Podcast · History

Historychatter Podcast

by Ep.Log Media · English · History

HistoryChatter offers an informed take on our shared pasts. Designed and performed by Anirban Bandyopadhyay (Ph.D.), a trained historian and writer, the podcast offers a perspective on the past that shows how multiple interpretations of our pasts and our histories emerge. HistoryChatter believes

New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 32 min
Latest: 6 Dec 2024
Language: English

Latest episode

6 Dec 2024 · 1 hr

S10E1: Rediscovering Indus Cities, with Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri

2024 marks the twenty year anniversary of Finding Forhotten Ciities, Prof. Nayanjot Lahiri’s landmark book on the various events and personalities which led to the discovery of Indus Valley civilization in the early twentieth century and later. In a freewheeling conversation with Anirban Bandyopadhyay, Prof. Lahiri recalls how she came to write the book, how the book presents a modern history of the discovery of an ancient civilization and the multiple ways in which pasts and the present are always necessarily connected in historical research, writing and understanding. While the…

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Earlier episodes 29 most recent

S9 · E4 · 17 Nov 2024 · 27 min
S9E4: Operation Vijay | Konkan Uprising 4
When economic blockade encouraged the Portuguese to hold on to Goa rather than abandon it, India finally decided to use force. Yet its long held pacifist position in international diplomacy misled Portugal and China into complacency that India would never actually use force. While secret military predications were afoot, the Defence Minister of India mounted a spirited press campaign virtually calling for an Indian invasion. USA tried last minute diplomatic manoeuvres but Indian soldiers finally moved ahead. The disparity in military strength between the Indian and Portuguese forces was…
S9 · E3 · 7 Mar 2024 · 28 min
S9E3: How An Economic Blockade Made Goa Prosperous | Konkan Uprising 3
The third episode of Konkan Uprising, our special series of the liberation of Goa, focuses on the economic blockade during the late 1950s. India did not want to make a military intervention, even though diplomatic relations broke down irrevocably. Instead, it imposed an economic sanction, since trade with India made up the lifeline of the Goan economy. India hoped that the boka class would choke the Goan economy, forcing Portugal to hand over Goa to India. What followed was its exact opposite. Goa actually became quite prosperous during the years the blockade was in effect. It set off an…
S9 · E2 · 1 Jan 2024 · 25 min
S9E2: Internationalising the Goa problem | Konkan Uprising 2
Between 1946 and 1956, the Goa question had entered the international domain. India became independent but did not want to annex Goa by force. It stressed Goa’s social and cultural unity with India but insuu insisted on a diplomatic handover by Portugal. The latter had no such intention. Meanwhile, the freedom fighters in Goa carried on their struggles. In 1954, India imposed an economic boycott, hoping Portugal would finally surrender an impoverished Goa. But the reality turned out to be the very opposite. How did Goa become wealthy for the first time in the middle of a crippling economic…
S9 · E2 · 20 Dec 2023 · 40 min
S9E2: Goa Towards Liberation | Konkan Uprising 1
The people of Goa fell into a peculiar problem this month due to a recent change in Indian passport laws. Early last year, Prime Minister Modi claimed that Jawaharlal Nehru deliberately delayed Goa’s liberation and integration with India. What really happened with Goa? I went back to Sushila Mendes’ work and the recent monograph of Valmiki Faleiro on the liberation of Goa. This and the next three episodes of HistoryChatter offer a detailed account of Goa’s peculiar relations with India. I focus primarily on the process of its liberation and union with India. This comes closely on the heels…
S9 · E1 · 20 Dec 2023 · 2 min
S9E1: Konkan Uprising: Goa's Liberation Saga | Trailer
🔎 Why 🧐 did #Nehru delay the liberation of #Goa from the Portuguese and make it a part of Bharat? A delay that was 15years after India got its independence from the #BritishRaj?? Was it on purpose? What was the real strategy? From the makers of chart-topping history series comes another gripping tale- 🥁🥁🥁 #KonkanUprising: Goa's Liberation Saga In the form of a 3-part series on HistoryChatter Podcast with Dr. Anirban Bandyopadhyay Streaming on Ep.Log Media from 20.12.23 You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter @eplogmedia, For advertising/partnerships send…
S8 · E2 · 18 Sep 2023 · 34 min
S8E2: When South India started drinking coffee
Coffee drinking on a large scale did not start in India before the early 20th century. Once it became popular as a leisure drink, many commentators responded to its novel appeal. Some believed it was making Indians more prone to diseases. Yet others believed coffee reduced breast milk supply in lactating mothers. This episode looks into such varied cultural responses to the introduction of coffee consumption in south India, drawing from the pioneering work of A R Venkatachalapathy. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter @eplogmedia, For…
S8 · E1 · 10 Sep 2023 · 23 min
S8E1: G20 & History!- All you need to know
The G20, also known as the Group of Twenty, includes Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Italy, Japan, the Republic of Korea, Mexico, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, Turkey, the United Kingdom, and the United States, in addition to the European Union. Presently, G20 nations collectively represent over 80% of the global Gross Domestic Product (GDP), 75% of worldwide trade, and 60% of the Earth's population. This weekend 9th & 10th September 2023, as Bharat hosts the world leaders, we thought why not delve into its history, origins and what has…
S7 · E4 · 7 Sep 2023 · 35 min
S7E4: Sikkhim, R&AW, & Integration | India United #5
Sikkim followed a different trajectory from other former princely states. India virtually treated it as a foreign country, until early 1970s. The final episode of the series India United explores the twists and turns of internal and external politics around Sikkim between 1947 and 1975. Join us on #HistoryChatter 🎤 as we bring to you a 4-part #docuseries - India United: Princely States and the Indian Republic New Episodes Streaming from 06.08.2023 on @eplogmedia app or your preferred streaming platforms You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter…
S7 · E4 · 28 Aug 2023 · 29 min
S7E4: The Sikkim puzzle | India United 4
Jawaharlal Nehru was firmly against hereditary monarchs. But he made an exception in the case of Sikkim. He let Sikkim’s King stay on, until after his death. His daughter Indira Gandhi believed it was an indirect concession to China. But there were movements within Sikkim for democracy and the end of landlordism. Political dynamics slowly began to change during the 1960s and Indira Gandhi finally decided to get R&AW officials to plot the ouster of the Simkimese king. I look at the history of India-Sikkim relations in this fourth episode of India United. Join us on #HistoryChatter 🎤 as we…
S7 · E3 · 22 Aug 2023 · 39 min
S7E3: Riots, Insurgency, UN and Operation Polo | | India United 3
In the third episode on the incorporation of princely states within independent India, I take up a detailed case study of Hyderabad. It was the largest princely state in British India, and the Nizam of Hyderabad aspired for an Azad Hyderabad or independent Hyderabad. It was not an unreasonable aspiration as such. If it were to be independent, Hyderabad would have been as wealthy as the top twenty members of the United Nations in 1947-48. He had the support of hardline Muslim fanatics and of course of Jinnah and the Muslim League. The situation became more complex with counter moliztion of…
S7 · E2 · 15 Aug 2023 · 47 min
S7E2: Men(on) The Mission | India United 2
Integration of various princely states to the newly independent state of India was carried out primarily by the States Department. It came into being in July,1947 and was headed by Sardar Patel. He was ably assisted by V P Menon, who held the highest position among Indian officials of the Raj, as constitutional advisor to the last three British Viceroys. He laid down the legal and constitutional protocols for the accession of princely states. He also carried out a number of meetings with Indian princes, persuading, cajoling and occasionally intimidating them, to strengthen India’s hands.…
S7 · E1 · 7 Aug 2023 · 32 min
S7E1: The Dream of a Princestan? | India United 1
Given a choice, many native princes did not want to become a part of the independent Indian republic in 1947. Quite a few of them had even hatched a conspiracy to create a confederacy of princely states. Some influential British officials still supported those ambitions, albeit with an imperialist motive. But Jawaharlal Nehru was implacably opposed to these fantasies. He had personally suffered at the hands of autocratic princes on several occasions. Journalist Sandeep Bamzai argues that a particular clause in the Indian Independence ACT was inserted solely to preserve these states and…
S7 · E1 · 7 Aug 2023 · 2 min
S7E1: India United: Princely States and the Indian Republic | Official Trailer | Sardar Patel Documentary
🗓️15th of August 1947 On one side we see it as the day of India's Independence, on the other, the day when the country got partitioned. But there's one more side that is not much talked about, Just as our freedom struggle ended, a new quest began- To unite the Indian States & its people‼️ What if India were 29 countries and not 29 states? What if Rajasthan would have become a part of Pakistan? But it is a story that has to be told, a story of how the princely states joined India Join us on #HistoryChatter 🎤 as we bring to you a 5-part #docuseries - India United: Princely States and the…
S6 · E3 · 30 Jul 2023 · 34 min
S6E3: And The Maruti Story | The Great Indian Car Dream 3
The Government of India began to encourage the manufacture of a small car only by the 1970s. Sanjay Gandhi, Prime Minister’s son and an automobile fanatic, carried out the audacious Maruti experiment during the 1970s. It was a giant dream, and ended up as a bigger failure. His mother Indira Gandhi finally revived the dream. For once, capable managers were hired, and the government or the bureaucracy did not interfere. This unusual arrangement was never repeated in any other Public Sector Unit (PSU) in India. The final episode of the great Indian car dream recalls the initial tragedy and then…
S6 · E2 · 23 Jul 2023 · 25 min
S6E2: The Bumpy Ride | The Great Indian Car Dream 2
The first thirty years after independence were a bumpy ride for the private car dream. Automobile was considered integral to India’s self sufficiency but the private car was not a part of that scheme. The government focused on setting up a manufacturing base for automobiles in India. But larger vehicles for defence and freight and mass transport sectors received greater priority. The articulate professional class too believed public transport had to be given greater priority. There was apprehension private cars would choke the roads and cause pollution. In fact, there were suggestions as…
S6 · E1 · 16 Jul 2023 · 18 min
S6E1: The Turning Wheels of India's Automotive Revolution | The Great Indian Car Dream 1
A small car is not an unattainable aspiration for a middle-class family in India today. Forty years ago though, it was. Cars were considered an unaffordable luxury until the mid-eighties when Maruti 800 finally came along. However, attempts had begun as early as the 1930s to set up an automobile manufacturing industry in India. I take up this journey in a three-part series. The first episode profiles the early pioneers and their audacious but finally aborted attempts during the 1930s and 1940s. The second episode tracks the painfully slow and sputtering growth of the industry between the…
S6 · E1 · 15 Jul 2023 · 2 min
S6E1: Introducing: The Great Indian Car Dream
A small car is not an unattainable aspiration for a middle-class family in India today. Forty years ago though, it was! Cars were considered an unaffordable luxury until the mid-eighties when Maruti 800 finally came along. However, attempts had begun as early as the 1930s to set up an automobile manufacturing industry in India. From the makers of HistoryChatter Podcast, we bring to you this exciting 3-part series on how this dream was made a reality amidst the Chaos, Controversy, Failures and Revolt. Episodes Streaming Every Sunday from 16th July 2023 You can follow us and leave us feedback…
S5 · E4 · 9 Jul 2023 · 1 hr 6 min
S5E4: Multiple Faces of Dalit Politics ft Prof. Sudha Pai & Dr. Sajjan Kumar
HistoryChatter enters into contemporary history in this special episode. Anirban speaks to political scientists Prof. Sudha Pai and Dr. Sajjan Kumar on the recent past and prospects of Dalit politics in Uttar Pradesh. Pai and Kumar have recently published the much-acclaimed book 'Maya, Modi and Azad: Dalit Politics in the Time of Hindutva'. They argue that the Bahujan Samaj Party is probably in a terminal decline and Dalits in Uttar Pradesh now display a unique paradox of political preference for the BJP in elections and political protest against perceived atrocities under the leadership of…
S5 · E3 · 2 Jul 2023 · 42 min
S5E3: Whatever happened to the Hindustani language?
Once the British conquered India, they invested in learning Indian languages. Initially, they searched for one common language for the whole subcontinent. The search for a common vernacular in India made an adventurer called John Gilchrist virtually invent a new language called Hindustani. The language was common enough in north India but its rise to the status of a pan-Indian lingua franca was a British colonial project. Yet, by the late nineteenth century, Hindustani was virtually divided down the middle into Hindi and Urdu. By the 1940s, the language, like the subcontinent, was literally…
S5 · E2 · 28 May 2023 · 36 min
S5E2: Branding the Mahenjodaro Girl ft. Dr. Ashish Kumar
There was some controversy about whether it was right or fair to clothe the nude bronze figurine from Mohenjo Daro when it was recently adopted as the mascot of an International Museum Expo, 2023 being held in New Delhi. Dr. Ashish Kumar, an expert in ancient Indian history who teaches at the Punjab University, Chandigarh in a freewheeling conversation with the host Dr. Anirban Bandyopadhyay discusses the caterer of this most interesting archaeological discovery. It turns out that the figure was inaccurately characterized as a dancing girl from an Adivasi background. Dr. Kumar also offers an…
S5 · E1 · 14 May 2023 · 28 min
S5E1: A Brief History of Cricket Commentary
Cricket commentary has just turned hundred years old. It has undergone great transformation as it grew from modest beginnings in Australia and England in the 1920s. This episode looks into the debut and early history of cricket commentary in Australia, England, India and Pakistan. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter @eplogmedia, For advertising/partnerships send you can send us an email at [email protected] . If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get your podcasts, so other people can find us. You can also find…
S4 · E6 · 24 Apr 2023 · 20 min
S4E6: BONUS EPISODE: The Explosion The Never Happened | Atomic India 6
India came close to testing an atomic bomb several times between 1974 and 1998. One of those times was in 1983 when Indira Gandhi withdrew authorization at the last moment. Narasimha Rao was about to test a nuclear weapon in 1995. This special episode examines why and how the test was considered necessary and why it could not be carried out. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram , and Twitter @eplogmedia, For advertising/partnerships send you can send us an email at [email protected] . If you like this show, please subscribe and leave us a review wherever you get…
S4 · E5 · 11 Apr 2023 · 29 min
S4E5: Afterlife Of The Explosion | Atomic India 5
What happened to the Indian nuclear programme after the explosion? Did it settle into a regular rhythm of making bombs? Did it focus on producing electricity? Or did it lapse into factional fights and remain beholden to the personal interest of the Prime Minister? This final episode takes up these questions while examining the history of the prospects and performance of atomic energy research in India since the first explosion in 1974. Hard-hitting, unsparing, and based on credible academic research, the episode is likely to demolish several romantic myths about India’s atomic research…
S4 · E4 · 2 Apr 2023 · 38 min
S4E4: The Explosion | Atomic India 4
India’s atomic energy research took a new turn by the 1960s. On the one hand, the atomic scientists had to seek out a new challenge as the objective of nuclear power production was within reach. They had to do something dramatic to maintain the top-secret status of their enterprise. The bomb was the obvious answer. On the other hand, Americans were now ready to do business with India, since India would have gone ahead to manufacture nuclear power anyway. Death of quite a few leading figures nonetheless slowed down the progress towards the bomb. The Chinese testing their bomb by 1964 had…
S4 · E3 · 19 Mar 2023 · 33 min
S4E3: India's Time To React | Atomic India | 3
Atomic energy research in India made only modest progress in the early years. The cult of secrecy around it often provoked criticism. Indian atomic scientists were still years away from building a nuclear reactor. Finally, they were forced to approach various developed countries for cooperation. When the first nuclear reactors were built in India, it was only through major international collaborations with countries such as Britain and Canada. The third episode of the series #AtomicIndia on #HistoryChatter explores this tentative early phase in the history of atomic energy research in India.…
S4 · E2 · 12 Mar 2023 · 48 min
S4E2: Homi Bhabha and The Travancore Diplomacy | Atomic India | 2
Indian scientists and politicians carried out vigorous discussions on how to organize advanced scientific research on an industrial scale in India as a means of development between 1938 and 1948. This episode revisits some of those conversations about the management of scientific research. At the same time, it looks into the politically charged process of the integration of princely states into the Indian union with particular reference to Travancore. Travancore had been planning to build an independent economy on the strength of its reserves of radioactive Thorium. Since 1945, when its…
S4 · E1 · 5 Mar 2023 · 28 min
S4E1: The Reaction Begins | Atomic India | 1
Science and technology were considered as the face of modernity in independent India. A mastery and application of technology on an industrial scale was perceived as the only means of delivering development and democracy rapidly and extensively. Atomic energy or nuclear technology was perceived as a necessary attribute of sovereignty and honour among the international community. This episode explores the history of how technology and atomic energy research in particular rose to such unassailable heights in independent India. You can follow us and leave us feedback on Facebook , Instagram ,…
S4 · E1 · 28 Feb 2023 · 2 min
S4E1: Introducing: Atomic India
Atomic energy research in India started well before independence, but since independence, it has assumed an uncontested priority above all other branches of science and technology. Jawaharlal Nehru, the first Prime Minister of India, believed that countries that possessed nuclear energy alone would have the capacity to rule the future. He was convinced that the resources required for atomic energy research could not be mobilized by individuals or universities, and the state must play a leading role. The subsequent premiers have broadly conformed to this policy. India's nuclear energy…
S3 · E10 · 11 Sep 2022 · 1 hr 7 min
S3E10: Bombayness and its pickle factory: a conversation with Amrit Gangar | Bombay Born 10
In the tenth and final episode of the series Bombay Born, I talk to Amrit Gangar, who has researching and writing on films and Bombay for over forty years now. A scholar, curator, archivist and the quintessential Bombayite, Mr. Gangar spoke to me about the unique qualities of Bombay or Mumbai as a city, how Bombay emerged as the capital of movie making in India, and some landmark films on Mumbai as a city. Finally, we agree that films have performed as an archive of the city over the last hundred years, yet there is a crying need to systematically preserve older films, most of which have…

About Historychatter Podcast

Historychatter Podcast is a English history podcast from Ep.Log Media. Melo plays each episode straight from the publisher's own feed — no ads added, no account needed — and remembers where you stopped, in this browser only.

Publisher: Ep.Log Media
Language: English
Category: History
New episodes: Weekly
Typical length: 32 min
Latest episode: 6 Dec 2024
Feed: RSS — paste into any podcast app
Apple Podcasts: podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1527852786

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