I  write a fort – nightly column for DNA Newspaper which is based out of Mumbai. Through these, I try to present a view of history not usually covered in school textbooks, hence the name #Alternate Histories. Short essays about little known facts spanning the length and breadth of both space and time.

Please follow these links for the original articles as they appear on the DNA website. Each article is 800 words long. Happy reading

1. Lachit Borphukan – Shivaji of the East —

Do you know that Assam also produced a very brave general by the name of Lachit Borphukan? He fought against the Mughals at the same time as Chhatrapati Shivaji!

Let’s learn a bit more about this forgotten warrior.

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2. Bhor Ghat – Battlefield under a railway line (1779)

“This is all so exhilarating. And it happened right around here. I feel proud. Unfortunate that I have never heard of this great victory over the British”

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3. Assam’s role in 1857

The old soldier, wearing a worn-out sepoy uniform, let out a puff of smoke. He wanted to talk about his inspiration – Maniram Dewan.

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4. Chhatrapati Shivaji – Pratapgad

“This place is a turning point for India’s history” he remarked to his friend Rakesh.

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5. An alternate view of history

But the way our current narrative is contructed, we tend to give undue importance to defeat and ignore victory — which is detrimental as a whole

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6. How Chimaji Appa defeated the Portuguese

The victorious Vasai campaign led by the brother of Peshwa Bajirao against a formidable colonial force was a watershed
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7. Defeat of the 8th century Arab invasion

For three centuries from 712 AD to 1001 AD, Indian kings kept Arab invaders at bay !

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8. The Curious case of Jodhpur

How Sardar Patel tore up Jinnah’s “blank cheque” and averted Jodhpur’s possible merger with Pakistan

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9. Rudra Singha – Plan to invade Bengal

The great Ahom king Rudra Singha had mobilised 4 lakh soldiers to invade Mughal-ruled Bengal, but his untimely death at Guwahati stalled the campaign

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10. Sayajirao Gaekwad III – Maker of Modern Baroda