Capsule Review: The World. A Family History of Humanity

The World by Simon Sebag Montefiore is a huge and wonderful book. I listen to the audiobook on long drives and it is a LOT of fun. chock full of interesting anecdotes and touching on everything from ancient Egypt to the Kennedys. There is no obvious grand plan or theory, just lots of facts and the author’s cheery interjections. I think it works very well for someone who drives a lot and is interested in history and wants to jump in at random points and listen to fun stories and interesting facts. It was so much fun that I got it on kindle as well and now read random pieces at lunch.. the book does presume some background knowledge and the more you know about the particular time period, the more fun the book is. There is no attempt at finding some sort of grand theory behind history (here it is taken for granted that it is one damn thing after another, though you could say his world weary and somewhat cynical amusement is itself a theory of life and power). These are just stories, really interesting and fascinating ones.  And yes, lots and lots of sex. Simon sahib does not stint on the sexual escapades of rulers and conquerors and clearly believes that the few powerful people who did NOT have dozens of partners are the abnormal ones; normal humans who get power, want sex. Usually a lot of it.
Well worth buying and keeping and digging in whenever you feel like it.

Gana Sangha and Rajatantra in Ancient Bharat

Lion Capital of Ashoka, Vidhana Soudha

Script for the Youtube Video:

Around the time of Mahavir and Gautam Buddha, a powerful ancient monarch named Bimbisar reigned on western side of Ganga.
On the east lay the ancient Vrjji Gana-Sanghas – Sakya Malla Licchavi Videha –
The lands to the east of Ganga had no Kings but were ruled by leaders of various Kshatriya clans in an assembly where every family had a voice.
As part of his strategy, Bimbasara married a princess of Videha and to her was born Ajatashatru – the one without any enemies.
When Ajashatru ascended to the throne of Magadha, he formed staging post on the western bank of Ganga and waged a terrible war against the Vrjji Republics lead by the Licchavis and won.
This staging post would be called Pataliputra and serve as the seat of the Magadhan Monarchs like Mahapadma Nanda, ChandraGupta Maurya and Ashok Maurya.
800 years later when Ancient Bharat lay fragmented and scattered after centuries of Yavana, Shaka and Kushana invasions, a Small King called Chandra entered a matrimonial alliance with the same Licchavis marrying Kumara Devi.
His fine golden coins carried images of both him and his queen.
His young son who called himself Licchavayah – to emphasise the backing of the prestigious Licchavis in the Gupta Game of thrones. This young man would go on the reshape Bharat with his sword and help usher in the Golden Age of Ancient India.
His name of Samudra-Gupta – which means Protected by the Sea because his sword had added the Southern coastal kingdoms into his Raja-Mandala.
But this Golden Era of Ancient India also meant the fight between the ideas of Gana-Sangha and Rajatantra was almost settled in the favor the Chakravatri in the ideal of a fearsome conquerer like the Licchavi Dauhitra – Samudragupta

Partition’s Impact on India’s Regional Quadrants

Partition profoundly reshaped the subcontinent’s socio-political and cultural framework. Undivided India can be thought of five main regional quadrants—Northwest (“Punjab”), North (-“United Provinces”), Northeast (“Bengal”), Central (“Bombay & Central”), and South (“Madras Province”).

The Indo-Gangetic: Fragmented Identities

Partition shattered Punjab’s cultural and linguistic cohesion, severing ties from Delhi to Peshawar. The Indo-Gangetic heartland also suffered, with mass migrations and communal violence stifling regional solidarity. Bengal’s Eastern periphery faced similar disruptions, where linguistic fragmentation replaced unity, limiting potential cross-regional influence (that’s why the 1905 Partition of Bengal was met with such outcry by the Bhadralok).

Bengal and the Northeast: Diluted Cultural Power

The partition of Bengal broke the economic synergy between Kolkata and Dhaka. Dhaka’s industrial vibrance, lost to East Pakistan, left Bengal diminished, while the Seven Sisters languished in isolation. Greater Bengal, once poised to rival the Hindi Belt, was splintered, its cultural and linguistic reach thwarted by communal, geographical & international barriers. Continue reading Partition’s Impact on India’s Regional Quadrants

Capsule Review: A History of the Muslim World

An outstanding book. Michael Cook is wiser than he lets on (ie he does not explicitly make big sweeping statements about the lessons of history, but his presentation of the facts is nonetheless based on very sophisticated and wise analysis, which may remain implicit, or he may just hint at the issue and expect that the reader will know why he brought it up exactly like this) and always worth reading.
This is a survey of all of Muslim history from the time of the prophet to the early 20th century. He covers every region and pretty much every dynasty or group that ever ruled from Morocco to Malaysia, but it is not just a recitation of facts; at every point he has interesting things to say and he has a remarkable ability to convey a lot of information in a very short passage. Still, a lot of the details can be skipped if it is not an area you are interested in.
For example, I am very interested in Indian history and I found the short (just 60 pages) section on India to be one of the most balanced and accurate summaries of the 800 years of Islamicate colonization of India and its consequences. So the book passes the Gell-Mann test with flying colors.

A must read.

 

Justice Sajjad Ahmed Sipra; 1936-2025

Justice Sajjad Sipra (who happens to have been my maternal uncle) passed away in Services Hospital Lahore on January 7th 2025 at the age of 88. I wanted to write a short note focused mostly on his public life, as a tribute and as a way to preserve some of his memories. His niece set up a website in his honor (https://sajjadsipra.com/ ) with several more personal memories and tributes, please do visit it to learn more about this extraordinary man. Continue reading Justice Sajjad Ahmed Sipra; 1936-2025

14 Years of Brown Pundits: A Journey of Growth, Transformation, and Reflection

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It’s hard to believe that it’s been 14 years since Brown Pundits was founded. I can still recall the exact moment it all began—during Twixmas’10, that quiet week between Christmas and New Year’s when the world seems to pause. Things were slow, but intellectually, it was a time of fervent excitement. I remember the many stimulating conversations on either GNXP or Razib’s Discovery site about South Asia. That’s where it all started.

I had just turned 26, and Razib was about to become a father. At the time, I couldn’t have known how much my life would change, nor could I have foreseen the transformations I’d undergo in the years ahead.

A week earlier (on my birthday), I met Dr. V at a work event, and in the blink of an eye (the following Cheti Chand, but that date was entirely a coincidence since we had agreed to meet at Holborn), over coffee, I mentioned that I’d marry her come what may, as my way of asking her out. At that point, I was deeply immersed in my British Pakistani Bahá’í identity, thriving in my single London bobo life.

Continue reading 14 Years of Brown Pundits: A Journey of Growth, Transformation, and Reflection

Browncast: Hussein Ibish on Middle East

Another Browncast is up. You can listen on Libsyn, Apple, Spotify (and a variety of other platforms). Probably the easiest way to keep up the podcast since we don’t have a regular schedule is to subscribe to one of the links above!

In this episode, Omar and Mukunda talk to Hussein Ibish about the recent events in Syria and their impact on the Middle east. Interestingly, Hussein mentions India as a potential host for Iranian uranium if a new deal is to be made..

Our friends at scribebuddy.com have prepared a transcript. I am posting it below, unedited.

Dr. Ali: Good evening, everyone, and welcome to another episode of the Brown Pundits broadcast. We have with us again 1 of our guests, Hossam Aibish. Mr. Aibish is a resident fellow at the Arab Gulf States Institute in Washington, and he is a regular columnist for The National in UAE. He writes for several other publications, has hundreds of speeches and videos, is a very well-known commentator on Middle Eastern issues. Continue reading Browncast: Hussein Ibish on Middle East

The 2024 Maha Landslide

Another Browncast is up. You can listen on Libsyn, Apple, Spotify (and a variety of other platforms). Probably the easiest way to keep up the podcast since we don’t have a regular schedule is to subscribe to one of the links above!

In this episode of Browncast, Gaurav and KJ talk to Indian Mango and Nitesh about the Landslide in the Maharashtra assembly elections 2024.

 

 

Capitalism’s New Skin: Navigating Identity in a Post-Racial, Hyper-Global World

Razib’s observation on the 2020 “BIPOC” era echoed my reflections on how capitalism now defines our hyper-globalized, multi-ethnic world. Growing up in the ’90s, when “coolness” mattered more than wealth, the shift to today’s influence-driven, materialistic culture feels profound. Social media and global digital spaces have accelerated this change, where capitalism acts as the only cohesive force in an era of fractured identities.

The transformation is multi-layered. Decolonization’s legacy, the Cold War’s end, technological advances, and globalization have created a world where multi-racial societies thrive, yet economic systems dominate. In the UK, immigration complicates old class hierarchies, and categories like “British Asian” are fragmented by religion, migration waves, and economic stratification. Social media amplifies these shifts by establishing Anglo-Western ideals as global standards of aspiration, blending diversity into an overarching capitalist framework.

Platforms like YouTube exemplify these dynamics. Channels such as T-Series and Sony TV reflect Global South audiences, but creators like MrBeast and PewDiePie dominate influence.

Continue reading Capitalism’s New Skin: Navigating Identity in a Post-Racial, Hyper-Global World

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