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Wednesday, July 30, 2025
TopicThinking Medieval

Topic: Thinking Medieval

There’s more to Assam than Ahoms. Ancient Kamarupa, Bengal challenge assumptions

The Mughal-Ahom wars were really the culmination of 1,000 years of geopolitical rivalry.

Raising taxes was Palas’ biggest mistake—it killed 2 kings, ended their 300-yr-rule in Bengal

The Kaivartas survive today as a faint reminder: the medieval world was not a utopia, nor was it one of complete and benevolent royal domination.

Shaivite rivals were not Vaishnavites, but tantric Buddhists in medieval era

The Pallava dynasty was turning toward Shaivism. Buddhists took immediate note and strung up a narrative where Shiva is immature and Trailokyavijaya emerges supreme.

How exactly did Ganesha arrive in Indonesia & Cambodia? Quite abruptly

In Tibet and China, he would take on altogether darker tantric forms, whereas in Japan, he evolved into a unique ‘twin’ form with a male and female aspect.

Kamakhya Temple is one way Assam shaped Sanskritic mainstream in medieval India

The history of the Kamakhya Temple encapsulates the history of Northeast India — and challenges the way we imagine the spread of Hinduism.

Mahabharata war to Dasaratha sacrifices—Tripura’s Manikya dynasty used religion as a force

In Tripura, the Sanskritic culture served as a veneer over a vibrant, cosmopolitan Northeastern world that we are often too quick to dismiss today as 'tribal' or 'violent'.

Medieval Indian engineers in the 7th century built robots. Powered by water and clockwork

Using hydraulics and clockwork, engineers could make wondrous devices that are now lost. These were more credible than claims about pre-modern Indian technology such as UFOs and genetic engineering.

This is how Shiva became Asia’s most popular god – innovation, assimilation, conquest

In a diverse religious environment, the Shaiva recipe for success was rather crafty.

The Great monastery of Ratnagiri – this is how Buddhism thrived in medieval Odisha

Female musicians played as the Buddha was offered ‘flowers, fruits, medicinal plants, and all other treasures’ at the Ratnagiri monastery.

South Asia’s greatest stupa isn’t in India but Bangladesh. This is its story

The decline and fall of Indian Buddhism was as complex a process as its rise. But all that remains of this dramatic history are silent ruins of brick.

On Camera

Meghnad Desai was a man of many passions. Marxian economics, politics to Bollywood

Meghnad’s interest went much beyond economics and politics. This is reflected in his writing, particularly after his retirement as a full-time LSE professor in 2003.

Govt’s earlier FDI limit of 74% in insurance sector has remained underutilised, Parliament told

In the latest budget, the FDI limit was increased to 100 percent, but most foreign companies are not buying such large stakes in the Indian insurance sector.

India to get last of Spain-built C-295 next month, focus now on 1st India-made aircraft

New Delhi: The last of the C-295 transport aircraft that is replacing the ageing Avro fleet of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will be...

Modi’s Bharat vs Indira’s India: 11-yr report card of politics, diplomacy, economy, nationalism

As Narendra Modi becomes India’s second-longest consecutively serving Prime Minister, we look at how he compares with Indira Gandhi across four key dimensions.