Articles by Valay Singh
HistoriCity: How the Indus river shaped geography, history, and culture
The Indus originates from near Mount Kailash in Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) in China and shares its headwaters with the Brahmaputra
Updated on May 05, 2025 11:15 AM IST
HistoriCity: The silken history of Murshidabad, once Bengal’s crown jewel
Aurangzeb’s Deccan campaign to subjugate Golconda and Bijapur as well as his Maratha adversaries was funded to a great extent by revenue-surplus Bengal
Updated on Apr 24, 2025 05:53 PM IST
HistoriCity: How caste evolved in ancient India
The Dharmashastras, among which Manusmriti remains preeminent, clearly distinguishes between Shudras and the twice-born castes
Updated on Apr 14, 2025 08:09 PM IST
HistoriCity: How the concept of waqf evolved in the Indian subcontinent
The waqf was seen to also play a critical role in social and political life and in organising funds for the setting up of schools and hospitals.
Updated on Apr 08, 2025 02:56 PM IST
HistoriCity: Rajasthan’s Bayana houses a neglected gem, India’s oldest Idgah
When Moroccan traveller Ibn Battuta visited Bayana in the 14th century, he found it as a thriving urban centre.
Updated on Apr 01, 2025 08:52 AM IST
HistoriCity: From Mithra to Soma, ancient links that connect Parsis and Hindus
Nowroz, a Farsi (Persian) term translating to ‘new day’, is a vibrant spring festival celebrated across multiple countries
Published on Mar 28, 2025 09:14 AM IST
HistoriCity: Hindu representation in govt rose during Aurangzeb Alamgir’s reign
The grave in question belongs to Aurangzeb Alamgir, the sixth and last great Mughal emperor, and possibly the least favourite. He ruled from 1658 until 1707.
Updated on Mar 19, 2025 05:13 PM IST
HistoriCity: Odisha’s Ratnagiri is a portal to a time when Buddhism flourished
The discovery of 2-metre-long Buddha heads with intact features in Ratnagiri establishes that Buddhism was the predominant religion in the early medieval period
Updated on Mar 13, 2025 12:52 PM IST
HistoriCity: How the tradition of fasting during Ramazan evolved over centuries
Fasting is an ancient custom known in many parts of the world since well before the advent of the three Abrahamic religions i.e Christianity, Judaism and Islam
Published on Mar 05, 2025 02:22 PM IST
HistoriCity: India’s great language churn is something to cherish, not spurn
Multilingualism could be the key to our future success as Indians, each of us knowing at least two or more languages
Updated on Feb 26, 2025 02:05 PM IST
HistoriCity: The rise of the house of Qatar and its old pearl link with Mumbai
Till the 1900s, Bombay was the hub from where pearls were exported to other countries. Because of this link, India traders settled in large numbers in the Gulf
Published on Feb 19, 2025 06:10 PM IST
HistoriCity: History of Nizari Ismailis stretches from Iran to India
The more concrete evidence of the formation of a distinct community can be traced back to the British colonial period
Published on Feb 13, 2025 11:43 AM IST
HistoriCity | A brief, morbid history of death, dying and moksha at Prayag
The earliest historical reference to people dying by suicide at the Sangam or confluence of the Yamuna and Ganga is by Chinese traveller Xuanzang.
Updated on Feb 04, 2025 08:23 PM IST
From temples to trade routes: The Indo-Indonesian civilisational bond
India and Indonesia’s historical links go beyond geography, weaving together centuries of trade, religion, and cultural exchange
Published on Jan 29, 2025 08:31 PM IST
Maha Kumbh: When Victorian morality collided with Naga Sadhu rituals
While the British colonial rule had banned nudity, it was not easy to enforce it within the arena of a religious festival like the Kumbh
Updated on Jan 22, 2025 08:44 AM IST
Lohri: A mother and son ballad beyond machismo and peasant rebellion
Lohri is celebrated in Sindh, Rajasthan, Punjab-Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and Delhi and has now spread to other areas as well.
Updated on Jan 13, 2025 04:48 PM IST
HistoriCity: Thank Nehru for his One Nation, One Calendar reform
The Council for Scientific and Industrial Research-affiliated committee set up to create a uniform calendar was headed by astrophysicist Meghnad Saha.
Published on Jan 07, 2025 03:19 PM IST
Mahakumbh: Tracing the legacy of India’s grandest religious gathering
Mahakumbh stands not just as a celebration of faith but as a testament to the evolving traditions that define the Indian ethos.
Updated on Jan 13, 2025 08:18 AM IST
HistoriCity: A note on the tabla, maestro Zakir Hussain’s choice of instrument
Poet-musician Amir Khusrau refers to the existence of an instrument called tabl that was played in royal courts
Updated on Dec 17, 2024 01:09 PM IST
HistoriCity: The story of Bhopal state’s role in preserving ancient heritage
Between 1822 and 1940s the British took away many famous sculptures such as the Sanchi Torso, and made plans to transport the carved gateways to London
Updated on Dec 09, 2024 11:42 AM IST
HistoriCity| Ajmer dargah: Where a Mughal princess gave up her comforts
The dargah embodies, in its true sense, India’s pluralistic character, given that it is revered by communities cutting across religions.
Updated on Dec 03, 2024 02:31 PM IST
ht_print | Valay Singh
HistoriCity| Sambhal: A political and military battlefield throughout history
Sikandar later founded the town of Agra and shifted the capital there in 1505 but in these four short years, Sambhal acquired prominence.
Published on Nov 29, 2024 12:29 PM IST
HistoriCity| Manipur: The birthplace of Polo, the graveyard of the Japanese army
Manipur confounds the lay outsider and expert alike. Its histories are mired in myths and legends and competing nationalisms have made reconciliation harder.
Published on Nov 22, 2024 03:29 PM IST
HistoriCity | Jharkhand: A hinterland full of rich history
Jharkhand, India’s mineral heartland, holds another less visible wealth: its deep-rooted tribal history.
Published on Nov 13, 2024 08:00 AM IST
King who defied the British: Uncovering the tale of Pazhassi raja’s rebellion
Leading one of the bloodiest battles against the British, he mobilised a local rebellion, using guerilla warfare and ambushes to push back Company forces
Published on Nov 05, 2024 08:00 AM IST
Maharashtra: The rise and disintegration of the mighty Maratha empire
This Maharashtra election is turning out to be messier than any held previously.
Published on Nov 01, 2024 01:32 PM IST
In UP’s Bahraich, Ghazi Miyan and Suhel Deo duel over narratives
Hindus too seek boons and blessings at Ghazi Miyan’s grave in Bahraich, apparently unbothered by the myth
Published on Oct 17, 2024 07:12 PM IST
HistoriCity | Marathi: Power and politics of a language
Krushnaji Pandurang Kulkarni, author of Marathi Bhasha Udgam Va Vikas, claims that all Prakrit languages have helped in their own way to produce Marathi
Published on Oct 09, 2024 06:01 PM IST
Historicity | Haryana, where myth and history mingled to make for epic battles
Haryana came into being as an offshoot of the 1960s movement for an independent state of Punjab that was led by Sikh religious leader, Tara Singh
Published on Oct 01, 2024 07:59 PM IST
A century later, the mystery of Mohenjo-daro or the Mound of the Dead endures
The discovery was made by three Indian ASI officials: Rakhal Das Bannerjee, Daya Ram Sahni, the first Indian head of the ASI, and Madhav Saroop Vats.
Published on Sep 25, 2024 06:47 PM IST