When we think of the Mauryan Empire, one thing that comes to mind is the "Ashokan" pillars. These monolithic stone pillars (~40 tons & ~42 ft tall) are an engineering marvel of ancient India.

But how were they erected? Let’s explore.🧵 These pillars were unique:

Free-standing (not supporting any building)

Monolithic (made from a single stone block)
This was very different from typical stone columns of the time, which were built from multiple segments.
(Left - A Mauryan pillar; Right - Achaemenid pillar)

Found another evidence of Rajputs using canons against the Delhi Sultanate armies. This one comes from Kānhaḍade Prabandha. During the siege of Siwānā (Samiyāṇā), “balls (golās) of the colour of fire fired from the barrels (nālai) came flying from the fort, breaking down the walls and reducing them to powder.”
[verse 127 of Canto III]

The end of Carthage as described by Will Durant in his Caesar and Christ. A thread.

That is how Kānhaḍade Prabandha describes the last stand of the Rajputs in the defence of Somanātha Temple. “Thr Rāuts circumambulated round the temple. They took bath, each one put Tulsī leaves on his head, and took charge of protecting the God's Idol.” (1.87)

Behind the Scene - This was shot on 25/12/19. I had to wake quite early and then stand on the bridge, facing chilly December winds, to shoot this. But this was a lifetime experience.

https://twitter.com/Jayvtweets/status/1559466536963694592

Some movies exist to give you joy, to make you feel good. Driving Miss Daisy is one such movie. Some make you nostalgic. Only Yesterday is one such movie.

Was going through the analytics of my second channel. Greatly surprised to see this stat. On the main channel, it is much better

https://twitter.com/Jayvtweets/status/1462297117158821888?s=20&t=Dc5gjMlcaX7ax6BsPj6lhg

The Story of Civilization, Vol-2, The Life of Greece by Will Durant

It is interesting that after the decline of the Mauryas, it took around half a millennium for the Magadha region to again emerge as the dominant player in Indian History. But this rise was short-lived too. After the decline of the Guptas, the Magadhan region and the middle Ganga Valley again became a political backwater. Even to this day, this region has not been able to achieve the status that it enjoyed during the Mauryan and the Gupta period.

While doing research, the most important thing one has to learn is when to stop. In research, you reach a point of diminishing returns. The new information you find is not worth the effort you put in. I haven't learned this lesson yet. That is why I have been stuck with a particular topic for more than two weeks. There's no end to research; the more I'll read, the more facts I'll get. But at a certain point, you have to accept that you can not know everything.
Be humble, finish a topic and move to the next one

A thread on Katar and how it fell into disgrace. Katar as a weapon had its origin in Southern India.
During the Medieval period, it became a symbol of nobility and social status. From Mughal emperors to Rajput Rajas to Chhatrapati Shivaji, all can be seen carrying this weapon in paintings.

A thread on how the Ashokan Pillars were erected. Out of some 20 pillars that have survived, archaeologists have been able to study the foundation of only 9 pillars. From this study, it appears that two methods were primarily used for erecting these pillars.

This year I read some 42 books. However, I failed miserably in my reading challenge to read 120 books. But I can say pretty confidently that I read quite a lot this year. All thanks to my two decisions. + The first was to start my Youtube channel. Since I was doing MA in History, I had this delusion that I did not have to read a lot for my videos. But it turned out that I was wrong.

This inscription is arguably the oldest Sanksrit inscription, and it dates back to around the beginning of the first century BC.
A thread about how it was discovered and its content. The inscription is called the Hathibada inscription and was discovered in 1934 when Government Epigraphist of India N.P Chakravarti, during a tour of the town of Nagari, saw a massive slab with Brahmi written on it.

The Story of Civilization, Volume 1, Our Oriental Heritage