British empire

Pandemics have always revealed the weakness of the Indian state

In 'Pandemic India', David Arnold offers a reflective study of Covid, cholera, plague, the Spanish flu and other historical mass contagions, from the time of the British Raj to the Modi government

| Feb 03, 2023

Memories of Galwan Valley

Recent India-China skirmishes in the Ladakhi valley revive conversation on how borders and their memories are constructed.

| Aug 19, 2020

The idea of Kolkata

Why author Kushanava Choudhury believes his book is about the present, the Kolkata that is lived in.

| Jan 28, 2018

Painting the Madonna brown

The groundbreaking artistic work of Angelo da Fonseca is almost forgotten.

| Aug 01, 2010

The shape of history

A comprehensive tome on the rise and fall of empires.

| Mar 12, 2009

Latest Articles

Disillusioned with the Taliban, Pakistan reverses its four-decade Afghan policy

As Kabul refuses to act against the TTP and Baloch militant groups, Pakistan is ending the support it has extended to the Taliban since 1994 and its welcome to refugees from Afghanistan since the 1980s

The limited genius of Geoffrey Bawa

‘Geoffrey Bawa: Drawing from the Archives’ allows an exploration of the rift between the celebrated architect’s vision for nation-building in Sri Lanka and the country’s present reality

Interview: The precarity of Afghan migrants in Pakistan

Political scientist and author Sanaa Alimia speaks of the long history of racial profiling, harassment and deportation of Afghan migrants, in the context of Pakistan’s recent crackdown

Bhutan took a step towards queer rights, but its LGBTIQ+ people want a giant leap

Bhutan celebrated the decriminalisation of homosexuality in 2021 but LGBTIQ+ activists are pushing for the legal recognition of all gender identities and marriage equality