Coffee, tea and revolution
Before his death in July 2009, KK Aziz had accomplished one mission that he had set for himself, i.e. to write about the Lahore…
Sultana Begum, the great grand daughter-in law of last Mughal emperor
Jahane Rumi is grateful to Shivnath Jha for this contribution.. Stiching words together to restore glory to the lives lost in oblivion may not…
The Historian – Online Journal of Government College University, Pakistan
Many months ago I received this link to the online journal of the Government College University, Lahore. It has an impressive editorial board and…
Stories of Sarmad
Read this excellent piece by Bilal Tanweer published in DAWN, Pakistan on one of my favourite characters: In another variation of this motif, the…
The Battle over Hindu History
Author Wendy Doniger, Professor of the History of Religions, University of Chicago’s Divinity School , writes on this blog about her new work. This new…
Capitulating Rajas: why Taliban might not be resisted
My new piece for The Friday Times South Asian history is a tale of capitulation of local elites before external invaders. Be it the…
Even Tamas is online now
My dear friend Bhupinder alerted me to his post that talks about Tamas, a great novel (and subsequently a gripping TV serial) on the…
Living Lohawarana – a Lahori rambling
My piece for Himal Magazine’s October issue There was a Lahore that I grew up in, and then there is the Lahore that I…
Imam Hussain: The Beloved of the Beloved
By Syed Salman Chishty Shah Ast Hussain Among the Belivers are Men ,who delivered their promise to Allah (Ayah 23/ Surah Al-Ahzab) On the…
The pursuit of the Southasian past
Moving beyond the colonial-era understanding of the history of the Subcontinent gives us a whole new way of looking at the Subcontinent’s past. This…
Delhi by the book
Published in The News What motivates me to write? Lacking an appropriate label, a catchy boxed tag such as a historian or a sociologist,…
Sultana Begum – a surviving heir of Bahadur Shah Zafar
Neena Jha and Shivnath Jha have launched a nationed wide movement to protect musicians, artists, academicians and others who have brought laurels and pride…
Aurangzeb as he was according to Mughal Records
Found these amazing images on a deeply problematic exhibition on the Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb here Exhibit No. 2: Prince Dara Shukoh translating the Upanishads.…
Why Jodhaa Akbar is a disappointment?
The challenge of translating a historical era into a cinematic endeavour is daunting, especially when it concerns historically contested subjects such as the fabled…
On Bhagat Singh, His Vision And Jinnah’s Support For His Struggle
In his incisive speech to the Constituent Assembly on September 12 and 14, 1929, Jinnah harshly condemned the criminal colonial rule and the Government's…
Mian Mir’s 384th Urs
Mian Mir’s death anniversary celebrations are commencing today. Mian Mir is regarded as one of the greatest Sufi saints of the Subcontinent. He belonged…
Jama Masjid Delhi: The Real Estate Hunt and the State
By Sadia Dehlvi Jama Masjid, the last significant and glorious monuments of the Mughal period now faces a threat of extinction in the garb…
Mehrgarh – Pakistan’s glorious, ancient past
Found a well researched article on Mehrgarh Mehrgarh is the centre of the first known developed place of civilization in its advanced form in…
Jodha Akbar – this is no ordinary film
My blogger friend, Manasvi wrote this reviewof Jodha Akbar and I am glad that the film is good. Jodha Akbar brings to cinema an…
“Partition: Surgery without Anaesthesia”
Titled “Partition: Surgery without Anaesthesia”, the book, a compilation of 31 individual accounts including from noted writer and columnist Khushwant Singh and artist Satish…