Category: History

“History is always written by the winners. When two cultures clash, the loser is obliterated, and the winner writes the history books-books which glorify their own cause and disparage the conquered foe. As Napoleon once said, ‘What is history, but a fable agreed upon?”

History

Lalmohan Ghosh | The First Indian to Stand for Election to the British Parliament

Long before Rishi Sunak, the present British Prime Minister stormed into the British political landscape, about 138 years ago, a shipbuilding district in Southwest London cheered “Vote for Ghosh” for an Indian man in the UK Parliament election. But who is this Ghosh? Ghosh was a pioneer in his field. He was born in 1849 in the Bengali hamlet of Krishnanagar and grew up to … Continue reading Lalmohan Ghosh | The First Indian to Stand for Election to the British Parliament

Indrajit RoyChoudhury10 Comments
History

Iraq Dig Uncovers 5,000-Year-Old Pub Restaurant

The US-Italian team made the find in the ruins of ancient Lagash, northeast of the modern city of Nasiriyah in Iraq, which was already known to have been one of the first urban centers of the Sumerian civilization of ancient Iraq. Team finds primitive fridge, oven, benches for guests, around 150 serving bowls, evidence of eating, drinking, and even beer recipe inscribed on cuneiform tablet. A detailed analysis would need to be carried out on the samples taken during the excavations. Continue reading Iraq Dig Uncovers 5,000-Year-Old Pub Restaurant

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History, Travel

Prehistoric Megalithic Observatory near Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)

Megalithic monuments are among the earliest and most permanent of archaeological structures, and so many of them were used, or more properly, have been used and reused for thousands of years. Their original intent is likely lost to the ages, but they may have had multiple functions as they were used by different cultural groups over the centuries and millennia. Continue reading Prehistoric Megalithic Observatory near Hazaribagh (Jharkhand)

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History, Travel

Isko Caves | A Journey into the Past

Isko Cave is a natural cave located in Hazaribagh, Jharkhand, India. It is considered to be a site of archaeological significance, with evidence of human habitation dating back to the Stone Age. These Isko caves and rock art needs protection and maintenance. The ASI and the state government must take immediate steps to protect this heritage. This will promote tourism and bolster the local economy too. Continue reading Isko Caves | A Journey into the Past

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History, Travel

In Search of Guru Nanak’s Shrine in Baghdad

Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, spent three months in Baghdad with his associates Bhai Mardana and Bhai Bala on his return to India from Mecca. The holy site is in the backyard of Baghdad railway station surrounded by graveyards. War, insurgents or looters have wiped any trace of a historical footnote that had preserved the memory of the Sikh Guru’s 16th-century journey through Arabia and his stay in Baghdad. There is no trace of anything Sikh on the site now. Continue reading In Search of Guru Nanak’s Shrine in Baghdad

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History

Golden Lyre of Ur | Mesopotamia

It is unknown which culture was the first to create music, but a set of beautiful Sumerian instruments from the city of Ur provide us with some insight into the world of ancient music. The famous Lyres of Ur, which are somewhat similar to modern harps, are the oldest stringed instruments unearthed to date. The Golden Lyre, found in the Great Death Pit at the Royal Cemetery of Ur (in southern Iraq), got its name because the whole head of the bull is made of gold. The eyes are made of inlaid mother-of-pearl and lapis lazuli. Research has shown that the bull played a key role in the religious imagination of the Sumerians: it could serve as the deity’s divine animal or the god himself could take on the form of a bull. Continue reading Golden Lyre of Ur | Mesopotamia

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History

Agatha Christie Also Lived in Baghdad

Agatha Christie doesn’t need any introduction. We grew up reading the detective novels of the British writer, who authored 66 detective novels and 14 short story collections, particularly those revolving around fictional detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple. According to UNESCO’s Index Translationum, she remains the most-translated individual author. After a devastating divorce, she took a trip to Baghdad in 1928 and lost her heart — to the ancient sites of Iraq and archaeologist Max Mallowan. Continue reading Agatha Christie Also Lived in Baghdad

Indrajit RoyChoudhury9 Comments
History

Gold Helmet of Meskalamdug | Mesopotamia

Elaborate hairstyles became important for both men and women in Mesopotamia. The kings began to wear a full beard and long braided hair tied in a large bun at the nape of his neck. Women continued to wear their hair long, twisting it into large buns that covered the top of the head to the base of the neck and adorning it with ribbons and pins. The wealthiest people decorated their elaborate hairstyles with beautifully made jewelry of gold and silver. The gold of the helmet of Meskalamdug was expertly formed to resemble the hairstyle popular for men of the time: waves around the face with a bun tied in the back. Continue reading Gold Helmet of Meskalamdug | Mesopotamia

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History

Chowringhee is older than the city of Kolkata

Nobody is quite sure how Chowringhee, one of Kolkata’s most iconic roads, got its name. Chowringhee, not quite an arterial road but one of the city’s longest thoroughfares today, connects two parts of the city — Kalighat and Dharmatolla — to each other. Chowringhee is one of the best addresses in Kolkata. It still oozes of the imperial heritage. The building nearby are majestic and imposing and reminds of the British raj. Continue reading Chowringhee is older than the city of Kolkata

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History

World’s First Beach in Singhbhum Region of India

A recent international study has revealed that the Earth’s first continents or “cratons” may have emerged from the ocean around 3.2 billion years ago. This new finding is at odds with previous estimates, which suggested that the first continents emerged 2.5 billion years ago. In the landmark discovery, scientists have found that the first continental land emerged around 3.2 billion years ago, in an area that is now the Singhbhum region of Jharkhand, in India. Continue reading World’s First Beach in Singhbhum Region of India

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