrade Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of The Winston Marshall Show, I sit down with counter-extremism campaigner and founder of Tell MAMA, Fiyaz Mughal, for a wide-ranging conversation on Sharia councils, Islamism, integration, and the future of British multiculturalism.We examine the reality of Sharia councils in Britain, how they operate, and why their lack of regulation raises serious concerns, particularly for women and their legal rights. Fiyaz explains the difference between non-binding religious arbitration and English civil law, and why greater transparency, oversight, and accreditation are urgently needed.The discussion explores Islamism, religious literalism, and how parts of British Islam shifted after the 1980s, from a more culturally integrated faith to a harder and more ideological identity. We discuss migration, community clustering, social pressure, and why dissent within Muslim communities has increasingly been shut down.We also address anti-Muslim hate in Britain, the work of Tell MAMA, the distinction between free speech and harassment, and how international events often drive domestic tensions. Fiyaz argues that Britain must defend its institutions, national values, and freedoms, while rejecting both Islamist extremism and racial hatred.A serious and nuanced conversation about faith, identity, integration, and whether Britain can still articulate what it stands for in an age of moral relativism.-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------WATCH FULL EXTEND CONVERSATION HERE: https://open.substack.com/pub/winstonmarshall/p/uncovering-the-truth-about-sharia?r=18lfab&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOLLOW ME ON SOCIAL MEDIA:Substack: https://www.winstonmarshall.co.uk/X: https://twitter.com/mrwinmarshallInsta: https://www.instagram.com/winstonmarshallLinktree: https://linktr.ee/winstonmarshall Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

How did the mutiny amongst sepoys –Indian soldiers– turn into a national crisis? What ultimatum did the rebels give the Mughal emperor when they reached the Red Fort in Delhi? Why did the British fail to see what was coming?  In Episode 2 of the series, William and Anita discuss how the rebel sepoys travelled along the Bridge of Boats to take the rebellion to Delhi. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: empire@goalhanger.com Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Editor: Bruno Di Castri Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Dom Johnson Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In the first episode of our series, we follow the rise of Akbar, a teenage ruler who inherits a fragile empire, surrounded by enemies and nearly bankrupt. Akbar expands Mughal power through conquest, but his most consequential struggles are ideological. As religious hardliners urge him to impose stricter Islamic rule, he chooses a different path: abolishing the jizya, protecting Hindu worship, and insisting that an empire built on exclusion cannot endure. Yet tolerance carries a price. In his attempt to forge a new, universal faith, Akbar begins to alienate many of those he rules and many of those closest to him. And far beyond India's shores, a new threat is taking shape. Across the seas, the rising power of England casts a jealous eye on the immense wealth of the Mughal world... A story of empire, belief, and tolerance. The opening chapter in our "Downfall Of The Mughals" series. ⁠⁠Help support the show on Patreon!⁠⁠ ⁠⁠Sources and Attributions on our website. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

HENRY AVERY: THE COMPLICATED GENIUS WHO SPARKED THE GOLDEN AGE OF PIRACYColleagues Sean Kingsley and Rex Cowan, The Pirate King. Host John Batchelor introduces the authors of The Pirate King to discuss Henry Avery, a "complicated genius" who raided a Mughal treasure ship in 1695. While this heist sparked the Golden Age of Piracy, the authors reveal that Avery did not merely vanish but entered a world of espionage. NUMBER 1

Have you heard of Freebirthing? It's giving birth without any medical help or intervention. A new podcast by The Guardian has investigated an American organisation – the Free Birth Society or FBS – a multimillion-dollar business which professionals claim promotes some dangerous views. Nuala McGovern is joined by Sirin Kale who undertook the investigation along with her colleague Lucy Osbourne. Dr Claire Feeley, midwife and senior lecturer at Kings College London who has done research into freebirthing, discusses the free birth picture here in the UK.Today marks a year since the fall of the Assad regime in Syria. For more than half a century the Assad family ruled Syria with an iron fist and when it came to an end after 13 years of war, many women hoped for a new era. So what's the situation for women in the country 12 months on? We hear from Lina Sinjab, the BBC's Middle East correspondent, who is Syrian and currently in Aleppo.As part of Radio 4's annual Christmas Appeal, we hear from NHS Clinical psychologist Sarah Phillips and former Rowan Alba supported-accommodation resident Elvira about how a revolutionary in-house psychologist team is helping homeless women in supported housing in Edinburgh and why they think this model should be rolled out across the UK.Sarah Mughal Rana is a #BookTok personality and the co-host of On the Write Track podcast. Her debut novel - Dawn of the Firebird -has just been published. It's an epic, action-packed fantasy story, embracing rich Islamic culture. Sarah joins Nuala to discuss the main protagonist, the discarded daughter of an emperor, who is described as: Daughter, Assassin, Traitor, Saviour. Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Kirsty Starkey

RANKOPAN6.mp3 - The Great Divergence, Coal Location, and Global Climate Shocks Peter Frankopan | The Earth Transformed: An Untold History The Great Divergence seeks to explain how Europe accelerated scientifically and technologically after 1500 to dominate global empires. A key factor was location: England benefited from coal fields situated close to London and easily transportable by sea, unlike China's distant resources. Climate shocks created opportunities for European powers. Severe famines and droughts in India (such as the 1770s Bengal famine that killed 30 million) shattered the Mughal state's ability to collect revenue, facilitating British control. Additionally, the 1783 Laki volcanic eruption caused a climate shock affecting Egypt's Nile, diverting Ottoman focus southward and enabling Catherine the Great to annex Crimea.

ORIGINAL UNBELIEVABLE.  2/4: The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy Hardcover – April 2, 2024 by  Sean Kingsley  (Author), Rex Cowan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-King-Strange-Adventures-Golden/dp/1639365958/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Henry Avery of Devon pillaged a fortune from a Mughal ship off the coast of India and then vanished into thin air—and into legend. More ballads, plays, biographies and books were written about Avery's adventures than any other pirate. His contemporaries crowned him "the pirate king" for pulling off the richest heist in pirate history and escaping with his head intact (unlike Blackbeard and his infamous Flying Gang). Avery was now the most wanted criminal on earth. To the authorities, Avery was the enemy of all mankind. To the people he was a hero. Rumors swirled about his disappearance. The only certainty is that Henry Avery became a ghost. 1841

ORIGINAL UNBELIEVABLE.  3/4: The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy Hardcover – April 2, 2024 by  Sean Kingsley  (Author), Rex Cowan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-King-Strange-Adventures-Golden/dp/1639365958/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Henry Avery of Devon pillaged a fortune from a Mughal ship off the coast of India and then vanished into thin air—and into legend. More ballads, plays, biographies and books were written about Avery's adventures than any other pirate. His contemporaries crowned him "the pirate king" for pulling off the richest heist in pirate history and escaping with his head intact (unlike Blackbeard and his infamous Flying Gang). Avery was now the most wanted criminal on earth. To the authorities, Avery was the enemy of all mankind. To the people he was a hero. Rumors swirled about his disappearance. The only certainty is that Henry Avery became a ghost. 1850

ORIGINAL UNBELIEVABLE  1/4: The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy Hardcover – April 2, 2024 by  Sean Kingsley  (Author), Rex Cowan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-King-Strange-Adventures-Golden/dp/1639365958/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Henry Avery of Devon pillaged a fortune from a Mughal ship off the coast of India and then vanished into thin air—and into legend. More ballads, plays, biographies and books were written about Avery's adventures than any other pirate. His contemporaries crowned him "the pirate king" for pulling off the richest heist in pirate history and escaping with his head intact (unlike Blackbeard and his infamous Flying Gang). Avery was now the most wanted criminal on earth. To the authorities, Avery was the enemy of all mankind. To the people he was a hero. Rumors swirled about his disappearance. The only certainty is that Henry Avery became a ghost.

ORIGINAL UNBELIEVABLE.  4/4: The Pirate King: The Strange Adventures of Henry Avery and the Birth of the Golden Age of Piracy Hardcover – April 2, 2024 by  Sean Kingsley  (Author), Rex Cowan  (Author) https://www.amazon.com/Pirate-King-Strange-Adventures-Golden/dp/1639365958/ref=tmm_hrd_swatch_0?_encoding=UTF8&qid=&sr= Henry Avery of Devon pillaged a fortune from a Mughal ship off the coast of India and then vanished into thin air—and into legend. More ballads, plays, biographies and books were written about Avery's adventures than any other pirate. His contemporaries crowned him "the pirate king" for pulling off the richest heist in pirate history and escaping with his head intact (unlike Blackbeard and his infamous Flying Gang). Avery was now the most wanted criminal on earth. To the authorities, Avery was the enemy of all mankind. To the people he was a hero. Rumors swirled about his disappearance. The only certainty is that Henry Avery became a ghost.