What did the Greeks think about Ancient India?

> Did they think India too righteous to invade anyone?
> That it had no slaves?
> And that caste made everything run smoothly?

In the 2nd century CE, Arrian wrote Indica — a Greek account of India that claimed all this & more. 🧵 Arrian wasn’t your average Greek historian.

Born in the 2nd century CE, centuries after Alexander the Great had already marched across the known world, Arrian took it upon himself to write Indica, a kind of historical travelogue.

The Caravan cannot stop making Hindutva look BASED af. 🔥🧵


Did it my way and won—based.

The Dramatic Death of Tipu Sultan 🧵

When the British stormed Srirangapatna, Tipu Sultan stood at a crossroads: flee like his father once did or fight to the bitter end.

Trapped in his own fortress, betrayed by his own men & with no way out, he made his one FINAL stand… On May 4, 1799, the walls of Srirangapatna trembled under British cannon fire as the forces of the East India Company breached the once-mighty fortress of Tipu Sultan.

Amidst the chaos, Tipu, the self-styled "Tiger of Mysore," abandoned his unfinished meal.

Left widowed at 29, this Maratha queen ruled Malwa, defended her people, crushed invaders, revived temples & sparked a Hindu renaissance across India by reviving Dharma from Kashi to Somnath.

On this #WomensDay, let’s celebrate India’s greatest queen: Ahilya Bai Holkar! 🧵 Punyashlok Ahilya Bai Holkar, one of the most respected rulers of early modern India, was a beacon of wisdom, justice, and civilizational renaissance.

Her reign from 1767 to 1795 transformed Indore into a prosperous state, earning her the love and admiration of her people.

This Forgotten Indian King decimated the Arab advance, crushed the Tibetans & forged an empire stretching from the Himalayas to Central Asia.

Then, he vanished without a trace. No one REALLY knows why or how.

Who was Lalitaditya Muktapida - Kashmir’s Own Alexander? 🧵 In the grand saga of Indian history, few figures command as much awe & intrigue as Lalitaditya, the indomitable ruler of the Karkota dynasty.

His reign, spanning from 724 to 760 CE, saw Kashmir transform into a military juggernaut, a cultural beacon & a thriving economic hub.

Amir Khusrow, a poet & historian, documented life in 13th-14th century Delhi, offering a firsthand account of Alauddin Khilji’s rule.

His works provide firsthand accounts of the Sultanate’s brutal conquests, vividly detailing the destruction & desecration of Hindu Temples. 🧵
One excerpt describes the imperial army’s conquest, where the temple of “Bāhir Deo” was the first to be destroyed.

The “houses of infidelity” (Hindu temples) were overthrown, and their bells replaced with the Islamic call to prayer.

What if the legendary Priest-King arrived in the 21st century? What would he say to all of us after taking a look at the state of our nation?

“O children of Bharata, scions of an immortal land!”

A Message from the Priest-King of Meluha 🧵 I speak to you from the shadows of time, from an age when men raised cities like mountains, where rivers bowed before the will of the wise, and where the hands of craftsmen rivaled the work of the Gods themselves!

The movie Chhava moved many to tears with its depiction of Chhatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj’s torture. However, his real suffering was far more brutal and horrific than what what was shown in the film

The TRUE story of Sambhaji’s BRUTAL execution 🧵 In early 1689, Sambhaji was in Sangameshwar with his trusted advisor, Kavi Kalash. A local informer betrayed his location to the Mughals.

Muqarrab Khan, a Mughal commander, launched a sudden ambush with overwhelming numbers. Sambhaji fought back but was eventually captured.

Have you ever heard about Arikamedu?

This ancient Indo-Roman trading port was once a thriving center of global commerce, connecting India to the Mediterranean. Today, it’s a ruin barely anyone knows about.

WTF happened? And why has this port been erased from history?🧵 Nestled between Veerampattinam Beach and the Ariyankuppam River are the remnants of an ancient port city once known as Podouke, mentioned in the 1st-century Periplus of the Erythraean Sea.

You think you know the Ramayana? Think again.

Across Asia, this epic has been retold in ways that will blow your mind—Rama as a monk, Ravana with a thousand heads, Lakshman as the main hero, and Sita as a warrior queen.

Let’s take a wild ride through these versions. 🧵 Valmiki Ramayana (India, ~5th-4th c. BCE)

> Oldest & the canonical version, written in Sanskrit.
> Rama is a mortal prince who realises his divine nature over time.
> In the OG version, he doubts, he suffers & isn’t afraid to show anger or shed tears in key moments.

Top view of the acropolis of Mohenjodaro, one of the largest settlements of the ancient Sindhu-Saraswati Civilisation.

Mohenjodaro, or the “Mound of the Dead,” is one of Indian Subcontinent’s most important ancient cities.

Short Thread on its GENIUS City Planning! 🧵 Dating back to the early 3rd millennium BCE, it was once home to at least 40,000 people & played a huge role in shaping early urban life.

Covering 240 hectares, Mohenjodaro remains the oldest planned city in the Indian subcontinent, yet only about a third has been excavated.

Ruins of an ancient street in Harappa (2600–1900 BC),

Harappan cities weren’t cookie-cutter copies of each other, but they did share a smart and organised approach to urban planning.

Short Thread 🧵 Most cities had a citadel, a lower town, defensive walls, proper drainage & water management systems.

They were also ahead of their time when it came to urban planning, introducing separate quarters for workers way before zoning laws were even a thing.

The story of the time when Aurangzeb panicked in the toilet, tripped, and ended up with a dislocated knee, causing him to limp for life, all thanks to his crippling fear of the Marathas. 🧵 Picture this: It’s midnight. Aurangzeb’s massive Mughal camp in the Deccan is suddenly hit by a flood.

Water rushes in, tents collapse, soldiers panic, and in the darkness, there’s only chaos.

How did the betrayal of two commanders lead to the brutal beheading of Rama Raya, the destruction of Vijayanagara, and the end of one of India’s greatest empires?

On the Battle of Talikota, and its devastating aftermath. 🧵 The Battle of Talikota in 1565 was lost due to the betrayal of the two Muslim commanders, the Gilani brothers, who defected to the Muslim Sultanates during a critical juncture in the conflict, sealing Rama Raya’s fate and the fall of Vijayanagara Empire.

We’ve often seen Ravana being depicted with ten heads.

But did Ravana REALLY have 10 heads? Or is there something else behind it that we’re missing?

With Shlokas from the Valmiki Ramayana, let’s dive into the truth! 🧵 The idea of Ravana having ten heads comes from a shloka in the Aranya Kanda, when we’re first introduced to Ravana.

The King of Lanka is described as follows while sitting on his grand throne at the Lankan court:

What’s a Hindu Temple doing 3,500 kilometers away from India in Azerbaijan? 🇦🇿

Welcome to the Ateshgah Fire Temple in Baku—a place where the flames of devotion burned bright for Hindus, Sikhs and Zoroastrians alike.

Let’s dive into the unique nature of this beautiful temple! 🧵 The Fire Temple of Baku is more than a historical site; it’s a narrative of cultural fusion.

The very name “Ateshgah” bridges Persian and Sanskrit: Atesh (fire) and Gah (throne) in Persian align with Atharvan (fire) and Gruh (home) in Sanskrit.

What if the Ramayan were reimagined as a LEGO movie? Picture the Vanvaas, kidnapping of Mata Sita, the building of the Ram Setu, & the final epic duel—all brought to life with a bunch of LEGO bricks. ✨

Let’s reimagine our Itihasa as a whimsical LEGO adventure! 🧵 Shri Ram lifting the mighty Shivadhanush (Shiva’s bow), winning Mata Sita’s hand in marriage.

What if the Mahabharata were reimagined as a LEGO movie?

Picture the grand palaces, epic dilemmas, and complex characters—all brought to life with a bunch of LEGO bricks. ✨

Let’s go on an epic journey of seeingour Itihasa as a whimsical LEGO adventure! 🧵 The grand city of Indraprastha, a symbol of power and ambition.

184 CE, China.

Emperor Ling of the Han dynasty was chilling, blissfully unaware of the fact that one man wearing a yellow turban was about to ignite a rebellion that would claim over 7 million lives & bring the dynasty to its knees.

The REALITY of the Yellow Turban Rebellion 🧵 The Han dynasty—once the epitome of power, culture, and unity in ancient China—was crumbling by this time.

Corruption festered poverty.
Taxes crushed the peasants.
Droughts pushed people to starvation.

1958, China.

It was a year like any other. Until Mao Zedong had the bright idea of launching a full-scale war against the sparrows.

What followed was a disaster—one of the deadliest famines in human history, costing millions of lives.

Here’s how it REALLY happened 🧵 In 1958, Chairman Mao, decided his nation would wage war—not against a foreign power or a rebel faction, but against sparrows.

Why sparrows?
Because Mao believed these tiny birds were stealing & eating all the grains.

Would you eat your own family if it was the only way to defend your nation?

That’s the horrible nightmare the defenders of Suiyang faced during the Siege of 757. They did what they had to—and ended up eating 30,000 of their own.

Here’s what really happened 🧵 The year was 757 CE. Rebel forces from the Yan dynasty were on a rampage, tearing through cities loyal to the Tang dynasty.

Their next target? Suiyang—a city that would resist with a fierceness few could have predicted.