Written In History

Politics of day indulges in cherry-picking facts: Jaishankar on Tipu Sultan

History is "complicated" and the politics of the day often indulges in "cherry-picking facts" and to a considerable extent that has happened in Tipu Sultan's case, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday. He claimed a "particular narrative" about the former ruler of Mysore has been advanced over the years. In his address at the launch of the book 'Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore Interregnum 1761-1799' here, Jaishankar said there are some basic questions that "confront us all" today as to how much of "our past has been airbrushed", how awkward issues have been "glossed over" and how "facts are tailored for regime convenience". The book has been written by historian Vikram Sampath. The external affairs minister said, "In the last decade, the changes in our political dispensation have encouraged the emergence of alternative perspectives and balanced accounts." "We are no longer prisoners of a vote bank, nor is it politically incorrect to bring out inconvenient truths.

Kolkata trams: From city lifeline to heritage relic and future symbol

151 years on, the ding-ding is fading; will nostalgia and activism keep the wheels turning?

Friday the 13th: Is this day really as spooky and unlucky as it seems?

Friday the 13th is a very unlucky date and this day holds a notorious reputation. It occurs at least once a year and can happen up to three times in a single year

Madras Day 2024: Know its history, significance and some interesting facts

On August 22, Madras Day is celebrated annually and it commemorates Madras' (now Chennai) rich history and its transformation from a small settlement to a bustling metropolitan hub

Anatomy of a massacre

The Damascus Events is a fascinating narrative of the interplay between geopolitical, social, economic, and technological transformations that culminated in two catastrophic wars of the 20th century

1300-year-old French magical sword goes missing leaving the locals stunned

The theft of the magical Durandal sword has become the talk of the town. The sharpest sword could cut boulders with a single strike. Authorities are trying to recover the lost historical artefact

How to teach history

Professor Krishna Kumar's book explores the practical challenges of teaching history within the constraints of timetables and textbooks

Making India a fraternity

Historian Rajmohan Gandhi's book compels us to contemplate one of the foundational principles enshrined in our Constitution, without which the integrity of the nation can be in jeopardy

Leap Day 2024: History, significance and some interesting facts of Feb 29

Leap Day 2024: An extra day added to the Gregorian calendar every four years is called Leap Day. Here's all you need to know about the history of this day, significance and more

Savitribai Phule Jayanti 2024: Celebrating India's first woman teacher

India celebrates the birth anniversary of the first women teacher, Savitribai Phule. She is known for her work as a social worker, teacher and poet

War and empires

Today's anti-"woke" warriors in Congress likely would be surprised by the Boston University anthropologist Thomas Barfield's insightful Shadow Empires: An Alternative Imperial History

A reality check of India

Annie Zaidi's collection of essays explores diverse issues from banditry to hunger, weaving together a narrative that demands reflection on the pressing challenges faced by the country's marginalised

How not to write history

Rosie Llewellyn-Jones's book explores the impact of East India Company on India, but it fails to address why British influence remained patchy, unlike in North America of the Antipodes

Maharana Pratap Jayanti 2023: Birth anniversary, History, and more

Maharana Pratap was born on the Tritiya tithi of Jyeshtha's Shukla Paksha and his birthday is a public holiday in many Indian states

It's a lie, chapters on Mughals not dropped, clarifies NCERT chief

The NCERT chief said that expert committees examined the books from standards 6-12 during Covid and recommended that if this chapter is dropped, it won't affect the knowledge of the children

Assam CM accuses Left of distorting history, making it a tale of defeats

Alleging Left historians of distorted' Indian history by making it a tale of defeats and submissions, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Sunday asserted that history should be rewritten to record the nation's victories. He also alleged that the Left ideology followers have been trying to divide the state along linguistic lines for decades and maintained that the people must defeat such attempts by embracing their "religious similarities". Addressing the 28th state convention of Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) here, Sarma said, The Leftists have always tried to distort our history as they wanted to project Bharat as a defeated jati' (community). They overlook the kings and heroes who resisted and defeated Mughal attacks successfully and write only about those who were defeated, he claimed. He cited the examples of Guru Gobind Singh, Chhatrapati Shivaji, Durga Das Rathore and Lachit Borphukan who had successfully led campaigns against Mughal armies, and alleged tha

Indian history needs to be revisited, distortions corrected: Union minister

Claiming that a distorted version of history has been taught in India by a particular group of historians, Union Minister for Heavy Industries, Mahendra Nath Pandey said "Indian history needs to be revisited and efforts must be made to correct these distortions." Pandey said this while addressing a conference organised by Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) and Akhil Bharatiya Itihas Sankalan Yojana at Gopal Narayan Singh University, Jamuhar (Sasaram) on Monday. "Most of the historians did not do justice to India or India's culture and civilization. A distorted version of history has been taught by a particular group of historians. This is the time to initiate deliberations, effect course corrections and rectify this mistake and finally glorify ancient Indian history. We must correct the distorted view of Indian history that has been presented to us by certain historians belonging to particular ideologies", the Union Heavy Industries minister said. Indian history needs to b

Echoes of many partitions

Aanchal Malhotra evocatively recreates the emotional responses of survivors and subsequent generations

A southern perspective of Indian history

With this expansive chronicle of South India between the sixth and 12 centuries, Anirudh Kanisetti seeks to challenge the North India-centric approach in textbooks and academia

Why right-wing historians could learn from D D Kosambi

The problem with writing history to please the piper, however, is that no one bothers with the whys