Rewind

A conversation with distinguished historian Ranabir Chakravarti exploring themes in early Indian and maritime history. The discussion deals with issues of space, mobility, and exchange throughout the subcontinent and beyond.

We reflect on the nature of historical categories and the challenges of interpretation and discuss broader insights into how historians engage with sources and navigate complex processes, bringing together diverse perspectives in understanding the past.

A conversation with distinguished historian Ranabir Chakravarti exploring themes in early Indian and maritime history. The discussion deals with issues of space, mobility, and exchange throughout the subcontinent and beyond.

We reflect on the nature of historical categories and the challenges of interpretation and discuss broader insights into how historians engage with sources and navigate complex processes, bringing together diverse perspectives in understanding the past.

Welcome to the Official History Department Podcast of St. Stephen’s College! In this episode of Rewind, Professor Audrey Truschke joins Minerva Digra and Srijan Srivastava for an engaging conversation on the cultural, imperial, and intellectual histories that have shaped the subcontinent. Drawing from her extensive work on medieval South Asian history, she discusses the world of the Mughals, inter-community relations, and the vibrant exchanges between Sanskrit and Persian traditions at the imperial court.

A conversation with renowned numismatist and art historian Osmund Bopearachchi on how coins, sculptures, and archaeological evidence reveal the northwest of ancient India as a crossroads of empires, religions, and artistic traditions.

We discuss interpreting portraiture and propaganda on coins, the impact of dispersed collections on Indo-Iranian studies, the balance between Greek and Indian influence in Gandhāran art, and how hybrid imagery shaped early Buddhist and Hindu visual culture.

In this episode of Rewind, Prof. Tanika Sarkar talks about her vast experience as a teacher and historian, matters concerning women and religion in contemporary India and changes in the study of history.

In this episode of Rewind, Prof. Patrick Olivelle joins us for a wide-ranging conversation on Ashoka, one of India’s most fascinating historical figures. He speaks about the complexities of writing ancient history, Ashoka’s idea of dharma, and why his inscriptions are unlike anything else in the ancient world. Olivelle also explores Ashoka’s political strategy, Buddhist connections and his radical reimagining of kingship and public leadership.

In this episode of Rewind, Aali Kumar talks about Zaikanama, her innovative pop-up venture that curates riveting food events on different historical themes. She also discusses Indian culinary history in the colonial times, covering themes including food production patterns, colonial cookbooks, culinary habits and traditions, issues of gender in food history and use of food items as symbols of protest.

In this episode of Rewind, Mukul Mangalik remembers and reflects upon his years of teaching history at Ramjas College.

In this episode of Rewind, Urvashi Butalia discusses power structures in knowledge dissemination through gendered narratives, oral histories and historiographical traditions. This episode is recorded in collaboration with Where Are The Women, a student-led initiative which aims to map the space of Delhi through the stories of its gender minorities.

In this episode of Rewind, Professor Irfan Habib discusses the historian's craft and the state of history-writing in India today.