Keyword : History

When Gandhi met Nehru the first time

Gandhi and Nehru. The two people, above all, who defined the national freedom movement, and thus, the moral template of the independent India. (That is not to belittle Tagore, Ambedkar and many oth

Suppress ego to write biography: Ramachandra Guha

Noted historian Ramachandra Guha has listed reasons on why historical biographies never took off in a big way in India. Delivering the annual lecture at Sahitya Akademi’s Festival o

Where centuries meet

To say that footfall in museums is declining will be a faulty assumption. Even with a vast array of digital platforms now available to view, study and learn about archaeological collections

Death of a pragmatist Gandhian

When it comes to nonviolence, Gene Sharp’s influence is arguably next only to Gandhi’s. Sharp, a political scientist who continued his studies on peace and power from the

A history of identity: remembering forgotten heroes of 1857

The column may begin by recalling quotations from two illustrious sons of pre-Independence India who were under no obligation to make any ‘appeasing’ comment. Noted Urdu

Jallianwala Bagh: 101 years of injury

Also read previous columns on similar themes:

How the colonial rulers combated “this insidious and growing danger” of dust and smoke

Dust and Smoke: Air Pollution and Colonial Urbanism: India, c. 1860-1940 By Awadhendra Sharan

Genius of Ghalib, equally at home in solving murder mystery

Murder at the Mushaira By Raza Mir Aleph / 344 pages / Rs 799

‘What do they know of history who only history know?’

A Functioning Anarchy? Essays For Ramachandra Guha Edited by Srinath Raghavan and Nandini Sundar Penguin Random House India / 392 pages /

Motilal Nehru too had petitioned for release of his son: Vikram Sampath

Defence minister Rajnath Singh’s statement, that Mahatma Gandhi had asked V.D. Savarkar to file a mercy petition before the British, has ignited a debate. Vikram Sampath, a historian and

Five Ws of Gandhi assassination

The Murderer, the Monarch and the Fakir: A New Investigation of Mahatma Gandhi’s Assassination By Appu Esthose Suresh and Priyanka Kotamraju HarperColl

How Homo Sapiens urbanised in the blink of an evolutionary eye

Work: A History of How We Spend Our Time By James Suzman Bloomsbury, 464 pages

Tagore-Gandhi: Two journeys that forged a common path

Tagore & Gandhi: Walking Alone, Walking Together By Rudrangshu Mukherjee Aleph, 186 pages, Rs 699 Two men born in the 1860s, more than any

The inimitable life and times of Nandshankar

Nandshankar: A Portrait in Nineteenth-century Surat By Vinayak Nandshankar Mehta Translated from the original Gujarati by Radhika Jayakar Herzberger

Ashis Nandy: A celebration and a guide to the perplexed

Modernity, its Pathologies and Reenchantments Edit

Imperative omissions in the Constitution

The making of the Indian Constitution and its subsequent adoption on January 26, 1950 required the founding members to go through several pieces of the legal document that the country already had d

Bangladesh at fifty: An anthology for scholars and readers alike

Bangladesh: Writings on 1971, Across Borders Edited by Rakhshanda Jalil and Debjani Sengupta

‘The Boy Who Wrote the Constitution’

How can we acquaint children better with the life

Leveraging International Institutions to Address Casteism: The case of Ambedkar

During this Dalit History month, on the birth anniversary of Dr B.R.

Mahabharata: Ways of reading the epic in our times

Mahabharata: The Epic and the Nation By G.N. Devy Aleph Books, 150 pages, Rs 499 The Mahabharata is one of the greatest literary masterpie

A century-old swashbuckling page-turner is an ‘amazing find’

The First World War: Adventures of Nariman Karkaria Translated by Murali Ranganathan With a Foreword by Amitav Ghosh HarperCollins, xxv+230 pages, Rs

Not just another Manto anthology

The Collected Stories of Saadat Hasan Manto: Volume 1: Bombay and Poona Translated by Nasreen Rehman Aleph Book Company, 548 pages, Rs 999 The

Archeology, Amity and Ahimsa: Reflections on Qutub, Kashi and other controversies

Amid the campaign for building a temple in place of Babri Mosque, India in 1991 passed a law, the Places of Worship (Special Provisions) Act, to prohibit the conversion of places of worship –

The bookworm monks

Sing, Dance and Pray: The Inspirational Story of Srila Prabhupada Founder-Acharya of ISKCON By Hindol Sengupta Penguin Ananda, 368 Pages. Rs 599

Gandhi’s letters to his youngest son also hold his aspirations for nation

Scorching Love: Letters from Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi to his son, Devadas By Gopalkrishna Gandhi and Tridip Suhrud Oxford University Press, 528 page, Rs 14

Asserting the need to write movement histories from below

The Struggle for Narmada: An Oral History of the Narmada Bachao Andolan, by Adivasi Leaders Keshavbhau and Kevalsingh Vasave By Nandini Oza, Translated from the original

“India is the only ancient civilisation that still survives and thrives”

Aman Singh Maharaj, a South African author of Indian origin, is making a literary debut with ‘A Dalliance with Destiny’ (Austin Macauley), which takes us on a mystical journey to India

How the Hindi Newspaper Business Changed

The Journey of Hindi Language Journalism in India: From Raj to Swaraj and Beyond By Mrinal Pande Orient BlackSwan, 188 pages, Rs 1,195.00

Fernandes: A Life as Legacy

The Life and Times of George Fernandes By Rahul Ramagundam Penguin/New India Foundation, 624 pages, Rs 799

Getting to know Indian history’s heroes better

Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History By Vikram Sampath Penguin, 334 pages, Rs 799

Mahamana’s vision of education was 100 years ahead of time

In recent times, the National Education Policy (NEP) 2020 is probably among the very few policies that have steered collective envisioning to redesign the education system in India. It is undoubted

New excavation season to begin at Delhi’s Purana Qila

The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) is all set to begin excavation at Delhi’s Purana Qila again. The excavation will be led by Vasant Swarnkarand would be the third season of excavation

The Boy Who Became the Mahatma

This year, as the nation commemorates the 75th death anniversary of Mahatma Gandhi on January 30, Rajesh Talwar, a prolific author who is also a legal advisor to the UN, is all set to release a

Should India look for another capital?

The Indian Metropolis: Deconstructing India’s Urban Spaces By Feroze Varun Gandhi Rupa, 840 pages, Rs 1,500 Feroze Varun Gandhi, a Membe

What exactly is new in ‘A New History of India’

A New History of India: From Its Origins to the Twenty-First Century By Rudrangshu Mukherjee, Shobita Punja and Toby Sinclair Aleph Books, pp 480, Rs 999

‘Netaji and the Indian Communal Question’

Abid Hasan Safrani: Netaji’s Comrade-in-Arms Compiled by Ismat Mehdi and Shehbaz Safrani, Foreword by Sugata Bose

How Kasturba saw the Gandhi story

ReFocus: The Films of Shyam Benegal Edited by Sneha Kar Chaudhuri and Ramit Samaddar Orient BlackSwan, 272 pages, Rs 1050 Shyam Benegal, a tra

Gandhi in Tamil Nadu: A researcher’s tribute

Gandhi`s Travels in Tamil Nadu. By A. Ramasamy, Translated from the original Tamil by P. C. Ramakrishna.

A veritable seminar on history – past and present – with Romila Thapar

The Future in the Past: Essays and Reflections By Romila Thapar Aleph, 336 pages, Rs 999

Who we are: ‘Indians’ throws light on our civilization, origins and evolution

The Indians: Histories of a Civilization Edited by G. N. Devy, Tony Joseph, and Ravi Korisettar Aleph, 648 pages, Rs 1,299

Restored Byculla station wins UNESCO award

The 169-year-old Byculla railway station of Central Railway has not only been restored to its heritage architectural glory but has also bagged the UNESCO Asia-Pacific Award of Merit for Cultural He

Learning about the Northeast, learning from the Northeast

Northeast India: A Political History By Samrat Choudhury HarperCollins | 432 pp | Rs 699

How Gandhi saw Sardar: a large-hearted leader, accommodative of all Indians…

A Plain, Blunt Man: The Essential Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Edited by Urvish Kothari Aleph, 328 pages, Rs 799

What Rajaji foresaw: People of India will have to undergo great trial

Selected Works of C. Rajagopalachari: Vol. VIII, 1946–48 By Ravi K. Mishra and Narendra Shukla (Editors) Orient BlackSwan, 460 pages, Rs 2,575

Aurobindo’s independence message spoke of his five dreams for India

Sri Aurobindo: The Life and Teachings of a Revolutionary Philosopher By Roshen Dalal Macmillan, 328 pages, Rs 699

Where was Mahatma Gandhi on the dawn of independence?

The Peacemakers Edited by Ghazala Wahab Aleph, 280 pages, Rs 799

“Essence of Gandhiji’s Teachings”: Rajaji’s Homage to the Mahatma

Selected Works of C. Rajagopalachari: Vol. VIII, 1946–48 By Ravi K. Mishra and Narendra Shukla (Editors) Orient BlackSwan, 460 pages, Rs 2,575

Saga of ‘An Ordinary Man’: Gandhi’s struggle, retold in his own words

I Am an Ordinary Man: India’s Struggle for Freedom (1914–1948) Edited by Gopalkrishna Gandhi Aleph, 456 pages, Rs 999

How to become Gandhi: A new book chronicles an experiment

Becoming Gandhi: Living the Mahatma`s 6 Moral Truths in Immoral Times By Perry Garfinkel Simon & Schuster India, 264 pages, Rs 699

“India is one and indivisible”: Recalling Sardar Patel’s inspiring words

A Plain, Blunt Man: The Essential Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Edited by Urvish Kothari Aleph, 328 pages, Rs 799

Tagore’s ‘Nationalism’: Much more than a critique of it

Explorations in Colonial Bengal: Essays on Religion, Society, and Culture Edited by Achintya Kumar Dutta, with a Foreword by Amiya P. Sen

Netaji, ‘The Boy Who Fought an Empire’

The Boy Who Fought an Empire By Rajesh Talwar Ponytale Books, 166 pages

New Ashoka biography: Engaging life-story of an emperor who ruled by Dharma

Ashoka: Portrait of a Philosopher King By Patrick Olivelle HarperCollins, 400 pages, Rs 799.00

Bringing alive Mizoram’s history, weaving facts and fiction

If I Have to be a Soldier By Nikhil J. Alva HarperCollins India, 336 pages, Rs 499

Driving a resurgence in Northeast

Modi’s Northeast Story Edited by Tuhin A. Sinha and Aditya Pittie Rupa, 22 pages, Rs 595

Gripping graphic narrative helps make sense of pandemics past

The Moral Contagion By Julia Hauser and Sarnath Banerjee HarperCollins, 140 pages, Rs 699

A kaleidoscopic view of Urdu literary landscape

Urdu: The Best Stories of Our Times Edited and translated by Rakhshanda Jalil HarperCollins, 200 pages, Rs 399

Indian Railways celebrates 171 years of its pioneering journey

The Indian Railways is celebrating 171 glorious years of its existence. Going back in time, the first train in India (and Asia) ran between Mumbai and Thane on April 16, 1853. It was flagged off fr

A sustainability warrior’s heartfelt stories of life’s fleeting moments

Fit In, Stand Out, Walk: Stories from a Pushed Away Hill By Shailini Sheth Amin Notion Press, Rs 399

First Magahi novel presents a glimpse of Bihar bureaucracy a century ago

Fool Bahadur By Jayanath Pati (Translated by Abhay K.) Penguin Modern Classics, 112 pages, Rs 250

How the role of Ayurveda evolved pre- and post-independence

Ayurveda, Nation and Society: United Provinces, c. 1890–1950 By Saurav Kumar Rai Orient BlackSwan, 292 pages, Rs 1,400  

Global Gandhi: How the Mahatma captured the world’s imagination

Gandhi’s Australia, Australia’s Gandhi By Thomas Weber Orient BlackSwan, 348 pages, Rs 1,800  

‘The Civil Servant and Super Cop: Modesty, Security and the State in Punjab’

Punjabi Centuries: Tracing Histories of Punjab Edited by Anshu Malhotra Orient

Optimism as a Way of Life

Embracing Hope: On Freedom, Responsibility & the Meaning of Life By Viktor E Frankl (Translated by Joelle Young) Rider/Penguin Random House, 176 pages

Law and Economy in India: Before Independence and After

Law and the Economy in India: Before Independence and After By Tirthankar Roy & Anand V. Swamy HarperCollins, pages, Rs. 799

Sopan Joshi on writing “that mango book”, research and a “memorable” feast

Mangifera indica: A Biography of the Mango By Sopan Joshi Aleph Book Company, 432 pages, Rs 799

Deep history of our languages show who we Indians are

Discovering India Anew: Out of Africa to Its Early History (Second Edition) By Alan Machado (Prabhu) Orient BlackSwan, 356 pages, Rs 750

On the fear of decline of our languages – major and minor

India: A Linguistic Civilization By G. N. Devy Aleph Book Company, 200 pages, Rs 599

New translation of Tagore’s modern classic speaks to our times

Four Chapters By Rabindranath Tagore Translated from the Bangla by Sekhar Bandyopadhyay and Subhransu Maitra

An iconoclast driven by relentless pursuit of social justice and equality

Iconoclast: A Reflective Biography of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar By Anand Teltumbde Viking/ Penguin, 700 pages, Rs 1,499

To understand Jaish-e-Muhammad, let’s understand Deobandi Movement

Jaish-e-Muhammad: Inside the Terrifying World of the Prophet`s Army By Abhinav Pandya HarperCollins, 490 pages, Rs 499

Sardar and the idea of ‘unity in diversity’

Vallabhbhai Patel: The Limitations of Anti-Colonial Nationalism and Electoral Politics By Rani Dhavan Shankardass

Exploring the treasures of India arts is a treat with this guide

The Big Book of Indian Art: An Illustrated History of Indian Art from Its Origins to the Present Day By Bina Sarkar Ellias Aleph Book Company, 815 pages, Rs

Visionary Talk: Amitabh Gupta, Pune Police Commissioner with Kailashnath Adhikari, MD, Governance Now


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