European pirates in the Indian Ocean were a menace for European East India trading companies as much as Indian rulers, the Mughals and the Marathas, of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. In this episode, we discuss the life of pirates in the Indian Ocean and the companies that chased them, thinking of piracy as more than just thievery in the seas.
Read MoreEpisode 12 | Courtesan, Concubine, Warrior, Mughal Noble: The Life of Begum Samru
She was a courtesan, concubine, warrior, Mughal noble, leader, survivor. We discuss the interesting life of a nineteenth-century woman figure, Begum Samru.
Read MoreEpisode 11 | History of Female Impersonation and Gendered Performances in South Asia
Shilpa Menon provides the complex history of female impersonation and gendered performances in South Asia, and its relevance to contemporary issues of marginalization of minorities.
Read MoreEpisode 10 | Devi Mahatmya: The Stories of the Great Goddess
The stories of Devi, the Great Goddess.
Read MoreEpisode 9 | Manasollasa, A Twelfth-Century Chalukyan Encyclopedia on Pleasure
A discussion of the 12th century treatise on royalty, court life and pleasure—Manasollasa—written by King Someshwara III, ruler of the Western Chalukyan empire.
Read MoreEpisode 8 | Nur Jahan: The Empress of Mughal India
Was Empress Nur Jahan a feminist? Was she a conniving wannabe? We explore the truths and myths about Nur Jahan, the twentieth wife of Mughal Emperor Jahangir and the only empress of Mughal India.
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