R. Radhakrishnan's Blog, page 17

The search for the Sougandhika flower, a Mahabharata tale.

As a child growing up in Mumbai, vacations were exciting times. We did not have the luxury of the internet or TV. Even the availability of books was limited. During vacations, we went south to Tamil Nadu and Kerala. Vacations meant listening to stories from our grandmothers and other elders. It also meant performances like Kathakali which told us stories from our epics.

A Kathakali performance

The Kathakali dance drama would be performed in the temple courtyard. The stage at the proper hei...

Snapshots from History: The ruin of Bengal

The Bengal Subah area, as we saw in an earlier blog was the richest province of the Mughal Empire.

The best administrators would be posted there and the revenue from Bengal was the highest among the Subahs of the Empire.

The Bengal Subah consisted of what is today the states of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa in India, and Bangladesh.

The ports of Bengal were filled with ships from around the world. They carried spices, rice, opium, silk, wheat, meat and the finest of Cotton fabrics. Bengal co...

Snapshots from History: The British Raj. Power and Pelf, Sex and Scandal

When I was growing up I would often hear from my elders how good the British were. How kind the Maharajas were.

Nothing in the history taught in school told me otherwise. The British had created the Indian Civil Service, the ICS, touted as the steel frame of India.

But the ICS was just a means developed for revenue collection and to keep the natives at bay. The steel frame did not support India, it only weighed down on Indians.

The British brought rules and more rules enacted laws and p...

Memories: Dad and his generation, Grit and Strength.

It has been a traumatic period as the old ones bid goodbye to us.

My Dad left this world a couple of months ago. Two of our neighbours, his contemporaries followed him. Yesterday our teacher left us.

They were the people around whom we grew up in the 60s, 70s and 80s.

They followed different faiths and were from different castes and communities. But what they had in common was much more than their differences.

They were hard-working men, had seen difficult times, worked round the cl...

Snapshots from History: Pax Britannica, Piracy on the high seas.

I once lived in Pondicherry, that quaint and picturesque little town on the southeastern coast of India.

Pondicherry is unlike other towns in India, it was a French enclave surrounded by British India.

Even today it has a distinctive French flavour and feel.

There is an old bar “The Qualithe” near the Governor’s residence.

It is a favourite place for expatriates to meet and have a drink in the evenings. It was a favourite of mine too.

We were there one evening and a British ...

Snapshots from History: The early days of the Raj.

The English were a middle-level power in the late 1500s, Spain and Portugal were the dominant powers in Europe.

The rivalry pretended to be of religion and ideals, Spain and Portugal being Catholic and England protestant.

But the real bone of contention was trade with the east and the riches to be made from it.

In 1588 the Spanish Armada was defeated by the English and with the confidence gained from that Queen Elizabeth permitted a few London merchants to sail to the East Indies and t...

Snapshots from History: How the British won their Indian Empire. Part 2 The Muscle. The Sepoys of the Empire.

I was at the Delhi airport a few days back. It was Friday and there was a rush of people all in a hurry.

The security line was a chaotic mess. I was brought up in a more restrained part of India and abhorred the hustle and the aggressive line cutting.

If I protested most listened, smiled and went back. Maybe it was my charm or my senior citizen status but I managed to get my security check done without getting into any trouble.

I realised then that there was a lot of us around and most ...

Snapshots from History: How the British won their Indian Empire. Part 2 The Muscle.

I was at the Delhi airport a few days back. It was Friday and there was a rush of people all in a hurry.

The security line was a chaotic mess. I was brought up in a more restrained part of India and abhorred the hustle and the aggressive line cutting.

If I protested most listened, smiled and went back. Maybe it was my charm or my senior citizen status but I managed to get my security check done without getting into any trouble.

I realised then that there was a lot of us around and most ...

Snapshots of History: Nehru our first Prime Minister

Indian Independence day 1947 will be remembered forever with Nehru’s evocative words when he spoke of our tryst with Destiny and how India will awaken to freedom while the world sleeps.

In his speech he said we would redeem the pledge, we made ” not wholly or in full measure but substantially”.  A practical and realistic statement.

Today on his birthday, at a period when many are decrying him, let us take a look at him and his legacy.

Jawaharlal with his parentsA handsome young man,...

Snapshots of History: How Britain built its Indian Empire. Part 1

It has always been a matter of surprise and curiosity, for me, as to how a small country like Britain could conquer India.

They not only conquered India but ruled us for two centuries. Some aspects come to mind which could be part of the reason.

When Europeans first came to India, the Mughal Empire was at its peak. The Europeans could not hope to win against them.

Early European settlements in India

The Mughals were opposed by many other powers. The Marathas, the Rajputs and so many ...