The Golden Road : How India Transformed the Ancient World

I've had the pleasure of reading "The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World" by William Dalrymple. In this tale of 'Indosphere', quoting from voluminous sources, (the Notes run for almost one third of the book), William Dalrymple weaves an intricate, rich tapestry of how ideas of Ancient India (c.250 BCE - 1200s CE) transformed the then known world; from the Castles of Europe to the temples of Kampuchea, through the palace intrigues of China & the entrepots of Ancient Rome. Knowledge systems and innovations like Mathematics, Sanskrit ("Language of Gods in the World of men", as noted by Prof.Sheldon Pollock), Buddhism, Chess, Architecture, Art etc marked the influence of 'Indosphere'.

The author proposes that this Golden Road is much more relevant than the so called Silk Road, a term coined by Baron Von Richtofen in 1870s. The influence of Indic ideas permeated through time and space. For instance, Buddhism took birth in Ancient India, but the World's largest Buddhist Monument is in South East Asia (Borobudar, Java), and it was able to compete with Confucianism and Daoism as State patronized religion in Ancient China, beginning with Tang dynasty. The World's largest Hindu Temple / Monument still standing is also located in South East Asia (Angkor Wat, Siam Rep Province, Kampuchea - attributed to Emperor Suryavarman II of Khmer). Indo-Arabic Numerals, introduced in the West quickly replaced Roman Numerals and were much simpler to master, ushering in a sort of mercantile revolution.

Apart from known and well read personalities of Huien Tsang, Brahmagupta, Kumarajeeva, etc, the sketch of the lesser known (atleast in India) personalities of Empress Wu Zetian of China (7th/8th centuries CE), Barmakids of Nav Bahar and Baghdad, the industrious irrigantion engineers of Khmer dynasty make for an interesting read.     

"The Golden Road : How Ancient India Transformed the World"  William Dalrymple is worth readable.

"The Godlen Road : How India Transformed the Ancient World"

16 Saladi Jamindar Street, Palakollu

Thursday, 15th of June, 2025
Maheeth Veluvali (Sonu)

Tribute to Frederick Forsyth

Frederick Forsyth (1938-2025), Source : Wikipedia

 "It is cold at six-forty in the morning of a March day in Paris, and seems even colder when a man is about to be executed by firing squad."                        - Opening Line from 'The Day of the Jackal'

Some fifteen years ago, after raking through my father's books, I finally settled on and started reading an old novel at my home, titled 'The Day of the Jackal'. And thus began my tryst with Frederick Forsyth's novels. Frederick Forsyth (1938-2025), former British spy, war correspondent, author and fiction writer passed away early this week, aged 86. Old novels of Frederick Forsyth, reeking of part dusty but absorbing old paper smell, some owned by my father, some acquired by me at various second hand book shops are a prized collection at my home, something that I find comfort that would help me escape the suffocating travails of reality. I often escape to the rich tapestry of fiction woven by the master story teller, gorging on the pages, visiting far off distant places, witnessing fictional assassinations, spy tales and rebellions.  

Reading Frederick Forsyth is a pleasure enhancing ritual, an irresistable tour de force, that transports the reader to the Forsythian World of Geo Politics and Power plays, much before the advent of Virtual Reality and Artificial Intelligence. The tense and slow word build up, his ruthless and lifelike characterization of people with flaws, is atypical. While a fictional assassination on the then French President Charles DeGaulle forms the plot of 'The Day of the Jackal', the theme of mercenaries ('Vive la Morte, Vive la Guerre, Vive la Sacre Mercenaire') permeats through 'The Dogs of War', an audatious kidnapping of American President's Son, with much darker forces at play is detailed in 'The Negotiator'. Although he started his career with non-fiction (The Biafra Story), it is fiction that endeared him to a generation of fiction hungry and good novel starved readers. 

It was an intense obsession with the master story teller's works that played a little role in my hobby of reading books, which inter alia, included 'The Odessa Files', 'The Afghan', 'The Icon', 'No Comebacks', 'The Fist of God', etc., No one was amazed when he declared few years back that he actually spied for the British Government! Truth is stranger than fiction!

Om Shanti and Rest in Peace, Frederick Forsyth, and rest assured, your stories continue to enthrall our minds and hearts.

 

"Tribute to Frederick Forsyth"

16 Saladi Jamindar Street, Palakollu

Thursday, 12th of June, 2025
Maheeth Veluvali (Sonu)

Why Nations Fail?

"Why Nations Fail? The Origins of Power, Prosperity and Poverty" by D.Acemogulu and J.Robinson, first published in 2012 is a popular book that seeks to answer the question as to why some nations prosper, and others are condemned to poverty. In effect, the book is planned in a way that the French Historian F.Braudel would be proud of - seeking to analyze things on a large scale landscape, with detailed examples form World Economic History. As against prevailing theories, Acemogulu and Robinson proposed the centrality of the institutions of a nation, and their interactions with so called critical junctures that go on to determine whether a nation would be poor or prosperous in the long run. 

The book's premise is simple - Over a period of time, if extractive economic and political institutions are formed in a nation state with a small elite enriching itself at the expense of the people creating inequalities of wealth, this would create a vicious cycle during critical junctures of history, trapping the people in poverty. But, whereas, the formation of Inclusive economic and political institutions, based on protection of poverty rights, individual freedom, centralization of authority, enlarges the fact that the ruling elite would have no appetite or incentive to fight for status quo in the face of progressive opposition, paving the way for a virtuous circle to take place, creating Prosperity. Thus, for instance, the impact of Spanish Conquistadors and their extractive institutions continued their vicious hold in countries of Latin America, whereas the kind of Colonialism that existed in Canada, Australia etc, fostered inclusive institutions, creating prosperity. The tribal nature and colonial exploitation in African countries like Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe played on a larger scale fostering a vicious cycle. There are exceptions where countries broke the mold of vicious cycle, as an exception to the 'Iron grip of Oligarchy' during critical junctures, viz, Southern USA in 1960s, Botswana in 1980s, People's Republic of China in 2000s.

Despite the sweeping generalization and the rich examples offered in the book, there is a perception that it fails to adequately address the perils of Colonialism and Imperialism. In putting too much emphasis on institutions of a nation, it fails to account for the current rise of China. The role of geography is also a decisive factor. Yet, the book remains an impressive one, and offers deep insights into man's quest for finding meaning and definiteness in prosperity and poverty of nations.

 

      

"Why Nations Fail? The Origins of Power, Posperity and Poverty" by D Acemogulu and J Robinson, Crown Business Publishers

16 Saladi Jamindar Street, Palakollu

Thursday, 22nd of May, 2025
Maheeth Veluvali (Sonu)

Chaava

After a long time, and after too many near misses, I've had the pleasure of watching a really good film. Chaava stands out as an icon in the genre of Historical films, albeit a few minor aberrations. The makers of the film did not try to offer something for everybody, ala masala flick, and that is just commendable. By staying true to the sourced Maratha Novel adaption, Chaava basks in gore and glory of the Deccan, that great arena of the clash of egos, that shaped the past and the future of the teeming millions. 

Chaava (literally, Lion Cub) is the tale of Sambhaji Maharaj, son of the more famous and much adored Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj. When his father's vision of Swarajya, was slowly fading out, the scion would go on to challenge Zindapeer Alamgir Aurangzeb's Mughal Suzeranity, but would ultimately be betrayed, defeated and brutally executed, staying loyal and courageous, wedded to a cause. 

Vicky Kaushal as Chatrapati Sambhaji Maharaj is unrelenting, iconic and essayed the role with an emotional depth, and clarity. Akshaye Khanna as Shehanshah Alamgir Aurangzeb, ever scheming, always ambitious, an imperialist in his twilight slowly succumbing to the ravages of time and truth, stands tall. Rashmika Mandanna as Yeshubai is good despite limited screen presence. In the ensemble cast, Divya Dutta as Soarabai, Vinnet Kumar Singh as Chandogamatya / Kavi Kalash stood out. The latter's last poetic joust with Sambhaji, chained, bloodied but unbowed is a Piece de Resistance. The music, few battle scenes, the guerilla warfare in the early minutes of second half, could have been better. The film would do definitely good, if dubbed in regional languages especially Telugu. But, one shouldn't expect too much. 

Jai Bhavani. Har Har Maha Dev.  

On  "Chaava " (Film - Hindi) directed by Laxman Utekar, based on Maratha Novel "Chaava" (Book) by Shivraj Sawant.

Maheeth Veluvali, 
Palakollu.

Sunday, 26th of Fevruary, 2025