Spotlight

Illustration of Mysore University in disrepair

How Caste Politics, Communism and Congress Transformed Mysore University into a Crematorium of Knowledge

07 Apr 2026

16 min read

The University of Mysore took its inspiration from the Bhagavad Gita. Power-hungry caste politicians aided by communists eventually transformed it into a graveyard of knowledge.

Commentary

The Dark Side of a "Classic": Why Pather Panchali is Overrated Poverty Porn

Sandeep Balakrishna

29 Mar 2026

5 min read

Illustration of Ordinary Hindus in the medieval period

History Vignettes

The Common Hindu Never Accepted Alien Muslim Rule as Indigenous

Team Dharma Dispatch

16 Jan 2026

5 min read

Commentary

The Face of a Communist Civil War Inside JNU: Nothing Revolutionary About the AISA

David Frawley

06 Jan 2020

3 min read

Illustration of a war fought by Murshid Quli Khan

History Vignettes

The Pathetic Breakdown of the Mughal Dynasty and the Resurgence of Murshid Quli Khan

Sandeep Balakrishna

16 Jan 2025

5 min read

A typical Brahmin who lived in our villages

Notes On Culture

A Glimpse of the Daily Routine and Life of a Brahmin Patriarch

Sandeep Balakrishna

22 Nov 2018

6 min read

History Vignettes

The Dravidian Lemuria Fantasy as History and the Invention of Kumarikandam as Geography

Sandeep Balakrishna

21 Jan 2019

5 min read

History Vignettes

The Arab Destruction of Portuguese Churches in Daman and Diu and how Muscat got its First Hindu Temple

Sandeep Balakrishna

18 Apr 2024

6 min read

Commentary

Profiling Narendra Modi’s Critics

Sandeep Balakrishna

26 Sep 2017

6 min read

Notes On Culture

The Delightful Story of the Cussword, “Moo Devi”

Sandeep Balakrishna

14 Jul 2021

5 min read

Commentary

Lal Singh Chaddha: In Which Aamir Khan’s Politics has Roasted Him

Sandeep Balakrishna

08 Aug 2022

5 min read

Illustration of Azim-ud-din, Aurangzeb's grandson

History Vignettes

Muhammad Azim-ud-din: Aurangzeb’s Grandson and the Extortionist of Bengal

Sandeep Balakrishna

19 Dec 2024

4 min read

Aurangzeb’s grandson, Muhammad Azim-ud-din was appointed as the Subahdaar of Bengal in 1697. He ruled the province with shocking oppression and extortion and clashed with Muhammad Hadi or Murshid Quli ...

Illustration of a Qazi executing a Hindu in Murshid Quli Khan's regime

History Vignettes

The Horrific Finale: Glimpses of Hindu Persecution by Murshid Quli Khan

Sandeep Balakrishna

27 Feb 2025

7 min read

Illustration of the Last Battle of Sitaram Ray

History Vignettes

The Tragic Tale of Sitaram Ray, the Last Hindu King of Bengal

Sandeep Balakrishna

17 Feb 2025

7 min read

Commentary

Romilayana: How Romila Thapar Lied her Way to Historical Eminence

Shankar Saran

04 Mar 2024

5 min read

History Vignettes

The Famous Mughalai Cuisine in Jahangir's Regime was a Feast of Exploitation: Concluding Episode

Team Dharma Dispatch

11 Oct 2021

5 min read

History Vignettes

Saartha: Ancient India's Travelling Multinational Corporations

Sandeep Balakrishna

31 Oct 2024

3 min read

Illustration of Murshid Quli Khan reading the Quran

History Vignettes

The Bigotry of Murshid Quli Khan and the Farman that Founded Kolkata

Sandeep Balakrishna

25 Feb 2025

5 min read

Illustration of Murshid Quli Khan's Aide Raghunandan in a war

History Vignettes

How Murshid Quli Khan Facilitated the Renewal of Hindu Power in Bengal

Sandeep Balakrishna

03 Feb 2025

5 min read

Murshid Quli Khan elevated talented Hindus to high positions in his civil and military administration and created a new Zamindari class in Bengal

Illustration of Murshid Quli Khan's Torture Method

History Vignettes

Building a Pit of Human Shit as the Revenue Model of Murshid Quli Khan

Sandeep Balakrishna

27 Jan 2025

6 min read

Murshid Quli Khan adopted extremely savage methods of torture to extract revenue from the Bengal province

Illustration showing Murshid Quli Khan's men beating villagers

History Vignettes

“The Bengal Province is being Sucked by a Double Set of Leeches!”

Sandeep Balakrishna

24 Jan 2025

5 min read

Murshid Quli Khan's radical Ijtara revenue system outrages the old elite of Bengal who complain to the Mughal emperor

Depiction of Murshid Quli Khan in a Village

History Vignettes

Murshid Quli Khan’s Ijtara System and Bengali Cinema

Sandeep Balakrishna

22 Jan 2025

5 min read

As the Subahdaar of Bengali, Murshid Quli Khan introduces the Ijtara system of revenue collection which has far-reaching consequences lasting up to the early 20th century

History Vignettes

Aurangzeb’s Death and Murshid Quli Khan’s Exile to the Dakkhan

Sandeep Balakrishna

06 Jan 2025

4 min read

Aurangzeb’s death changes Murshid Quli Khan's fortunes for the worse. His enemy Azim-ud-din now takes revenge by banishing Quli to the Dakhhan

History Vignettes

When Pepper gave Bharatavarsha a New Name: The Sink of Precious Metals

Sandeep Balakrishna

09 Aug 2021

4 min read

With pepper at the heart of its flourishing spice trade, India overflowed with coins and other precious metals from Rome earning it the moniker, "sink of precious metals."