History Optional (UPSC)

#modern

https://youtu.be/DXB7qyZAVW8 This is a very sensitive topic. I had this theme in mind for quite some time and finally gathered some courage to make a video on this. Esp. when I recently saw Romila Thapar and Irfan Habib making mutually contradictory statements on this same issue. What do you think? Would really like to know your thoughts in comments. PS: Its a long-ish video, which gets more and more interesting with passing time, esp in the second half things become quite revealing.

Here is a quick book review of all Sumit Sarkar books in my collection. https://youtu.be/H_Vki1RowGQ?si=hWumf7FiEltoM8zU

My incomplete Sumit Sarkar collection

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Sumit Sarkar passed away today. An era has ended. 😔 Even though he was a communist, what a scholarly communist he was. I pray to God that may he get moksha and peace forever.

Next week, we have scheduled a Zoom session with Prof Richard Eaton. And that too on a very interesting topic of the role of Sufis in medieval India, including in religious conversations. These are the books he authored and I am preparing notes for the upcoming conversation. I am not sure if Zoom should be made available to students in Live mode, to ask queries... or just a recorded edited version be made available later for everyone on Youtube. If you want to attend it Live, give thumbs up.

Chola era temple land grant example cited by the Finance Minister recently. Speaking at the C.D. Deshmukh Lecture 2026 in New Delhi, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman highlighted the historic inscription at Thirumukkudal, near Kanchipuram, from the reign of Virarajendra Chola (1069 CE). https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1BEYPHDqzg/

I am currently quarantined with swine flu. Weak, feverish, and listless, I spend most of the day lying in bed with little energy to do anything. Perhaps this is precisely the time to return to the bhakti poetry of Tukaram and the Persian verses of Saadi, Rumi, and Hafiz. There are moments when philosophy appeals to the intellect, but poetry reaches somewhere much deeper. Illness, with its enforced stillness and quiet vulnerability, may well be one of those moments. In any case, it is time to revisit these beloved Persian poets. It all began with a conversation with ChatGPT about the lyrics of the old Hindi classic Rahe Na Rahe Hum. I was trying to understand the Persian word khirāmā. And then came this response: "Songs like Rahe Na Rahe Hum invite you to return to them over decades. At twenty, they sound romantic. At forty, they sound philosophical. After you've experienced loss, they can sound almost spiritual. That layered quality is what gives them such extraordinary longevity. A three-minute song becomes a lifetime companion because its meaning keeps unfolding as your own life changes. Such songs express a truth that poets across cultures have returned to again and again: love outlives possession, memory outlives the body, and time outlives us all. That is why, decades later, they still feel fresh." Persian poetry. Reflections on love and death. The quiet melancholy of an old Hindi song penned by great urdu poets. And a body too weak to do much except lie in bed and read. What more could one ask for?

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A good answer

This substack thing is pretty neat. I can write long form articles there. Its like USPC essays of about 1000-1200 words. And can go into depth of very interesting historical issues. Just wrote this new essay. In light of the CJP protest, I am trying to identify when and how student politics exactly emerged. It emerged when universities become political. Its not JNU, It has got deeper roots. To know when and how, wait for the link. Will publish this after some polishing of the draft.

Student Protests - World History lessons https://niksheth257.substack.com/p/paris-1968-and-prague-1989

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Prof. Vinay Lal (UCLA) will be joining us this Friday for a live discussion and Q&A. Prof. Lal is one of the leading scholars of Modern India. His work on Gandhi is widely known. He was also a student of the legendary historian Bernard Cohn. The theme of the session is the Holocaust. The last few decades have seen a huge amount of new research on the Holocaust. What makes Prof. Lal's work different is the way he connects it with India. He brings together Indian and global history in a way that very few historians do. It opens up a completely new way of looking at the subject. You can join the live session, listen to the discussion, and ask your questions directly. I think it will be a valuable learning experience for all of us. Live Discussion & Q&A with Prof Vinay Lal Registration Mandatory: https://shorturl.at/kCakn

A friend recommended that I publish such long-form articles on substack. I just created a substack profile and published one article there. I am not sure how this ecosystem works. I was an active blogger during 2009-10 years on wordpress but that was a different time. Will explore this substack further. The good thing is, I get to separate the two kinds of writing. The Telegram will remain more about UPSC and short commentaries. While long form History writing can shift to substack for larger audience. Here is the link. You can subscribe for future articles here. https://niksheth257.substack.com/p/the-khwajasaras?r=5p98f

I was reading the book on Aurangzeb by Munis D Faruqui. He has a complete section on the harem of Aurangzeb and the important role played by khwajasaras (eunuch) in the Mughal imperial household. I think this is often less talked about topic of the Mughals in particular and medieval Indian history in general. Interestingly, it is also not much talked about in gender studies, except some notable exceptions. So, here is a short write up prepared from various references and AI. Note: It is totally out of historical curiosity, and not primarily related to UPSC CSE.

History Optional (UPSC) pinned «It was an absolute pleasure to interact with Prof Farooqui extensively. I have never met before such a grounded personality who is also a professor of such high caliber. Total gentleman. If you are from DU, then you should Hype this podcast. If you are…»