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EXPLAINED HISTORY NEWS
The four unsung stanzas of Vande Mataram: Why govt directive on singing full National Song has kicked up a storm
February 14, 2026 16:17 IST
So far, at all public functions, we only get to hear the first two stanzas of Vande Mataram. Some of the later parts of the composition contain religious imagery, which have been a source of contention.
Mohan Bhagwat says caste no bar for RSS chief, but all of them have been upper casteSubscriber Only
February 14, 2026 06:27 IST
While the RSS has a well-defined election process for its top executive post, that is the Sarkaryawah, there is no election for the Sarsanghchalak position. The sitting Sarsanghchalak has the prerogative to pick his successor
How Tamil, Sanskrit and Prakrit names ended up on the walls of Egyptian Pharaohs’ tombs
February 12, 2026 19:14 IST
For historians, the implications are immediate. They reveal how ancient traders from the subcontinent interacted with the world, with links to previous discoveries in India and elsewhere.
PM Modi highlighted Tamil’s presence in Malaysia: the centuries-old story of how the language crossed the seas
February 9, 2026 17:19 IST
The connection, visible in the country’s everyday life, did not begin with governments but with maritime trade even before the British established its colonies in the region
Explained: A 19th-century Adivasi uprising in Jharkhand, and its contested commemoration
February 6, 2026 14:59 IST
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren, on February 2, marked the memory of Adivasi fighters who took on the British in an 1837 battle. But activists and researchers say the event's date is inaccurate, and must be rooted in historical record
What Hinduism meant to Mahatma GandhiSubscriber Only
January 30, 2026 14:21 IST
Godse’s charge against Gandhi was a familiar one – that he was partial towards Muslims. While Gandhi emphasised that all religions were equal, he was known to publicly express his belief in Hinduism, which also informed his moral philosophy.
Why Gandhi and Ambedkar clashed: From separate electorates to Hinduism to concept of justiceSubscriber Only
January 30, 2026 12:16 IST
Shahid Diwas, Mahatma Gandhi Ambedkar Debate: In 1931, Mahatma Gandhi questioned Ambedkar about his criticism of the Congress. Ambedkar's answer captures the heart of the many disagreements between the two.
Bulleh Shah’s shrine vandalised in Mussoorie: How the Sufi poet blended religious beliefs, challenged orthodoxySubscriber Only
January 28, 2026 20:06 IST
Bulleh Shah’s art and philosophy endure in culture today, from his poetry inspiring songs like ‘Chhaiyya Chhaiyya’, to his syncretic approach towards religion.
Expert Explains: How the voyage of INSV Kaundinya points to a deepening of Indo-Oman maritime relations and strategic partnershipSubscriber Only
January 26, 2026 13:18 IST
As India and Oman mark seventy years of diplomatic relations, Kaundinya’s arrival in Muscat symbolises a partnership that long predates the modern nation-state, with the Indian Ocean serving as a corridor of commerce, culture and ideas.
As SC allows Basant Panchami prayers and namaz at Bhojshala, recalling the disputeSubscriber Only
January 23, 2026 14:05 IST
Since the early 2000s, various right-wing groups have been seeking the closure of the mosque, a ban on Friday namaz in it and the installation of a Saraswati idol in the complex.
As Manipur, Meghalaya, Tripura celebrate statehood day, a look back at the birth of the NortheastSubscriber Only
January 21, 2026 18:46 IST
The three states were granted statehood on this day in 1972, weeks after the passage of two laws, the North-Eastern Areas (Reorganisation) Act and the North-Eastern Council Act. We recall
How stupas found in Zehanpora highlight Kashmir’s rich Buddhist past: An Expert ExplainsSubscriber Only
January 10, 2026 09:46 IST
The director of the archeological excavation at the Zehanpora site, Dr Mohamad Ajmal Shah, said the structures date back to the Kushan era. Here's why they are important to understand Kashmir's past.
As protests erupt in Delhi’s Turkman Gate, memories of a dark Emergency-era episode resurfaceSubscriber Only
January 7, 2026 19:53 IST
Much of what is known about the events at Turkman Gate during the Emergency comes from memoirs, inquiry records, journalistic investigations and later oral histories. We recall
History of the long-dormant 1950 Act, which Assam govt has revived to expel ‘foreigners’Subscriber Only
January 5, 2026 15:23 IST
Since May 2025, the Assam government has taken recourse to “pushing” declared foreigners “back”, or forcing them across the international border without any discussions with the other country.
Story of 2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal & Battle of Basantar, picturised in the movie ‘Ikkis’Subscriber Only
January 2, 2026 16:09 IST
2nd Lt Arun Khetarpal story: Khetarpal played a pivotal role in the Battle of Basantar, one of the Indian Army’s decisive operations on the Western Front in the 1971 War. A new film about his life stars Agastya Nanda and Dharmendra.
Congress’s 140th Foundation Day: 3 things to know about the party’s history, and how Gandhi viewed itSubscriber Only
December 28, 2025 15:13 IST
Indian National Congress Foundation Day: Mahatma Gandhi initially saw the Congress as an organisation that “brought together Indians from different parts of India, and enthused us with the idea of nationality”, but his views on its purpose changed post-Independence.
100 years of CPI: How India’s Communist movement came to beSubscriber Only
December 29, 2025 19:07 IST
Communist party of India history: The Communist Party of India traces its origins to the Kanpur meeting held on December 26, 1925. Here is the story of its formation
PM Modi says Congress would have let ‘Assam go to East Pakistan’: What was the 1946 plan; what Nehru, Gandhi said thenSubscriber Only
December 23, 2025 17:21 IST
Assam East Pakistan Plan: PM Modi said Assam's first CM Gopinath Bordoloi 'stood against his own party to save the state' from being separated from India. Here's what happened in 1946, and how Gandhi backed Bordoloi.
On Vallabhbhai Patel’s death anniversary: how he became ‘Sardar’, the ‘boycott’ he organised in school, and moreSubscriber Only
December 17, 2025 10:32 IST
Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Death Anniversary: From early on, Sardar Patel showed qualities that would define his political life — an iron will, an unwavering commitment to principles, and unparalleled organisational abilities. Here are three incidents that illustrate this.
Who is Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar, in whose honour V-P released a stamp: 3 things to knowSubscriber Only
December 15, 2025 11:25 IST
Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar Stamp Explained: Here are three things to know about Perumbidugu Mutharaiyar II and why a stamp to commemorate him has been released now.
Nupi Lan: The ‘Women’s War’ that laid ground for a new Manipur after World War IISubscriber Only
December 12, 2025 14:20 IST
President Droupadi Murmu is in Manipur where she paid tribute at a memorial commemorating the 86th Nupi Lan Day
How Nehru, not Patel, became India’s first PM: The politics behind the 1946 Congress voteSubscriber Only
December 12, 2025 18:14 IST
Amit Shah described Jawaharlal Nehru's elevation over Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel in 1946 as ‘vote chori’. Here’s what happened in those tumultuous days in the run up to the 1946 Congress election.
What Nehru wrote on choice for National Anthem: Vande Mataram ‘difficult’ to understand, Jana Gana Mana ‘full of life’Subscriber Only
December 11, 2025 11:06 IST
Nehru was of the view that the tune of the National Anthem, as well as how foreign nations would perceive it, needed to be considered to make a choice.
79 years ago today, the Constituent Assembly held its first meeting. Here’s what happenedSubscriber Only
December 9, 2025 17:50 IST
The drafting of the Indian Constitution was a mammoth task that the Constituent Assembly completed in nearly three years. Their first meeting was held on December 9, 1946, with greetings from other nations and the chairman’s address.
What Nehru wrote to Bose about Vande Mataram, which PM and Priyanka debated in HouseSubscriber Only
December 22, 2025 17:12 IST
Nehru, in his letter to Bose, said the Vande Mataram controversy was a 'manufactured one by the communalists'. Here is what the rest of the letter said, and in what context it was written.
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