The Persian Maasir-I-Alamgiri clearly describes Aurangzeb's order to destroy Mathura & Kashi temples in Jan-Feb, 1670. Aurangzeb ordered the mosque to be built on top of the destroyed Keshavanth Mandir in Mathura, one of the most magnificent temples in India.
Accomplishing this “seemingly impossible work showed “strength of the Emperor’s faith”. Aurangzeb celebrated by taking the broken Murtis & burying them under the steps of the mosque at Agra Fort, so that people would keep stepping on them and Hindus would be humiliated forever.
The great temple of Keshava Rai at Mathura was built by Bir Singh Deo Bundela during Jahangir’s time at a cost of 33 lakhs. The Dehra of Keshava Rai was one of the most magnificent temples ever built in India and enjoyed veneration of the Hindus throughout the land.
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The city of Kashi epitomizes the unshakeable resilience & unity of Hindus. Devastated multiple times by Islamic invaders, it rose again every time to be rebuilt & renewed by Hindus from all over India, who ensured its perpetual rebirth & existence.
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Hindu temples of Varanasi were devastated so many times, that almost no ancient temple site could escape modification. The 10th c. Kardameshwar temple of Siva, in Kandura village near BHU is the only temple in its original state dating from the pre-Muslim period.
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The Islamic invasions began in In 1033 CE when Varanasi was plundered by Mahmud Ghazni’s son Nialtagin. By end of 11th c., Chandradeva, established the Gahadavala dynasty by regaining Kashi & built the Adi Keshava shrine with gold, valuables, 1000 cows & a village.
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During the Islamic invasions, there were countless, nameless Hindus who put their lives at stake to defend our temples & deities. In 1025 CE, the savage Mahmud Ghazni raided Gujarat, plundering the Somnath temple & devastating many sacred icons & temples.
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The Tabakat-I-Nasiri by Minkaj-i-Siraj describes the earliest Islamic raids of Ghazni in detail including his attacks on Somnath. The book narrates a brief but fascinating account of a brave, unknown Hindu who played a role in the story.
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Mahmud plundered immense booty worth 2 million dinars from Somnath & broke the Jyotirlinga into 4 pieces. The 1st piece to be buried under the masjid at Ghazni, the 2nd for the gateway of Mahmud’s palace & 3rd & 4th sent to Makkah and Madinah.
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It was not India but Europe which first invented the word “Casta” linking purity of blood & skin color to status in society. Hindus never had a word that meant caste. It's a racist term connoting white superiority as the measure of intelligence, civilization and morality.
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"Casta" is an Iberian word meaning lineage. It is documented in Spanish since 1417. It is the root of the English word caste. It was historically used as a racial and social identifier where colonial Spanish & Portugese societies had a hierarchical race-based "caste system".
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Originating from the Spanish concept of purity of blood called "Limpieza de sangre", during Christian conflict with Islam, Casta was used in Christian Spain to demarcate those of Jewish or Muslim heritage who were usually convicted by the Spanish inquisition for heresy.
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India’s milestone of 1 Billion doses for its Covid vaccine proved its capabilities regarding its own healthcare. It’s a huge leap forward for India which was decimated by the British, who caused horrific epidemics that killed over 81 million Indians in the last century alone.
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In the 1800’s, Britain built vast networks of badly designed irrigation canals to squeeze profits from Indian agriculture. The canals changed the salinization of water bodies, allowing the Cholera bacteria to thrive. Historically, Cholera was never an epidemic in India.
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The canals became breeding grounds for cholera & flooded over nearby land, picking up cholera from infected villages & spreading it. Britain's haphazard construction & disregard for India’s natural ecosystem caused the first Cholera epidemic at Jessore (Bangladesh) in 1817.
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From 1609-1616, the British sent ambassadors William Hawkins & Sir Thomas Roe to the court of Jehangir to get access to trade routes & permissions. Their description of Jehangir’s daily life reveals a lot about how responsibly the Mughals took the role of “nation builders”
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Jehangir’s day started with Islamic prayers, followed by a couple of hours attending public court, then 2 hours sleep, food & harem time. From 12 - 3 in afternoon, he would revel in watching games where gladiators & animals fought against each other to satisfy his bloodlust.
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During his afternoon diversions, the bloodthirsty Jehangir would sometimes kill men with his own hands. If gladiators did not entertain to his satisfaction, the Mughal king had “fun” punishments like watching gladiators' bellies ripped open by bears or stomped by elephants.