Orange, NSW, 16 June 2021 The ancient Vedic Hindu culture continued to expand across the sub-continent till about 1000 A.D. Written records of dynasties that ruled the ‘known’ parts of the Indian sub-continent can be traced back to the Matsyapurana, which states that the Shishunaga dynasty ruled from about 640 B.C. and was followed by […]
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Indian History Part 81 Akbar Section VI: The Warrior-Monarch
September 5, 2020 
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Canberra, 5 September 2020 There is no doubt that Akbar was a rare man—he combined many virtues that together make a ‘good’ human being and he was someone of stature who would stand out from the ordinary at all times. He was also a man of contradictions; he was personally brave to a fault, impetuous […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 71 South India – 14th Century Section I: Islamic Rule Permeates the Deccan
March 1, 2019 0 Comments
Canberra, 1 March 2019 The establishment of the Delhi Sultanate altered the character of North India irrevocably. However, this event did not have any direct impact on the lands to the south of River Narmada and the Vindhya Mountain ranges that could be called, in a very generic manner, Peninsular or Southern India. The historical […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 55 Khilji Militarism Section I Ascent to Power
January 12, 2017 0 Comments
Canberra, 12 January 2016 Origins The ancestors of the Khilji clan (also spelt Khalji in a number of texts) had migrated from Turkistan along with the early movement of Turks towards the east from Central Asia. They had settled in the Helmand region of Afghanistan, staying there for over 200 years before moving further east. […]
Continue readingSAUDI ARABIA AND IRAN: DRAWING THE BATTLE LINES
January 20, 2016 1 Comment
Canberra, 20 January 2016 Ever since King Salman came to power in early 2015 and brought about sweeping changes in the hierarchy within the monarchy, the administration has been pursuing a more vigorous foreign policy than the one followed by the previous regime of King Abdullah. The focused objective has been to limit to the […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 47 KASHMIR: A KINGDOM APART Section II The Utpalas and the Loharas
January 17, 2016 0 Comments
Canberra, 17 January 2016 Utpala was a powerful minister serving the Karkota dynasty and also the maternal uncle of Lalitaditya. He had unsuccessfully attempted to seize power during the confusion and anarchy following Lalitaditya’s death. Utpala’s grandson, Avantivarman, managed to usurp the throne at a time when the Karkotas had reached the nadir of […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 47 KASHMIR: A KINGDOM APART Section I: The Karkota Dynasty
January 8, 2016 0 Comments
Canberra, 8 January 2016 The history of Kashmir is almost inextricably intertwined with the greater history of the broader region of which it forms a part—Central Asia, Afghanistan, China and Tibet—as much as it does of the Indian sub-continent. Kashmir by itself covers a large territory, which is mountainous, rugged and in places completely […]
Continue readingA METHOD TO MADNESS? TURKEY SHOOTS DOWN A RUSSIAN FIGHTER AIRCRAFT
December 2, 2015 2 Comments
Canberra, 2 December 2015 On Tuesday 23 November a Russian Air Force Su-24 Fencer ground attack aircraft was shot down by an AIM-120 AMRAAM missile fired by a Turkish Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon interceptor aircraft. The pilot was killed by ground fire after he and his navigator ejected successfully from the stricken aircraft […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 39 BENGAL RISING: Section II THE SENA DYNASTY
April 15, 2015 0 Comments
Jakarta, 15 April 2015 The Arrival of the Senas Choraganga, the powerful king of Kalinga acceded to the throne in 1076 and almost immediately initiated an offensive campaign to increase the territorial holdings of his kingdom. Around 1080, or maybe a few years later, he conquered the extreme north of Orissa bordering the Pala territory. […]
Continue readingIndian History Part 28 THE CENTURY OF DARKNESS Section II THE LIFE AND TIMES OF HARSHA-VARDHANA
May 12, 2014 0 Comments
Canberra, 12 May 2014 Harsha was not only a great warrior-king but also a distinguished statesman and an equally caring and welfare-minded king. He displayed ample skill and prudence in managing the affairs of his kingdom and was able to consolidate his initially precarious position as the king of Thanesar to subsequently become the unquestioned […]
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