Podcasts about Mughal

Dr. Subha Dayal recently joined the New Books Network to discuss her new work Between Household and State: The Mughal Frontier and the Politics of Circulation in Peninsular India (U California Press, 2024). Her book makes a crucial intervention by moving beyond conventional dynastic narratives of the Mughal past to emphasize the role of elite household and family networks in peninsular India. Her approach defines the Mughal Frontier as a mobile entity. The empire was continuously remade and transformed through its interactions with ordinary itinerant subjects, such as scribes, soldiers, and labourers, who served under elite households and participated in imperial institutions like the army or bureaucracy. Dayal employs a bottom-up, granular portrait of this dynamism, returning to the tradition of social history to understand what the empire meant to ordinary people. The central organizational concept of the book is Ghar, defined as a continuum of relations that is neither restricted to sociological kin nor strictly bound to territory or space. While Ghar traditionally means "home" or "household," it also refers to a "slot or a single cell or receptacle," signifying an entity that functions as part of a larger unit. Dayal posits that the question of belonging can never be separated from the question of inequality. Belonging within the vertical hierarchy of a Ghar was inherently a form of privilege. The concept is fundamentally tied to the process of caste (jati) formation in pre-colonial India. Ghar was evoked by thousands of ordinary soldiers performing service (naukari) under a lord to signify affinity to a city, descent, or region. The internal politics of a Ghar often compelled household heads to forge alliances (sometimes across religious or kin divides) while simultaneously forcing them to enforce boundaries of status and caste to secure their grip over offices.  Dayal chose the term Mughal frontier over "borderlands" to highlight the politics of circulation across the peninsula. This frontier is defined as a complex set of processes through which social formations, personnel, and resources came to overlap and be shared across northern and southern India. Circulation itself is defined not as a unidirectional mobility (like invasion), but as the back-and-forth movement of pre-modern actors between sites, including courts, battlefields, and port cities. This constant exchange caused these sites to develop overlaps and codependencies. Focusing on circulation helps Dayal collapse the spatial boundaries between northern and southern India. The household both anchors this circulation and is, in turn, reconfigured by it, creating new forms of affinity, belonging, and social exclusion. Dayal's research bridges two distinct scholarly lines of inquiry: the Persian ecumene (which focuses on court and cultural history) and Indian Ocean studies (which often relies on European-language materials). She utilizes a massive documentary deposit of low-level Persian administrative materials from the moving Mughal frontier, reading them alongside vernacular narrative poems and the correspondence of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) along the coast. The VOC records, she notes, often use the term "huijshouden/huijsheid" to identify independent households and gauge their autonomy from imperial capitals. By working across these genres, Dayal affirms the radical equality of literary and non-literary sources for the study of pre-modern India. Dr. Dayal's next project involves writing the Islamic port city into global history. This comparative study of the bureaucratic and scribal cultures of three port cities—Bandar Abbas, Surat, and Masulipatnam—moves from the sea to the land. This work utilizes bilingual documents in Persian and Dutch to trace how indigenous templates and scribal cultures shaped the terrain on which transnational companies operated, creating a kind of prehistory of orientalism. 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

Dr. Subha Dayal recently joined the New Books Network to discuss her new work Between Household and State: The Mughal Frontier and the Politics of Circulation in Peninsular India (U California Press, 2024). Her book makes a crucial intervention by moving beyond conventional dynastic narratives of the Mughal past to emphasize the role of elite household and family networks in peninsular India. Her approach defines the Mughal Frontier as a mobile entity. The empire was continuously remade and transformed through its interactions with ordinary itinerant subjects, such as scribes, soldiers, and labourers, who served under elite households and participated in imperial institutions like the army or bureaucracy. Dayal employs a bottom-up, granular portrait of this dynamism, returning to the tradition of social history to understand what the empire meant to ordinary people. The central organizational concept of the book is Ghar, defined as a continuum of relations that is neither restricted to sociological kin nor strictly bound to territory or space. While Ghar traditionally means "home" or "household," it also refers to a "slot or a single cell or receptacle," signifying an entity that functions as part of a larger unit. Dayal posits that the question of belonging can never be separated from the question of inequality. Belonging within the vertical hierarchy of a Ghar was inherently a form of privilege. The concept is fundamentally tied to the process of caste (jati) formation in pre-colonial India. Ghar was evoked by thousands of ordinary soldiers performing service (naukari) under a lord to signify affinity to a city, descent, or region. The internal politics of a Ghar often compelled household heads to forge alliances (sometimes across religious or kin divides) while simultaneously forcing them to enforce boundaries of status and caste to secure their grip over offices.  Dayal chose the term Mughal frontier over "borderlands" to highlight the politics of circulation across the peninsula. This frontier is defined as a complex set of processes through which social formations, personnel, and resources came to overlap and be shared across northern and southern India. Circulation itself is defined not as a unidirectional mobility (like invasion), but as the back-and-forth movement of pre-modern actors between sites, including courts, battlefields, and port cities. This constant exchange caused these sites to develop overlaps and codependencies. Focusing on circulation helps Dayal collapse the spatial boundaries between northern and southern India. The household both anchors this circulation and is, in turn, reconfigured by it, creating new forms of affinity, belonging, and social exclusion. Dayal's research bridges two distinct scholarly lines of inquiry: the Persian ecumene (which focuses on court and cultural history) and Indian Ocean studies (which often relies on European-language materials). She utilizes a massive documentary deposit of low-level Persian administrative materials from the moving Mughal frontier, reading them alongside vernacular narrative poems and the correspondence of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) along the coast. The VOC records, she notes, often use the term "huijshouden/huijsheid" to identify independent households and gauge their autonomy from imperial capitals. By working across these genres, Dayal affirms the radical equality of literary and non-literary sources for the study of pre-modern India. Dr. Dayal's next project involves writing the Islamic port city into global history. This comparative study of the bureaucratic and scribal cultures of three port cities—Bandar Abbas, Surat, and Masulipatnam—moves from the sea to the land. This work utilizes bilingual documents in Persian and Dutch to trace how indigenous templates and scribal cultures shaped the terrain on which transnational companies operated, creating a kind of prehistory of orientalism. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Dr. Subha Dayal recently joined the New Books Network to discuss her new work Between Household and State: The Mughal Frontier and the Politics of Circulation in Peninsular India (U California Press, 2024). Her book makes a crucial intervention by moving beyond conventional dynastic narratives of the Mughal past to emphasize the role of elite household and family networks in peninsular India. Her approach defines the Mughal Frontier as a mobile entity. The empire was continuously remade and transformed through its interactions with ordinary itinerant subjects, such as scribes, soldiers, and labourers, who served under elite households and participated in imperial institutions like the army or bureaucracy. Dayal employs a bottom-up, granular portrait of this dynamism, returning to the tradition of social history to understand what the empire meant to ordinary people. The central organizational concept of the book is Ghar, defined as a continuum of relations that is neither restricted to sociological kin nor strictly bound to territory or space. While Ghar traditionally means "home" or "household," it also refers to a "slot or a single cell or receptacle," signifying an entity that functions as part of a larger unit. Dayal posits that the question of belonging can never be separated from the question of inequality. Belonging within the vertical hierarchy of a Ghar was inherently a form of privilege. The concept is fundamentally tied to the process of caste (jati) formation in pre-colonial India. Ghar was evoked by thousands of ordinary soldiers performing service (naukari) under a lord to signify affinity to a city, descent, or region. The internal politics of a Ghar often compelled household heads to forge alliances (sometimes across religious or kin divides) while simultaneously forcing them to enforce boundaries of status and caste to secure their grip over offices.  Dayal chose the term Mughal frontier over "borderlands" to highlight the politics of circulation across the peninsula. This frontier is defined as a complex set of processes through which social formations, personnel, and resources came to overlap and be shared across northern and southern India. Circulation itself is defined not as a unidirectional mobility (like invasion), but as the back-and-forth movement of pre-modern actors between sites, including courts, battlefields, and port cities. This constant exchange caused these sites to develop overlaps and codependencies. Focusing on circulation helps Dayal collapse the spatial boundaries between northern and southern India. The household both anchors this circulation and is, in turn, reconfigured by it, creating new forms of affinity, belonging, and social exclusion. Dayal's research bridges two distinct scholarly lines of inquiry: the Persian ecumene (which focuses on court and cultural history) and Indian Ocean studies (which often relies on European-language materials). She utilizes a massive documentary deposit of low-level Persian administrative materials from the moving Mughal frontier, reading them alongside vernacular narrative poems and the correspondence of the Dutch East India Company (VOC) along the coast. The VOC records, she notes, often use the term "huijshouden/huijsheid" to identify independent households and gauge their autonomy from imperial capitals. By working across these genres, Dayal affirms the radical equality of literary and non-literary sources for the study of pre-modern India. Dr. Dayal's next project involves writing the Islamic port city into global history. This comparative study of the bureaucratic and scribal cultures of three port cities—Bandar Abbas, Surat, and Masulipatnam—moves from the sea to the land. This work utilizes bilingual documents in Persian and Dutch to trace how indigenous templates and scribal cultures shaped the terrain on which transnational companies operated, creating a kind of prehistory of orientalism. 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

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.  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.  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.

The revision of school textbooks to erase Mughal influence on Indian history and culture is in keeping with the BJP-RSS effort to rewrite the past to justify its present and the future it wants to create. This future is saffron, a rejection of the secular ethos of India. Please listen to the latest episode of All Indians Mattter. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The Mughal empire was one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in South Asian history, blending together a mix of cultural traditions to create a legacy of dazzling architecture, innovative governance, and turbulent politics. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Nandini Chatterjee journeys through the empire's rich history – and considers why it continues to spark debate today. The HistoryExtra podcast is produced by the team behind BBC History Magazine. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Everyone has heard of Mecca. But few people outside Pakistan have heard of Makli, or “Little Mecca,” the sacred cemetery that is both the holiest place in Sindh and a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site is actually huge, with up to a million people buried there, so the “little” reflects respect for Mecca rather than the size of Makli. More important than Makli's size, though, is its beauty. From the fourteenth onwards, rulers and aristocrats from the local Samma, Arghun, then Mughal dynasties commissioned elegant carved stone mausoleums around the burial places of the saints who rendered Makli sacred. In this episode, we'll take an audio tour of its beautiful buildings, looking at their decorative symbolism and Arabic inscriptions, before delving further into the history of this extraordinary necropolis of the holy, powerful, and poor alike. Nile Green talks to Fatima Quraishi, author of Palimpsests Past and Present: The Sufis and Sultans of the Makli Necropolis (1380–1660) (University of North Carolina Press, 2026).

In this episode of History 102, 'WhatIfAltHist' creator Rudyard Lynch and co-host Austin Padgett explore why gunpowder democratized Europe but enabled Asian autocracy, examining Hawaii, Ottoman, Ming, and Mughal empires to understand how identical technologies create divergent civilizational outcomes. -- SPONSOR: ZCASH | SHOPIFY | NETSUITE | ORACLE The right technology reshapes politics and culture toward freedom and prosperity. Zcash—the "machinery of freedom"—delivers unstoppable private money through encryption. When your wealth is unseen, it's unseizable. Download Zashi wallet and follow @genzcash to learn more: ⁠⁠https://x.com/genzcash⁠⁠ Shopify is the world's leading e-commerce platform, offering a market-leading checkout system Shoppay and exclusive AI apps. Nobody does selling better than Shopify. Get a $1 per month trial at ⁠⁠⁠https://shopify.com/momentofzen⁠⁠⁠. More than 42,000 businesses have already upgraded to NetSuite by Oracle, the #1 cloud financial system bringing accounting, financial management, inventory, HR, into ONE proven platform. If you're looking for an ERP platform, get a one-of-a-kind flexible financing program on NetSuite: ⁠⁠⁠https://netsuite.com/102⁠⁠⁠ - Download your free CFO's guide to AI and machine learning. Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI): Oracle's next-generation cloud platform delivers blazing-fast AI and ML performance with 50% less for compute and 80% less for outbound networking compared to other cloud providers. OCI powers industry leaders like Vodafone and Thomson Reuters with secure infrastructure and application development capabilities. New U.S. customers can get their cloud bill cut in half by switching to OCI before March 31, 2024 at ⁠⁠⁠https://oracle.com/cognitive⁠⁠⁠. -- FOLLOW ON X: @whatifalthist (Rudyard) @LudwigNverMises (Austin) @TurpentineMedia -- TIMESTAMPS: (00:00) Introduction & Framework(13:00) Case Study #1: Hawaii(17:33) Sponsors: ZCash | Shopify(22:39) Case Study #2: Spanish & Turkish Empires(40:50) Sponsors: Netsuite | Oracle(45:52) Case Study #3: China - Ming & Qing Dynasties(1:07:00) Japan: Brief Military Supremacy(1:07:00) Japan: Brief Military Supremacy(1:11:00) Ottoman Empire: Slave Soldiers & Decline(1:32:06) African Gunpowder Empires(1:38:00) Safavid Persia(1:42:00) Mughal Empire(1:53:00) European Colonialism & Modern Implications Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Alisha Mughal's It Can't Rain All the Time: The Crow (ECW Press, 2025) weaves memoir with film criticism in an effort to pin down The Crow's cultural resonance. A passionate analysis of the ill-fated 1994 film starring the late Brandon Lee and its long-lasting influence on action movies, cinematic grief, and emotional masculinity Released in 1994, The Crow first drew in audiences thanks to the well-publicized tragedy that loomed over the film: lead actor Brandon Lee had died on set due to a mishandled prop gun. But it soon became clear that The Crow was more than just an accumulation of its tragic parts. The celebrated critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lee's performance was “more of a screen achievement than any of the films of his father, Bruce Lee.” In It Can't Rain All the Time, Mughal argues that The Crow has transcended Brandon Lee's death by exposing the most challenging human emotions in all their dark, dramatic, and visceral glory, so much so that it has spawned three sequels, a remake, and an intense fandom. Eric, our back-from-the-dead, grieving protagonist, shows us that there is no solution to depression or loss, there is only our own internal, messy work. By the end of the movie, we realize that Eric has presented us with a vast range of emotions and that masculinity doesn't need to be hard and impenetrable. Through her memories of seeking solace in the film during her own grieving period, Mughal brilliantly shows that, for all its gothic sadness, The Crow is, surprisingly and touchingly, a movie about redemption and hope.  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

Alisha Mughal's It Can't Rain All the Time: The Crow (ECW Press, 2025) weaves memoir with film criticism in an effort to pin down The Crow's cultural resonance. A passionate analysis of the ill-fated 1994 film starring the late Brandon Lee and its long-lasting influence on action movies, cinematic grief, and emotional masculinity Released in 1994, The Crow first drew in audiences thanks to the well-publicized tragedy that loomed over the film: lead actor Brandon Lee had died on set due to a mishandled prop gun. But it soon became clear that The Crow was more than just an accumulation of its tragic parts. The celebrated critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lee's performance was “more of a screen achievement than any of the films of his father, Bruce Lee.” In It Can't Rain All the Time, Mughal argues that The Crow has transcended Brandon Lee's death by exposing the most challenging human emotions in all their dark, dramatic, and visceral glory, so much so that it has spawned three sequels, a remake, and an intense fandom. Eric, our back-from-the-dead, grieving protagonist, shows us that there is no solution to depression or loss, there is only our own internal, messy work. By the end of the movie, we realize that Eric has presented us with a vast range of emotions and that masculinity doesn't need to be hard and impenetrable. Through her memories of seeking solace in the film during her own grieving period, Mughal brilliantly shows that, for all its gothic sadness, The Crow is, surprisingly and touchingly, a movie about redemption and hope.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/film

Alisha Mughal's It Can't Rain All the Time: The Crow (ECW Press, 2025) weaves memoir with film criticism in an effort to pin down The Crow's cultural resonance. A passionate analysis of the ill-fated 1994 film starring the late Brandon Lee and its long-lasting influence on action movies, cinematic grief, and emotional masculinity Released in 1994, The Crow first drew in audiences thanks to the well-publicized tragedy that loomed over the film: lead actor Brandon Lee had died on set due to a mishandled prop gun. But it soon became clear that The Crow was more than just an accumulation of its tragic parts. The celebrated critic Roger Ebert wrote that Lee's performance was “more of a screen achievement than any of the films of his father, Bruce Lee.” In It Can't Rain All the Time, Mughal argues that The Crow has transcended Brandon Lee's death by exposing the most challenging human emotions in all their dark, dramatic, and visceral glory, so much so that it has spawned three sequels, a remake, and an intense fandom. Eric, our back-from-the-dead, grieving protagonist, shows us that there is no solution to depression or loss, there is only our own internal, messy work. By the end of the movie, we realize that Eric has presented us with a vast range of emotions and that masculinity doesn't need to be hard and impenetrable. Through her memories of seeking solace in the film during her own grieving period, Mughal brilliantly shows that, for all its gothic sadness, The Crow is, surprisingly and touchingly, a movie about redemption and hope.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/popular-culture

Abashed the devil stood, and felt how awful goodness is. The Crow (1994) is a one-of-a-kind film, borne out of tragedy and thought to be cursed. Critic and culture writer Alisha Mughal takes a look at the film, its graphic novel origins, its beautiful but doomed star Brandon Lee, and much more in her new book for the Pop Classics series, It Can't Rain All the Time: The Crow. Alisha joins Skylight's Justin Remer for a talk about her book, her hyperfixation on the movie, and the '90s grunge ethos. For more of Alisha Mughal's recent writing, check out: *"The Lonely Landscapes of Materialists and The Worst Person in the World" on RogerEbert.com  *"Let's Rock: The Dialectic of the the Sublime in Twin Peaks" on FilmDaze.net  For more information on the screening of Johnny Mnemonic hosted by the Skylight Books podcast crew on August 26, 2025, check out:  *The American Cinematheque's website for Friend of the Fest 2025 For Pop Classics titles on audiobook, check out Libro.FM please!  Hosted and produced by Justin Remer.  Recorded remotely via Zencastr.  Opening music: "Optimism (Instrumental)" by Duck the Piano Wire.  Closing music: "Rule of 3s (Solemnity Child)" by Elastic No-No Band. 

Immerse yourself in an episode that uncovers the intricate relationship between art, history, and spirituality in Delhi through the passionate voice of Sabah Aluva, a celebrated calligrapher, teacher, and author. This podcast episode goes far beyond the surface, pulling you into a world where words become art and history breathes through stone, inscription, and myth.Discover the secrets behind Islamic calligraphy its evolution under the Mughal emperors, where Persian and Indian influences melded to create breathtaking scripts that adorn royal coins, grand mosques, and world-famous monuments. Learn how gold leaf and exquisite color transformed words into visual masterpieces reflecting divine reverence and royal prestige, and how inscriptions on Delhi's monuments served not just as records but as living testaments to a civilization's creativity.The discussion journeys through the stories written on coins, the symbolism in gardens and architecture, and the profound purpose behind Delhi's ancient stepwells (baolis), caravan serais, and madrassas key elements that supported travelers, scholars, and spiritual seekers alike. Unravel the pivotal role Sufis played in shaping Delhi's tolerant and harmonious character, and how their khanqahs and dargahs became touchstones of spiritual and communal life, contrasting with the more rigid orthodoxy of their era.Go deeper with little-known legends and etymologies behind Delhi's neighborhoods where a Sufi saint's miracle could rename a whole district, and the bloody tales of conquest still echo in fortress stones. Each place name and monument reveals layers of story, faith, and artistry, brought to life by Sabah's expertise in epigraphy, Arabic penmanship, and Mughal-era heritage.Perfect for those enthralled by the worlds of Calligraphy, Delhi History, IslamicArt, Sufism, and Cultural Heritage, this conversation is a living museum a space where every question draws you further into the web of symbols, traditions, and poetic stories that define India's grand capital.Subscribe and step into heritage: Experience Delhi's past and present as never before through art, spirituality, architectural marvels, and captivating untold tales.Team Uppu:Host: Saeed HafizGuest: Sabah AluvaVideography: HadiPost- Production: Yasar, Ameen, Althaf SS, Rayyan Hafiz, Anvar Asgar Ali, Hadi Alfain, Nuzha Hanan#podcast #heritage #malayalampodcast #calligraphy #delhihistory #islamicart #sufism #culturalheritage (00:00) - highlights (00:38) - intro(04:38) - inscriptions, calligraphy, art(20:15) - coins (27:04) - motives (30:04) - gardens and surroundings(33:30) - symbols of islam(39:01) - Caravan sarae (41:44) - importance of Sufis(48:05) - baolis (50:27) - Madrassas(55:18) - stories behind the names of places (01:00:27) - dilli history (01:24:35) - GazalsJoin us for another insightful episode where we delve into diverse topics, bridging cultures and ideas. Don't forget to subscribe, like, and share to be part of our vibrant community!

Colonel Yogander Singh (retd) is a retired Indian Army officer and military historian, with special focus on Haryana. He has written several books, most prominent among them being 'Hal Wa Samshir: Politico-Military History of Haryana'. 'Future Ready Indian Army' and 'Effective Deterrence: Thoughts on India's Security Policy and Structures in the Twenty-first Century'.His latest books are 'Century of the Locust' & 'Century of the Raj' in two volumes detailing the history of 18th and 19th century Haryana respectively in a comprehensive manner.

The Taj Mahal is one of the most famous and beautiful buildings in the world. Built in the 1600s by Mughal emperor Shah Jahan as a tomb for his wife, it's a masterpiece of white marble and Islamic architecture. This episode explores the love story, artistry, and engineering behind this iconic structure—and why the Taj Mahal still stands as a symbol of eternal love.

Do you ever talk about your favorite things through top 5 lists? Like, you have your top 5 tv shows, or top 5 songs, etc. No? Just me? Cool.When I look back at my favorite movies and soundtracks, you'll find The Crow in the top 5 of both categories. The film still makes me feel emotions I didn't think possible. It's such a heavy film to me even 31 years after its release. Maybe watching it brings back grief from the loss of Brandon Lee. Or maybe The Crow is packed with emotional content and themes. To this day I still tear up at one particular moment in the film (which we discuss in the podcast). What's wrong with me?In the latest installment of the Pop Classics series, Alisha Mughal has taken on the task of taking us on a deep dive of the classic film. Her book 'It Can't Rain All The Time' is available now and I think any movie fan will enjoy it.In this episode we discuss the history and folklore about The Crow, how you can find similarities with the John Wick universe, how incredible Brandon Lee truly was and so much more.

Alisha Mughal On Finding the Beauty In Grief, Tragedy, and Love - It Can't Rain All The Time: The CrowHappy Sunday! I am so delighted to be sharing yet another installment of ECW Press' Pop Classics Series, It Can't Rain All The Time: The Crow by Alisha Mughal (out July 15th!!). Alisha and I explore the enduring appeal of The Crow, the beauty we can find within this story's multi-layered tragedy and how this film encourages viewers to fight for love. I just adore this book so I'm honored to share this interview ahead of the book's publication day!Follow AlishaFollow OTSMap of Indie Bookstores Preorder/Purchase It Can't Rain All The Time: The Crow!Queen BooksOdyssey BooksQuail Ridge BooksOther OTS episodes featuring Pop Classics Authors!Veronica Litt on CluelessAndrea Warner on Dirty DancingJen Sookfong Lee on My Own Private IdahoMichael Hingston on Calvin and Hobbes

rWotD Episode 2986: Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi Welcome to random Wiki of the Day, your journey through Wikipedia's vast and varied content, one random article at a time.The random article for Monday, 7 July 2025, is Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi.The Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi (lit. 'History of Sher Shah') is a historical work dated 1580 CE which was compiled by Abbas Khan Sarwani, a waqia-navis under Mughal emperor Akbar, detailing the rule of Sher Shah Suri, founder of the Sur Empire. The work was commissioned by Akbar to provide detailed documentation about Sher Shah's administration - Akbar's father Humayun had been defeated by Sher Shah.Abbas wrote the Tarik-i Sher Shahi using his own local Indo-Afghan cultural style, not in the style and language of standard Persian.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 00:54 UTC on Monday, 7 July 2025.For the full current version of the article, see Tarikh-i-Sher Shahi on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm generative Ayanda.

Professor Suzannah Lipscomb discusses the remarkable life of Akbar the Great, one of history's most impressive emperors. Together with historian Ira Mukhoty, Suzannah explores Akbar's journey from royal hostage to a ruler known for his vast, multi-ethnic empire.From how Akbar used spies to keep a grip on his realm, to his revolutionary policies on religious inclusivity and harmony, to his daring conquests, including the epic siege of Chittor, Akbar the Great's reign was extraordinary and unprecedented.MORE:Majestic Mughals: From Akbar to Shah Jahanhttps://open.spotify.com/episode/6kJDF3rlVnXvILtMGdVx71Adventures of a Mughal Princesshttps://open.spotify.com/episode/0U38APS4SoDUu7TlG30J4KPresented 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 podcast.Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here: https://insights.historyhit.com/history-hit-podcast-always-on

Geoff and Rory are joined by renowned writer, film-maker and Mughal historian, Sam Dalrymple, for a fascinating and storied episode on the history of Elveden Hall in Suffolk.Once the English home of the last ruler of the Sikh Empire - Sir Duleep Singh, Maharajah of Punjab - and now the seat of the Guinness family, Earls of Iveagh, Elveden is a resplendent Mughal palace (complete with scalloped arches, lotus-bud capitals, drop-traceried arcading, and a four-storey Marble Hall reminiscent of the Court of Lahore)... all encased within a Victorian Italianate shell.

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Mysteries of Humayun's Tomb: Journey to Confidence and Friendship Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-06-01-22-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: गर्मियों की शुरुआत में एक सजीव शनिवार की सुबह थी।En: It was a lively Saturday morning at the start of summer.Hi: सूरज की रोशनी धीरे-धीरे हुमायूँ के मकबरे के लाल पत्थरों पर चमक रही थी।En: The sunlight was slowly shining on the red stones of Humayun's Tomb.Hi: मुगल वास्तुकला का अद्वितीय नमूना, यह मकबरा अपने बगीचों और भव्य गुंबद के लिए प्रसिद्ध था।En: A unique example of Mughal architecture, this tomb was famous for its gardens and grand dome.Hi: छात्रों का एक समूह अपने अध्यापक के साथ इस ऐतिहासिक स्थल पर अध्ययन यात्रा के लिए आया था।En: A group of students had come to this historic site for a study tour with their teacher.Hi: अनया इस ग्रुप का हिस्सा थी।En: Anaya was part of this group.Hi: वह एक जिज्ञासु और अवलोकनीय छात्रा थी जो अक्सर दूसरी छात्रों की उपस्थिति में खुद को दबा हुआ महसूस करती थी।En: She was a curious and observant student who often felt overshadowed by other students.Hi: उसके साथी, रोहन, आत्मविश्वासी और मिलनसार था, जबकि मीरा, शर्मीली लेकिन समझदार थी।En: Her companion, Rohan, was confident and sociable, while Meera was shy but sensible.Hi: अनया का मन कुछ नया खोजने की चाह में था, एक ऐसा तथ्य जो किसी और को न दिखे, ताकि उसे भी क्लास में प्रशंसा मिले।En: Anaya had a desire to discover something new, a fact that no one else could see, so she could also receive praise in the class.Hi: लेकिन हर बार रोहन सबकी नज़रों में आ जाता था।En: But every time, Rohan managed to attract everyone's attention.Hi: जब रोहन हुमायूँ के मकबरे के बारे में गाइड से प्रश्न पूछता, सभी उसकी ओर खिंच जाते।En: When Rohan asked the guide questions about Humayun's Tomb, everyone was drawn to him.Hi: दूसरी ओर, मीरा हमेशा शांत रहती थी, कभी भी अपनी राय व्यक्त नहीं करती थी।En: On the other hand, Meera always remained calm and never expressed her opinions.Hi: अनया ने सोचा, "अगर मैं मकबरे के कम प्रचलित हिस्से की खोज करूँ, तो शायद मैं कुछ अनोखा खोज सकती हूँ।"En: Anaya thought, "If I explore the less popular parts of the tomb, maybe I can discover something unique."Hi: उसने मीरा से साथ चलने के लिए कहा।En: She asked Meera to accompany her.Hi: मीरा यह सुनकर थोड़ा घबरा गई, फिर भी उसने हामी भर दी।En: Meera was a bit nervous hearing this, but she agreed nonetheless.Hi: दोनों धीरे-धीरे मकबरे के उन हिस्सों की ओर बढ़ीं जहाँ अक्सर लोग कम ही जाते थे।En: Both slowly moved toward parts of the tomb where people rarely went.Hi: चलते-चलते, अनया ने एक खुदाई का चिन्ह देखा जो दूसरों की नजर से अक्सर छुपा रहता था।En: As they walked, Anaya spotted a sign of excavation that often went unnoticed by others.Hi: मीरा ने ध्यान से उसे देखा और कहा, "ये तो खास शैली में बना है। जैसे कि ये अलग से ही कुछ कहानी कहता हो।"En: Meera looked at it carefully and said, "This is made in a special style, as if it tells a story of its own."Hi: दोनों ने इस पर और चर्चा की, और उन्होंने महसूस किया कि यह एक अनूठा वास्तुकला का तत्व था, जो हुमायूँ के समय की अलग आस्थाओं और स्थापत्य कला का परिचायक था।En: Both discussed it further and realized that it was a unique architectural element, indicative of the diverse beliefs and architectural art of Humayun's era.Hi: अपने अध्यापक और साथियों के सामने उन्होंने अपने खोज को प्रस्तुत किया।En: They presented their discovery in front of their teacher and classmates.Hi: सभी ने उसका ध्यानपूर्वक सुना और सराहा।En: Everyone listened intently and appreciated it.Hi: अनया ने महसूस किया कि उसका भरोसा बढ़ रहा है।En: Anaya felt her confidence growing.Hi: सभी ने मीरा की भी सराहना की, जिसे अब तक कोई ज्यादा जानता नहीं था, पर उसकी अद्वितीय दृष्टि ने बड़ा योगदान दिया था।En: Everyone also praised Meera, who was not well-known until now, but her unique perspective made a significant contribution.Hi: अनया को यह सीख मिली कि विश्वास केवल अपनी उपलब्धियों से नहीं, बल्किअपने दोस्तों के सहयोग से बनता है।En: Anaya learned that trust is built not only from her achievements but also from the support of her friends.Hi: उसने मीरा को अपनी टीम में पाकर खुद को भाग्यशाली समझा।En: She felt fortunate to have Meera in her team.Hi: उसकी नजर में मीरा अब बस साथी नहीं, एक मित्र बन गई थी।En: In her eyes, Meera was now not just a companion but a friend.Hi: यह नया विश्वास उसके चेहरे की मुस्कान में झलकता था।En: This new confidence was reflected in her smile.Hi: और इस तरह, हुमायूँ के मकबरे की यह यात्रा अनया और मीरा के लिए एक नई शुरुआत बनी।En: And thus, the visit to Humayun's Tomb became a new beginning for Anaya and Meera.Hi: दोनों ने मिलकर एक अनोखी खोज की, जिससे अनया को आत्मविश्वास मिला और मीरा को एक सच्ची दोस्ती।En: Together, they made a unique discovery, which gave Anaya confidence and Meera a true friendship. Vocabulary Words:lively: सजीवshining: चमक रहीunique: अद्वितीयarchitecture: वास्तुकलाgrand: भव्यdome: गुंबदhistoric: ऐतिहासिकcurious: जिज्ञासुobservant: अवलोकनीयovershadowed: दबा हुआcompanion: साथीconfident: आत्मविश्वासीsociable: मिलनसारsensible: समझदारpraise: प्रशंसाattract: खिंच जातेcalm: शांतopinions: रायexplore: खोजrarely: कम हीexcavation: खुदाईnotice: नजरindicative: परिचायकbeliefs: आस्थाओंreflect: झलकताfortunate: भाग्यशालीperspective: दृष्टिsupport: सहयोगaccomplishments: उपलब्धियोंnew beginning: नई शुरुआत

Fluent Fiction - Hindi: Unlocking the Secrets of Humayun's Tomb: A Guide's Tale Find the full episode transcript, vocabulary words, and more:fluentfiction.com/hi/episode/2025-05-21-22-34-02-hi Story Transcript:Hi: नई दिल्ली का वसंत उफान पर था।En: Springtime in Nayi Dilli was in full bloom.Hi: हरियाली के बीच में खड़ी हुमायूँ का मकबरा अपने शाही अंदाज में चमक रहा था।En: Standing amidst the greenery, Humayun ka Maqbara was shining in its royal splendor.Hi: सूरज की हल्की किरणें मकबरे की दीवारों पर पढ़ रही थीं।En: The soft rays of the sun were falling on the tomb's walls.Hi: आकाश साफ और नीला था।En: The sky was clear and blue.Hi: इस सुहाने मौसम में, अरुण अपने समूह के साथ खड़ा था।En: In this pleasant weather, Arun was standing with his group.Hi: वह एक उत्साही गाइड था।En: He was an enthusiastic guide.Hi: उसके साथ थे पर्यटक प्रिय और मनीष।En: With him were tourists Priya and Manish.Hi: अधिकतर पर्यटक सेल्फी लेने में व्यस्त थे, लेकिन अरुण का उत्साह गजब का था।En: Most of the tourists were busy taking selfies, but Arun's enthusiasm was remarkable.Hi: उसे अपनी धरोहर से गहरा लगाव था।En: He had a deep connection with his heritage.Hi: "दोस्तों, हुमायूँ का मकबरा एक अनोखा स्थान है," उसने समूह से कहा।En: "Friends, Humayun's tomb is a unique place," he told the group.Hi: "यह मुगल वास्तुकला का अद्भुत नमूना है।En: "It is a wonderful example of Mughal architecture."Hi: " प्रिय और मनीष उसकी बातें अनमनेपन से सुन रहे थे, जैसे केवल खानापूर्ति कर रहे हों।En: Priya and Manish were listening to him indifferently, as if they were just going through the motions.Hi: अरुण ने सोचा कि कुछ बदलाव करना चाहिए।En: Arun thought something needed to change.Hi: उसने उन्हें शामिल करने के लिए एक खेल का आयोजन किया।En: He organized a game to engage them.Hi: "क्यों न हम एक छोटा इतिहास प्रश्नोत्तरी करें?En: "Why don't we have a little history quiz?"Hi: " उसने कहा।En: he suggested.Hi: "सही उत्तर देने पर आपको विशेष कहानियाँ सुनने को मिलेंगी।En: "The correct answer will get you to hear special stories."Hi: "वातावरण में थोड़ी जान आई।En: The atmosphere livened up a bit.Hi: प्रिय और मनीष ने रुचि दिखानी शुरू की।En: Priya and Manish began to show interest.Hi: लेकिन तभी मनीष ने एक कठिन प्रश्न दाग दिया।En: But then, Manish threw a hard question.Hi: "वह अनोखा पत्थर मकबरे के भीतर क्यों रखा गया है?En: "Why is that unique stone placed inside the tomb?"Hi: " उसने व्यंग्यात्मक ढंग से पूछा।En: he asked sarcastically.Hi: अरुण के चेहरे पर मुस्कान आई।En: A smile appeared on Arun's face.Hi: "आपने अच्छी बात पूछी," अरुण ने कहा और उन्हें मकबरे के भीतर ले गया।En: "You've asked a good question," Arun said and took them inside the tomb.Hi: वहाँ एक खास जगह पर नगीने से जड़ा पत्थर रखा था।En: There, a stone embedded with jewels was placed in a special spot.Hi: "यह माला पत्थर इस जगह की जादूगर कथा से जुड़ा है।En: "This jewel-studded stone is linked to a magical tale of this place.Hi: कहते हैं कि इसे छूने से मनोकामना पूर्ण होती है।En: It's said that touching it grants one's wishes."Hi: "उसकी कहाणी से सब मोहित हो गए।En: Everyone was captivated by his story.Hi: पर्यटकों ने तस्वीरें खींचीं, लेकिन अब उनकी दिलचस्पी कहानी में भी थी।En: The tourists took photos, but now they were also interested in the story.Hi: अंत में, सभी मचल से भरे और इतिहास की सराहना करते हुए वापिस लौट गए।En: In the end, everyone returned with a lively spirit and an appreciation for history.Hi: अरुण ने देखा कि उसके प्रयास ने कमाल कर दिखाया।En: Arun realized that his efforts had worked wonders.Hi: वह समझ गया कि संवाद की कुशलता से सभी के दिलों को छू सकते हैं।En: He understood that the skillful use of dialogue could touch everyone's hearts.Hi: उसने निर्णय किया कि आगे आने वाले सभी समूहों को भी वह ऐसे ही प्रेरित करेगा।En: He decided that he would inspire all future groups in the same way.Hi: इस प्रकार, उसने न केवल पर्यटकों को इतिहास से जोड़ने का काम किया बल्कि अपने करियर में आगे बढ़ने का एक नया रास्ता भी खोज लिया।En: Thus, he not only connected the tourists with history but also found a new path to advance in his career. Vocabulary Words:bloom: उफानmajestic: शाहीsplendor: अंदाजrays: किरणेंindifferently: अनमनेपनmotivated: उत्साहीengage: शामिलquiz: प्रश्नोत्तरीsarcastically: व्यंग्यात्मकcaptivated: मोहितheritage: धरोहरremarkable: गजबexample: नमूनाmotions: खानापूर्तिatmosphere: वातावरणunique: अनोखाembedded: जड़ाmagical: जादूगरwishes: मनोकामनाlively: मचलinspired: प्रेरितdialogue: संवादadvance: आगेappreciation: सराहनाefforts: प्रयासdestination: स्थानpath: रास्ताguide: गाइडjewels: नगीनेphotographs: तस्वीरें

Welcome to Season 4 of Travel Stories with Moush everyone!  In this inspiring episode, we're joined by travel visionary Haitham Mattar - a pioneer in tourism leadership and the CEO of IHG Hotels (Middle East, Africa and West Asia). From shaping Ras Al Khaimah into an adventure hub to transforming Saudi Arabia's tourism story, Haitham shares powerful insights, incredible travel stories, and a peek into his new book "Pots, Pans, and Five-Year Plans."Destination Highlights:Saudi Arabia, Red Sea Cruise Experience – Haitham joined the first-ever cruise ship to sail in the Red Sea post-pandemic. He visited untouched islands like Sindalah, witnessed crystal-clear waters and vibrant corals and cruised past the Wadi ad-Disah, believed to be where Moses split the sea.           He also believes that Saudi Arabia is a tourism powerhouse in the making.AlUla, Saudi Arabia - A “living museum” with tombs carved into mountains, echoing the Nabataean civilization. According to Haitham, it's a stargazing paradise and one of the most peaceful, spiritual places on earth.Petra, Jordan – A must-visit destination.Lebanon –  He celebrates the ancient city of Byblos, which is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world and loves the buzz of Beirut, with its diversity, gastronomy and the unique way expats adopt Lebanese culture. The rich history, stunning Mediterranean coastline and enduring charm of Lebanese villages is what makes the country even more special.Oman – An underrated gem according to Haitham. He believes that Oman has major untapped potential in sustainable and adventure tourism.Island of Palau – A sustainability model and a standout example of tourist accountability and community-first tourism.Six Senses Zighy Bay, Oman - A hidden gem offering tranquility, indulgent spa experiences, and adrenaline sports like paragliding.         https://www.sixsenses.com/en/hotels-resorts/middle-east-africa/oman/zighy-bay/Agra, India – Haitham is deeply moved by the Taj Mahal and the profound story of love behind it. He also highlights the Agra Fort as an underrated gem, rich in Mughal architecture and history.Six Senses Barawara, Rajasthan, India – A place where he would like to keep going back to and one that holds a very special place in his heart.                                                                                                                                                                                                                             https://www.sixsenses.com/en/hotels-resorts/asia-the-pacific/india/fort-barwara/Connect with Haitham at:haitham.mattar@ihg.comThank you everyone for tuning in today. I hope our conversations have fueled your wanderlust and inspired you to explore the world in new and exciting ways. Please don't forget to hit that subscribe button on your favorite podcasting channel to keep up with our latest episodes. I would love to know what you think…what kind of travel stories and guests you would like me to cover. So, please do leave a comment, a rating or a review. Do follow me on Instagram and find out who's joining me next week. I'm at @moushtravels. You can also find all the episodes and destinations mentioned by all the guests on my website www.moushtravels.com as well as on the episode show notes. Thanks for listening and until next time safe travels and keep adventuring.  "Want a spotlight on our show? Visit https://admanager.fm/client/podcasts/moushtravels and align your brand with our audience."Connect with me on the following:Instagram @moushtravelsFacebook @travelstorieswithmoushLinkedIn @Moushumi BhuyanYou Tube @travelstorieswithmoush

TINKER, TAILOR, SAILOR, SPY:  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. 1709

TINKER, TAILOR, SAILOR, SPY:  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. 1700 WINDSOR

TINKER, TAILOR, SAILOR, SPY:  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. 1659

TINKER, TAILOR, SAILOR, SPY:   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. 1706 MAURITIUS

Babur, a descendant of Timur and Genghis Khan, had established a power base in Kabul but the victory at Panipat gave him control of Delhi and Agra, allowing him to establish the foundations of what would become the Mughal Empire in ...

In this episode, we delve into the dramatic fall of Bahadur Shah II, the last Mughal emperor. Discover how the 1857 Revolt sealed his fate, leading to his deposition and exile to Rangoon. We explore the end of a dynasty that once ruled vast territories, marking the twilight of Mughal power and the dawn of British dominance in India. Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-11".

This Ramadan, support an alternative Muslim media platform rooted in faith, thought, and enlightened activism. Your donation is an investment in Sadaqah Jariyah, bringing you rewards that will last long after this life. Become a monthly member today and be part of The Thinking Muslim's sacred mission. Become a member here:https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipOr give your one-off donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/donateIt was the great Mughal emperor Jahanghir who said about Kashmir, Gar firdaus, ruhe zamin ast, hamin asto, hamin asto, hamin ast - If there is a paradise on earth, it is here, it is here, it is here. For 76 years, this beautiful land and its wonderful people have been under Indian occupation. In 1947, upon partition, the original settlement between the principalities and the Indian government was to create an autonomous region, where the vastly Muslim population would govern themselves under Indian sovereignty. Over the successive decades and governments, this agreement has been eroded and today Kashmir is one of the most heavily militarised places in the world.Yet we do not talk enough about Kashmir and the plight of its Muslims. To set the record straight I am honoured to have on the show Dr Muzammil Thakkur who is the President of World Kashmir Freedom Movement. You can find Dr Thakkur here:X: https://x.com/M_A_ThakurAlso, for the past 16 months, we all know how difficult it has been for food and essential supplies to reach the beleaguered people of Gaza. This, Insha'Allah, is changing. We have partnered with a charity, Baitulmaal, because now, more than ever, there is a need not only in Gaza but also in Turkish controlled Northern Syria and in all the places we routinely talk about in this program where our ummah is subject to abject poverty. We have chosen this charity because Baitulmaal is a non-profit with people on the ground who organize well-thought-out projects and serve the most needy.To donate to their Critical Aid campaign, please visit the link on our screen now and in the description. To donate to Baitulmaal's Critical Aid campaign, please visit: http://btml.us/thinkingmuslim - Please do remember that charity never reduces our risk and gives Barakah to our wealth. Let me remind all viewers that to help us continue to engage critical thought at this time, Please consider becoming a Member: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipYou can also support The Thinking Muslim through a one-time donation: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/DonateListen to the audio version of the podcast:Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7vXiAjVFnhNI3T9Gkw636aApple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/gb/podcast/the-thinking-muslim/id1471798762Sign up to Muhammad Jalal's newsletter: https://jalalayn.substack.comPurchase our Thinking Muslim mug: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/merchFind us on:Squarespace Membership: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com/membershipTwitter: https://twitter.com/thinking_muslimFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/The-Thinking-Muslim-Podcast-105790781361490Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thinkingmuslimpodcast/Telegram: https://t.me/thinkingmuslimBlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/thinkingmuslim.bsky.socialHost: https://twitter.com/jalalaynHost IG: https://www.instagram.com/jalalayns/Website Archive: https://www.thinkingmuslim.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This week on Hafta, Newslaundry's Abhinandan Sekhri, Manisha Pande, Raman Kirpal, and Anand Vardhan are joined by Dr Sumeet Mhaskar, professor of sociology at Jindal School of Government and Public Policy, and Ajoy Bose, veteran journalist and author of Behenji: The Rise and Fall of Mayawati.The panel first discusses the controversy triggered by Samajwadi Party legislator Abu Azmi's remarks on Aurangzeb while addressing the Mughal emperor's portrayal in the film Chhava.Sumeet provides historical context to the interpretation of Aurangzeb and Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj's legacies in Maharashtra. Explaining how they are shaped by competing narratives, he says: “Much more communalised interpretation is projected through movies, history textbooks, and plays”. The return of Aurangzeb to headlines shows that we are using the present to judge the past, rather than letting history inform our present, he notes.Commenting on Aurangzeb's legacy, Manisha adds, “When you look at the Mughals, I would say Aurangzeb was the worst of them...He's an odd hill to die on, especially for current politicians.”The panel then analyses the “political decline” of Mayawati, and her decision to suspend nephew Akash Anand from the Bahujan Samaj Party.Ajoy terms the suspension as a “significant moment”. Commenting on Mayawati's “disruptive” thinking, he says: “If Kanshiram was the strategic genius who thought of using Dalits to become a political force, Mayawati was the person who delivered”. On where things went wrong for Mayawati, he remarks, “She got quite distracted by her prime ministerial dream being thrashed and made fundamental mistakes in handling the social alliance which brought her to power.”As Abhinandan and Sumeet point to BSP's cadre being the strength of the party, Anand underlines Mayawati's “lack of political agility” as one of the reasons for BSP's decline. This and a lot more. Tune in!We have a page for subscribers to send letters to our shows. If you want to write to Hafta, click here. Check out the Newslaundry store and flaunt your love for independent media. Download the Newslaundry app. Contribute to our latest NL Sena here.Timecodes00:00:00 – Introductions and announcements00:03:09 – Headlines 00:03:09 – Was history always controversial?00:17:24 – Aurangzeb's return to headlines 00:53:19 – Mayawati and the future of BSP01:32:03 – Sumeet's recommendation01:39:30 – Ajoy's recommendation01:51:06 – Letters 01:59:40 – Recommendations Check out previous Hafta recommendations, references, songs and letters Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In the early 1800s, the Mughal emperor was little more than a figurehead under East India Company rule. This episode unpacks how the Company tightened its grip on Delhi, controlled imperial authority, and set the stage for the empire's final decline, shaping the future of British rule in India.   Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-9"

In this episode, we dive into the brutal rise and fall of Ghulam Qadir, the Rohilla chieftain who seized Delhi in 1788, humiliated the Mughal court, and infamously blinded Emperor Shah Alam II. A tale of betrayal, vengeance, and imperial decline—this is the shocking story of one of the Mughal Empire's darkest chapters. Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-8"

This is the Catchup on 3 Things by The Indian Express and I'm Flora Swain.Today is the 24th of February and here are the headlines.Eight workers remain trapped after the SLBC tunnel in Telangana partially collapsed on Saturday. Despite efforts, Telangana Minister Jupally Krishna Rao said survival chances are “very remote”. A team of rat miners, previously deployed in Uttarakhand's Silkyara tunnel collapse, joined the rescue team. Around 300 personnel, including NDRF, SDRF, and Army members, are involved. However, muck and debris are hampering progress, with rescuers 13 km inside the tunnel, and water blocking access to the trapped workers.Prime Minister Narendra Modi highlighted Madhya Pradesh's rise as a business hub during the Global Investors Summit 2025 in Bhopal. Praising the state's skilled workforce and growing industrial sectors, Modi noted that India will remain the world's fastest-growing economy. He emphasized Madhya Pradesh's role in the electric vehicle revolution and aerospace sector, assuring investors of the state's lucrative opportunities. He urged global businesses to tap into the state's flourishing market.The Uttar Pradesh government told the Supreme Court that the well near the disputed mosque in Sambhal is on public land and not connected to the mosque. The well, known as 'Dharani varah koop,' is located near, but not inside, the disputed site. Tensions have risen over claims that the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid was built over the demolished Hari Mandir temple. The case continues to stir religious disputes between local communities.In the 2025 German election, the conservative CDU/CSU alliance led by Friedrich Merz emerged victorious, with the far-right AfD securing its best result, placing second with 20.8% of the vote. US President Donald Trump praised the win, calling it a rejection of policies on energy and immigration. Incumbent Chancellor Olaf Scholz's SPD dropped 10 percentage points, finishing in third. Merz is now poised to become Germany's next Chancellor.The Trump administration announced a massive reduction in USAID personnel, putting nearly all employees on leave and eliminating around 1,600 positions. This decision follows a legal battle where Trump sought to cut thousands of USAID jobs but was halted by a federal judge. The judge ruled that the pause would not be permanent. The cuts are part of a broader “reduction in force” effort, impacting the agency's global operations.This was the Catch Up on 3 Things by the Indian Express.

Explore the life of Mirza Najaf, a formidable Persian mercenary in the Mughal era. From his strategic prowess on the battlefield to his influence in shaping Mughal politics, this episode delves into the legacy of a warrior who bridged cultures and left an indelible mark on Indian history.   Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-7"

In this episode, we uncover the brief and bizarre reign of Emperor Shah Jahan II, who ascended the Mughal throne in absentia after his father's assassination. Overshadowed by court intrigue and swiftly dethroned, his story is a testament to the empire's turbulent decline. Tune in for this forgotten chapter of history!   Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-6"

In this episode, we uncover the tumultuous rise of Imad ul Mulk, the Mughal Grand Vizier who played a pivotal role in the empire's decline. From court intrigues to his betrayal of the emperor, discover how his ruthless ambition reshaped Mughal politics and hastened the empire's fragmentation. Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-5"

Guest: Fahad Mughal, Senior Cyber Solutions Architect - SecurityOn LinkedIn | https://www.linkedin.com/in/fahadmughal/____________________________Host: Sean Martin, Co-Founder at ITSPmagazine [@ITSPmagazine] and Host of Redefining CyberSecurity Podcast [@RedefiningCyber]On ITSPmagazine | https://www.itspmagazine.com/sean-martinView This Show's Sponsors___________________________Episode NotesModern railway systems are increasingly digital, integrating operational technology (OT) to enhance efficiency, reliability, and safety. However, as railways adopt automated and interconnected systems, they also become more vulnerable to cyber threats. In this episode of Redefining Cybersecurity on ITSP Magazine, host Sean Martin speaks with Fahad Ali Mughal, a cybersecurity professional with extensive experience in OT security architecture, about the challenges and priorities of securing railway infrastructure.The Growing Role of Cybersecurity in RailwaysRailway systems have evolved from steam-powered locomotives to autonomous, driverless trains that rely on sophisticated digital controls. OT now plays a crucial role in managing train operations, signaling, interlocking, and trackside equipment. These advancements improve efficiency but also expose railway networks to cyber threats that can disrupt service, compromise safety, and even impact national security. Unlike traditional IT environments, where the focus is on confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA), OT in railways prioritizes reliability, availability, and public safety. Ensuring the safe movement of trains requires a cybersecurity strategy tailored to the unique needs of railway infrastructure.Critical OT Systems in RailwaysMughal highlights key OT components in railways that require cybersecurity protection:• Signaling Systems: These function like traffic lights for trains, ensuring safe distances between locomotives. Modern communication-based train control (CBTC) and European Rail Traffic Management Systems (ERTMS) are vulnerable to cyber intrusions.• Interlocking Systems: These systems prevent conflicting train movements, ensuring safe operations. As they become digitized, cyber risks increase.• Onboard OT Systems: Automatic Train Control (ATC) regulates speed and ensures compliance with signaling instructions. A cyberattack could manipulate these controls.• SCADA Systems: Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) systems oversee infrastructure operations. Any compromise here can impact an entire railway network.• Safety-Critical Systems: Fail-safe mechanisms like automatic braking and failover controls are vital in preventing catastrophic accidents.The increasing digitization and interconnection of these systems expand the attack surface, making cybersecurity a top priority for railway operators.Real-World Cyber Threats in RailwaysMughal discusses several significant cyber incidents that highlight vulnerabilities in railway cybersecurity:• 2023 Poland Attack: Nation-state actors exploited vulnerabilities in railway radio communication systems to send unauthorized emergency stop commands, halting trains across the country. The attack exposed weaknesses in authentication and encryption within OT communication protocols.• 2021 Iran Railway Incident: Hackers breached Iran's railway scheduling and digital message board systems, displaying fake messages and causing widespread confusion. While safety-critical OT systems remained unaffected, the attack disrupted operations and damaged public trust.• 2016 San Francisco Muni Ransomware Attack: A ransomware attack crippled the fare and scheduling system, leading to free rides for passengers and operational delays. Though IT systems were the primary target, the impact on OT operations was evident.These incidents underscore the urgent need for stronger authentication, encryption, and IT-OT segmentation to protect railway infrastructure.Cybersecurity Standards and Best Practices for Railways (links to resources below)To build resilient railway cybersecurity, Mughal emphasizes the importance of international standards:• IEC 62443: A globally recognized framework for securing industrial control systems, widely applied to OT environments, including railways. It introduces concepts such as network segmentation, risk assessment, and security levels.• TS 50701: A European standard specifically designed for railway cybersecurity, expanding on IEC 62443 with guidance for securing signaling, interlocking, and control systems.• EN 50126 (RAMS Standard): A safety-focused standard that integrates reliability, availability, maintainability, and safety (RAMS) into railway operations.Adopting these standards helps railway operators establish secure-by-design architectures that mitigate cyber risks.Looking Ahead: Strengthening Railway CybersecurityAs railway systems become more automated and interconnected with smart cities, vehicle transportation, and supply chain networks, cyber threats will continue to grow. Mughal stresses the need for industry collaboration between railway engineers and cybersecurity professionals to ensure that security is integrated into every stage of railway system design.He also emphasizes the importance of real-time OT threat monitoring, anomaly detection, and Security Operations Centers (SOCs) that understand railway-specific cyber risks. The industry must stay ahead of adversaries by adopting proactive security measures before a large-scale cyber incident disrupts critical transportation networks.The conversation makes it clear: cybersecurity is now a fundamental part of railway safety and reliability. As Mughal warns, it's not a question of if railway cyber incidents will happen, but when.To hear the full discussion, including insights into OT vulnerabilities, real-world case studies, and cybersecurity best practices, listen to this episode of Redefining Cybersecurity on ITSP Magazine.___________________________SponsorsImperva: https://itspm.ag/imperva277117988LevelBlue: https://itspm.ag/attcybersecurity-3jdk3ThreatLocker: https://itspm.ag/threatlocker-r974___________________________Watch this and other videos on ITSPmagazine's YouTube ChannelRedefining CyberSecurity Podcast with Sean Martin, CISSP playlist:

Company School painting is a fascinating yet often overlooked artistic tradition that emerged during the British East India Company's rule in India. Indian artists blended Mughal, Rajput, and European styles to create detailed and vibrant artworks focused on flora and fauna. What makes these paintings extraordinary is how they capture not only scientific precision but also the rich artistic traditions of India.  At the heart of this story is the city of Lucknow, a hub of artistic and cultural refinement, where European imperialists like Claude Martin sought to document India's natural world. Martin, a French adventurer-turned-British officer, was so committed to this project that he imported thousands of sheets of European watercolour paper and assembled a team of Indian artists to create meticulous botanical and zoological illustrations.  But as much as these paintings were a product of imperialism, they also provided an unprecedented opportunity for Indian artists to leave a lasting impression. Unlike earlier court art, which often left artists anonymous, Company School paintings are some of the first works where individual Indian painters were credited by name.  Listen as William and Anita unravel the intricate web of art, science, and empire, revealing a world where botanical illustrations were not just scientific tools, but also symbols of a rapidly changing society. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Senior Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

  Nizam-ul-Mulk, also known as Asaf Jah I, rose to prominence as a skilled administrator and military commander under the Mughal Empire before founding the Hyderabad State in 1724. Disillusioned by the weakening Mughal central authority, he established an independent dominion in the Deccan, leveraging his strategic acumen and strong support among local elites. Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-4"

What do you buy for a man who has everything?  Thomas Roe is tasked with wooing the Emperor Jahangir. On March 6th 1615, he sets sail from England on the 8 month voyage to the Mughal Empire, home to one fifth of the world's population. He has been sent by James I and the East India Company on a diplomatic mission to improve trading relations. The English envy the fabulously rich Emperor Jahangir whose personal wealth is ten times that of the national revenue of England at the time. Expecting to be greeted as a diplomat, Roe arrives in India and is forced to undergo a customs check. He is ill and accompanied by a badly behaved cook and a drunk chaplain. He hasn't even reached court in Ajmer and everything seems to be going wrong. Will he succeed in his mission to win over Jahangir? Listen as Anita and William are joined by Nandini Das, author of Courting India: England, Mughal India and the Origins of Empire, to discuss the grumpy ambassador's stay at Jahangir's court and how it shaped the East India Company. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producers: Anouska Lewis & Alice Horrell Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Season 10, the final chapter in the Mughal saga, is here. Want to see my notes for this episode? Join us on Telegram and search for "10-0"

As a dyslexic child, Akbar explored his curiosities about the world through visual wonders, and by having literature read aloud to him. As an adult, his love of art evolved as he became the patron of a multicultural group of calligraphers, painters, poets and more. A now infamous Mughal artistic style developed from his court, with iconic paintings full of bright colours and meticulous details. How did Akbar shape this style? And how was his art and architecture impacted by the religious tolerance he promoted? Listen as William and Anita explore the art and architecture that emerged from Akbar's court. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

It's 1542, and the baby who will grow up to be Akbar the Great is born into nothing and nowhere. His father, Humayun is on the run to Persia and the young family are living like beggars in the desert. Later, in the impossibly wealthy Mughal court, the prince becomes emperor at aged just thirteen. Akbar is a unique example of tolerance in an era of religious divisions, presiding over an empire of flourishing religious pluralism and meritocracy. But how will he first go about building and cementing this empire? And what lengths will he go to to eliminate those threatening his rule?  Listen as William and Anita explore how Akbar consolidated his power through any means necessary. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producers: Anouska Lewis & Alice Horrell Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

On his death bed, Babur tells his eldest son not to fight with his brothers however awful they will be to him. As his father passes away, Humayun inherits a fragile empire on shaky ground. And his dad's message of peace quickly comes to the fore when his treacherous younger brothers plot to take his throne. Once thought of as the hopeless hippie son, Humayun was an accomplished military general who had served in Babur's forces as a teenager, and as emperor he continued to command troops against a familiar enemy – Sher Shah. But despite Humayun's military might, he seemingly cannot win against the formidable Afghan warlord. Will he lose all that his father had built for their dynasty? Listen as William and Anita explore the life of the second Mughal emperor, Humayun. Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Against all odds, Babur defeats Sultan Lodi and captures Delhi. But despite the wealth that India can provide him, Babur hates his new home. He complains of the heat, the lack of his favourite fruits, and the culture. Yet he is a masterful tactical ruler, and begins to shape a Mughal government that he will soon pass down to his descendants. Although he had won against the Delhi sultanate, he faces a new threat from the Rajputs in the south who are even more heavily armed. Babur enters his final battle at Khanwa, and all the while he is ferociously writing his memoirs: documenting his thoughts, feelings, and love of nature in a way that will keep his memory alive long after his death… Join William and Anita as they explore the four years Babur spent establishing his kingdom in India before he passed away. To buy tickets for Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence visit: https://www.vam.ac.uk/exhibitions/great-mughals-art-architecture-opulence?utm_source=empire_podcast&utm_medium=paid_editorial&utm_campaign=great_mughals_empire_podcast Twitter: @Empirepoduk Email: empirepoduk@gmail.com Goalhangerpodcasts.com Assistant Producer: Anouska Lewis + Becki Hills Producer: Callum Hill Exec Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices