Brown History Podcast

North America looks the way it does today because European settlers took land that Indigenous peoples were already living on. They did this through unfair treaties, wars, forced removal, and taking land by force. Historians call this settler colonialism — when newcomers move in, push out the original people, and build a permanent society on their land.

And this didn't end in the past. It still happens today, just in quieter ways.

Now, land is taken through laws, court decisions, and big corporations. For example, mining projects, pipelines, dams, and logging often get approved even when Indigenous nations say no. The process looks official, lots of paperwork and legal terms, but the idea is the same: governments still act like they can use Indigenous land without Indigenous permission.

Immigrants have a complicated role in this. We didn't start these systems, we didn't fight the original wars or create reservations, but we still arrive and build our lives on this land. That means we also benefit from a system built on taking land from Indigenous peoples. And each of us has to choose whether we continue that system or help change it.

Today, I'm talking with Nishant Upadhyay, author of Indians on Indian Lands. We discuss how South Asian communities became part of these settler systems, how race and caste shape our relationships with Indigenous peoples, and what it means to live responsibly on lands that were never given up.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3Y5kDhz

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

This episode could save your life!

Across the world, South Asian communities are facing an alarming rise in heart disease, heart attacks, diabetes, and high blood pressure. And it's not just affecting older people. Young people who are fit, thin, and have no family history are showing no symptoms until it's too late.

But this crisis runs deeper than diet or lifestyle. Our health risks are rooted in the very history our ancestors endured.

In today's episode, we sit down with Dr. Mubin Syed (@desidoc.md), author of Healing from Our History: How Colonial-Era Famines Led to a Modern South Asian Health Crisis. Together, we trace how the trauma of the past still shapes our bodies and what we can do now to reclaim our health.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3LZSR3e

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://brownhistory.substack.com/

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

If you ask someone what ancient India gave to the world, most people will probably say "yoga." But for over a thousand years, India was an intellectual, cultural, and spiritual centre of the world. From astronomy and art to literature, language, religion, and philosophy, India was a powerhouse of ideas that traveled far beyond its borders. So why don't more people today know about this part of India's history?

On today's episode, we sit with the great historian William Dalrymple, author of his new book, The Golden Road, and discuss how ancient India shaped the world as we know it today.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/3Spk3bK

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

When we hear the phrase 'homeland security,' we usually think of the United States. But long before 9/11, Israel was already building a model —one based on occupation, surveillance, and control.

After the 2008 Mumbai attacks, India promised it would never be caught off guard again. But instead of rebuilding from within, it became one of Israel's biggest customers. Not just for weapons, but for surveillance technology, police training, and an entire mindset shaped by Israel's experience of occupation.

In today's episode, we sit with Rhys Machold, author of Fabricating Homeland Security, and unpack how homeland security became a global brand, how fear became a marketplace, and how Israel became India's go-to model for policing, surveillance, and counterterrorism.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/449mEhf

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

On today's episode of the Brown History Podcast, we sit with Indo-Canadian filmmaker Deepa Mehta. Her work is fearless, powerful, and deeply human. Each of her films tells a different story, in a different way—but what ties them all together is her deep and unwavering love for her people. She captures their history, their joy, and their sorrow with honesty and grace. Her films are bold. They're visually stunning. And they don't shy away from the hard truths. This month, the Toronto International Film Festival is honouring Deepa Mehta's remarkable 30-year career with a special retrospective—screening ten of her film from April 4th to 23rd at the TIFF Lightbox here in Toronto. This episode could not have happened without the support of the Toronto International Film Festival, specifically Nandita Dutta from TIFF, a special thanks to them all.

Visit our Shop

Become a patron

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Book Recommendations by Deepa Mehta:

• The First Man by Albert Camus

• Nowhere, Exactly: On Identity and Belonging by M. G. Vassanji

When countries in the Global South gained independence from European colonial rule, they didn't fully break away from the systems imposed by their former colonizers. While they became independent nations, they continued to follow the same ideas about borders, governance, and state power—ideas shaped by colonial rule. In other words, they removed foreign rulers but didn't necessarily rethink the structures that defined nations and states.

In today's episode, we sit with Hafsa Kanjwal, author of the book 'Colonizing Kashmir: State-building Under Indian Occupation.' and explore how the Indian and Kashmiri governments used development and governance to tighten India's control over Kashmir after Partition. In her book, she argues that India's efforts to integrate and develop Kashmir after British rule were fundamentally colonial. She examines how India brought Kashmir under its control without the people's approval, using local leaders who followed India's interests. Her work argues that India's actions were not about freedom but instead shows them as part of a larger effort to strengthen the country after World War II.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/4eJg7fn

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Book Recommendations by Guest:

• Resisting Disappearance: Military Occupation and Women's Activism in Kashmir by Ather Zia

• Indians on Indian Lands: Intersections of Race, Caste, and Indigeneity by Nishant Upadhyay

During colonial rule of India, relations between British men and Indian women became regular practice, and over generations a large and growing 'mixed race' community developed. They would come to be known as Anglo-Indians and have their own distinct identity. Anglo-Indians held a unique position at the crossroads of race, color, and class. They were never fully colonizers nor colonized, but something in-between, at times playing the roles of either, neither, or both. When the British left and India was granted its independence in 1947, Anglo-Indians would face an existential dilemma. In today's episode, we sit with Uther Charlton-Stevens, author of 'Anglo-India and The End of Empire,' and reexamine empire and decolonization through the eyes of Anglo-Indians.

Get the book here: https://amzn.to/4eJg7fn

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Book Recommendations:

An Anglo-Indian Childhood by Shirley Pritchard

Embers: An Anglo-Indian Memoir by Joy Chase

Anglo-Indian Lives in Pakistan by Dorothy McMenamin

Children of Colonialism: Anglo-Indians in a Postcolonial World by Lionel Caplan

Anglo-Indian Identity: Past and Present, in India and the Diaspora by Robyn Andrews (Editor), Merin Simi Raj (Editor)

Our guest today is the acclaimed actress Kani Kusruti. Kani garnered widespread recognition when she won the Best Actress award at the Kerala State Film Awards in 2020. Her recent film, All We Imagine as Light, won the prestigious Grand Prix at Cannes. This film marks the first Indian entry in competition at Cannes in nearly three decades and is set to make its Canadian debut at the Toronto International Film Festival. Today, we'll delve into Kani's journey, the making of this groundbreaking film, and what this moment means for Indian cinema.

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Kerala was once one of the poorest states in India. However, in the 1970s, the oil boom in the Gulf sparked a surge in demand for labour which was largely filled by Keralites, thus transforming the fabric of Kerala society forever. When we talk about migrant labor, we often focus on the economic side. But we forget that cities are not just built from stone and bricks. They are also built on dreams, hopes, memories, and longing, passed down from one generation to the next. On today's episode, we sit with Mohamed Shafeeq Karinkurayil, author of 'The Gulf Migrant Archives in Kerala' —the first ever book that studies Gulf migrant archives in Malayalam through photographs, films, and literature. Together we delve into the impact of the Gulf in Kerala society and examine migrant labor beyond just the economic aspects.

Get the book: https://amzn.to/3yKwKI4

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Subscribe to our newsletter: https://brownhistory.substack.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768

Today, we have the pleasure of welcoming Fatima Farheen Mirza to our podcast. Fatima is the acclaimed author of the New York Times Bestseller novel, 'A Place for Us', which offers a profound and deeply insightful look into the lives of an Indian-American Muslim family navigating their cultural and personal identities in contemporary America. Her debut work has garnered praise for its richly drawn characters and its ability to capture the intricacies of family dynamics and the immigrant experience. In the latest episode, we sit down with author Fatima Farheen Mirza and dive into her creative process, the themes she explores in her work, and her journey as a writer.

In addition to her novel, Fatima also shares her thoughts and reflections through her newsletter, where she delves into various aspects of her writing process, personal experiences, and musings on life. You can subscribe at fatimafarheenmirza.substack.com/

Get the book: https://amzn.to/4dTweqV

Visit our Shop: https://shopbrownhistory.com/

Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/brownhistory

Books covered on the podcast so far: https://amzn.to/42TH768