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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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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/

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Millions of Hindus make up Pakistan's largest non Muslim minority, almost all of whom are underprivileged and live in the province of Sindh. They are treated as second-class citizens and are systematically discriminated in every aspect of life. Hindu women in Pakistan face double discrimination, most notably through forced conversions. These conversions often involve abduction, kidnapping, rape, and forceful marriages. However, many people often see forced conversion as the end goal but in fact, cases of forced conversions are rarely motivated by religious zeal and are instead a consequence of the commodification of and denial of agency to women in a deeply rigid patriarchal society. In today's episode, we sit with Dr. Jürgen Schaflechner, author of 'Hinglaj Devi: Identity, Change, and Solidification at a Hindu Temple in Pakistan' and look at the different beliefs and practices of Hindus in today's Islamic Republic of Pakistan while depicting the complexities behind forced conversions as well as highlighting the economic, social, and political realities of many Pakistani-Hindu women.

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Dr. Jürgen Schaflechner's documentaries: https://www.juergen-schaflechner.com/ethnographic

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During the 1970s and 80s in Britain, South Asians came together to protest against the violent racism and injustice they were facing from the government and from rising facist groups like the National Front. These South Asians, held rallies and marches, protested, and did whatever they had to do to defend and protect themselves. It is the story of how the British Asian community had reached their breaking point and decided to stand up and fight for their right to stay and live in Britain with dignity. In the latest Brown History Podcast episode, as Channel 4 releases their new documentary series – "Defiance: Fighting the Far Right" – a three-part series that examines how Britain’s Asian community was targeted with a campaign of violence and murder between 1976 and 1981, we sit with Suresh Grover, one of UK's leading activists against police brutality, and shed light on this dark chapter in British history.   

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