MSc(Oxford), PhD(Cornell), Postdoc(Curie Institute). Mol Bio, Psych, Writer. Interested in lit, history, mental health & social justice. š£ļø: EN,FR, ES, ą¤¹ą¤æą¤ą¤¦ą„š
May 19, 2023 ā¢ 4 tweets ā¢ 4 min read
Today I visited Srirangapatnam (Seringapatnam for British, and I donāt just mean Wilkie Collins), the old stronghold of Tipu Sultan. His summer palace (later taken on by Wellesley, Duke of Wellington), the Mysore wars, his sons, the legend and Lion : all felt so alive! #history
The frescoes, mosaics and fine craftsmanship of the summer palace are breathtaking (Wellington mustāve been awestruck like me!).
A solemn cenotaph marks the purported place where Tipu fell. Further away, a grand Gumbaz houses his & his parentsā tombs. #history#TipuSultan
May 7, 2023 ā¢ 6 tweets ā¢ 5 min read
In wake of #Coronation colonialism & empire are being grappled with new fervour. Weād never see a Robert Clive statue in modern India. His š«š·counterpart (my recent photos) looms over Pondicherry. Iāve a connection w/ Joseph-FranƧois Dupleix ex-Governor General of French India 1/5
Nemesis to #Clive & East India Company (discussed brilliantly @EmpirePodUK w/ @tweeter_anita@DalrympleWill + read his book The Anarchy), Dupleix harboured aspirations of establishing a French empire in India. Oddly, my metro station in #Paris was also named in his glory. 2/5