Indians | Ep 7: Alberuni and Marco Polo in India | A Brief History of a Civilization

Research, Script and Narration by Namit Arora;
Producer: The Wire;
Director: Natasha Badhwar;
Camera: Ajmal Jami;
Video Editor: Anam Sheikh.
Made possible by a grant from The Raza Foundation and contributions to The Wire by viewers like you. Join The Wire’s KZbin membership program and help fund many such initiatives.
The story of India is one of profound and continuous change. It has been shaped by the dynamic of migration, conflict, mixing, coexistence, and cooperation. In this ten-part web series, Namit Arora tells the story of Indians and our civilization by exploring some of our greatest historical sites, most of which were lost to memory and were dug out by archaeologists. He will also focus on ancient and medieval foreign travellers whose idiosyncratic accounts conceal surprising insights about us Indians. All along, Arora surveys India’s long and exciting churn of cultural ideas, beliefs, and values-some that still shape us today, and others that have been lost forever. The series mostly mirrors-and often extends-the contents of his book, Indians: A Brief History of a Civilization. Bibliography appears below.
EPISODE 7: ALBERUNI AND MARCO POLO IN INDIA
In the early second millennium, two famous travellers visited India: Alberuni and Marco Polo, who’ve left behind vivid impressions of social life. Alberuni, a great scientist and scholar of the Persian ‘Golden Age’, was in north India between 1017-30, when Mahmud of Ghazni was raiding temples. Led by his own curiosity, Alberuni spent thirteen years studying Indian thought and society. He learned Sanskrit, studied the works of Brahminism, and sought out learned men to clarify his doubts. In 1030, he published his magnum opus, Alberuni’s India, containing sharp insights into Brahminical religion, scriptures, caste, marital norms, festivals, inheritance, taxes, crime and punishment, etc. He also assessed the quality of the ‘Hindu sciences’. Alberuni’s portrait of India is so perceptive that he deserves to be called the ‘first Indologist’.
Marco Polo was a Venetian merchant-adventurer. Returning home from China in 1292, he stopped in south India. He landed in the kingdom of the Pandyas, near modern Thanjavur in Tamil Nadu. He spent a few months going around the coast, finally sailing out of Gujarat. Marco Polo was less scholarly and more gullible than Alberuni, but he still astutely recorded many practices of religion and caste, customs and professions, norms of beauty and sexuality. These travellers add colour and depth to our understanding of medieval India, with rich insights into how much has-or hasn’t-changed.
PARTIAL BIBLIOGRAPHY / FURTHER READING
Alberuni and Sachau, Edward C (translator, 1888); Alberuni’s India; Rupa Publications, Delhi, 2002
Asher, Catherine B., Cynthia Talbot; India before Europe; Cambridge University Press, 2006
Battuta, Ibn (Translated and selected by H. A. R. Gibb); Travels in Asia and Africa; 1325-1354, London: George Routledge & Sons, Ltd., 1929
Berzin, Alexander; 'History of Buddhism in Afghanistan'; studybuddhism.com
Dutta, Amartya Kumar; ‘Aryabhata and Axial Rotation of Earth’; Resonance, Vol.ll, No.4, pp. 56-74, 2006
Eaton, Richard M.; India in the Persianate Age 1000-1765; Allen Lane, 2019
Erik Gregersen (editor); The Universe: A Historical Survey of Beliefs, Theories, and Laws; Britannica Educational Publishing, 2009
Kulke, Hermann and Rothermund, Dietmar, A History of India, Psychology Press, 2004
Kunitzsch, Paul (2003); ‘The Transmission of Hindu-Arabic Numerals Reconsidered’, in J. P. Hogendijk; A. I. Sabra (eds.); The Enterprise of Science in Islam: New Perspectives; MIT Press, pp. 3-22
Polo, Marco (Translated and Introduction by Ronald Latham); The Travels of Marco Polo; Penguin Books, 1958
Saliba, George; ‘Al-Bīrūnī’, Encyclopaedia Britannica; Retrieved Aug 12, 2017
Samarqandi, Abd al-Razzaq; Narrative of My Voyage into Hindoostan, and the Wonders and Remarkable Peculiarities which This Country Presents; Written after his 1442-45 voyage and translated from Persian into English in 1857.
Thapar, Romila; Early India: From the Origins to AD 1300; Penguin, 2003
Thapar, Romila; ‘Somanatha and Mahmud’; Frontline, Volume 16 - Issue 8, Apr. 10 - 23, 1999
Thapar, Romila; Somanatha: The Many Voices of a History; Verso. 2005
Join The Wire's KZbin Membership and get exclusive content, member-only emojis, live interaction with The Wire's founders, editors and reporters and much more. Memberships to The Wire Crew start at Rs 89/month. / @thewirenews

[@AdityaChaudhary-oo7pr]

Very appreciated series from Namit and team. It completely debunks the glorious science age. How cast was so predominately present in the Indian society. Diwali's connection to other mythological tale. Great architecture of the period.

[@animeshpandey1]

yeah it quite resonates with your hate it seems. This is a propaganda based video made with a political ideology

[@AdityaChaudhary-oo7pr]

@@animeshpandey1 so you make your own propoganda video for your ideology and disprove and debunk it with similar quality

[@animeshpandey1]

@@AdityaChaudhary-oo7pr I don’t need to, their are experts of this field already doing that. You may start with watching Abhijeet Chawda and other historians Who have collectively debunked Aryan invasion theory. And then J Deepak Sai who is Infact made a career out of spanking these so called intellectuals like the author of this series.

[@AdityaChaudhary-oo7pr]

@@animeshpandey1 Abhijeet Chawda is no historian ... He is more of an internet propogandist, he might change his side when some other government comes. J sai deeepak is also not a historian, he is only a right wing idealogue and I have seen him with making sense of nonsense things very often. If you have some credible historian sources then only mention otherwise be happy with your version of history. You try to search credentials of your sources if you want

[@indrajithsunilkumar998]

@@AdityaChaudhary-oo7pr 👍👍👍

[@kalebj7001]

The best of history comes when we analyze the many accounts of diverse Travelers who came to India.. it throws light on so many things that are known and unknown to present day indians

[@qx888]

These all are absolutely fantastic! I love your sarcastic asides, but they don't detract from the factual content.

[@pratikrana7684]

It seems like we have changed very little since..

[@praneeth5127]

Degenerance is a norm in every civilization. When one is busy with religious dogma, others are busy with science and reasoning and the reverse after a few centuries. So the golden age keeps changing from region to region over time.

[@Mhmhind]

Alberunis work is a gem to understand the ancient Indian society

[@animeshpandey1]

Alberuni was highly respected and renowned Muslim of his era because he studied Greek science and Astro physics. Because it was the first time the Persians and the Turks learnt that the earth is round, not flat and that the sun revolves round the earth not the other way round. When he came to India, he couldn’t digest the fact that the Indians were way ahead in science mathematics (specially astrology).

[@Mhmhind]

@@animeshpandey1 That’s a very imbecile assumption! He described the society’s thinking so precisely your reaction is a existing example

[@indrajithsunilkumar998]

@@animeshpandey1 your character proves ALBERUNI's assessment of Indians true , till date.

[@certifiedsanatani]

​@@Mhmhind😂 he was as biased as this man who taken funds from the raza foundation to propagate their propaganda

[@akhilpeterpan]

Please release a paperback version of your book ‘Indians : A brief history of a civilisation’ . Not all are comfortable reading hardcover books or kindle e-books .

[@Rizwan-Ali]

thats a good suggestion.

[@sujiese6355]

Lol you want to buy wokist propoganda

[@indrajithsunilkumar998]

thanks for shedding light on the legend ALBERUNI.❤❤❤

[@Abhijeetkumar-ht2sw]

One of the best series ever I have come across on Indian history in recent times ❤

[@sai140382]

looks like you just turned 16

[@Indian-xj5ww]

Whatever his age, the only juvenile comment is by you, ​ @sai140382.

[@vincentpinto1127]

Remarkable series and commentary! Thank you, Namit and team!

[@hootsbuddie]

I finally finished enjoying this episode. You are a wonderful narrator and I aim to be more diligent next time. This is a very impressive series, Namit.

[@mehnazamjad24]

The best part of this particular episode taught me how Mahmud Ghazni's raid of the Somnath Temple and many others were found from his data source of raids and never from the Indian subcontinent and how the Britishers used it cunningly to create a rift through the divide and rule of Hindus and Muslims, while the Britishers perhaps had this strategy for almost every nation they colonized, and the joke is on us to continue to allow to be fooled by it even 1000 years later.

[@Con_founded]

But we din't lack for any vanity back then, according to Alberuni's profile of elite Indians! Same as today!

[@ghanisheikh5550]

The video makes justice with history of the time.

[@sai140382]

and you are opinionated

[@judybhaskaran5721]

Great job by Wire. I've watched historical documents series on ancient civilizations only in the late 1990's and early millienium days in the Discovery channel, History Channel and sometimes in BBC. Nowadays no such programs exists and I'm so thrilled to watch this taken from Travel books. Thank you The Wire.

[@kedarrout1523]

Brilliant efforts...

[@mdjaffer3286]

It is a treat watching series , on a lighter note: Now I got to know "Pan ki Pichkari 😂' is so deeply ingrained in us that it might take another 1000 years to get get rid of it".

[@gyadre]

Tibetans still use Puti for Buddhist scriptures. The Tibetan word word is Pecha. Puti has become siet of archiac but most older generation knows it.

[@shalinikala]

another excellent episode! thanks

[@avx4281]

Thanx so much mr. Arora. I wish youtube and ur videos were available back when i was studying history in school.

[@kaushalgagan6723]

Just ordered your book, these series ignited my interest in history subject. Thanks a lot for explaining the historical events and facts with such Great narration.

[@harendragautam872]

The history of india with the eyewitnesses account from foreign scholars without any bias and twisting. And we still found their descriptions of culture traditions practices social higher archy with perks and privileges in today's society .Who kept and treated the other groups as slaves for a reason so they only can have wealth lands womens and power. Prostitutes naming them Devdasi, cutting the tongue of dalit for speaking like them and forcing their own women to burn themselves to death alive some justification at the name of culture traditions and religion ? Very little have changed with brutal Hindu caste order after centuries. Thank you professor it is very learning and telling.

[@naysayer7540]

Arabs had more slaves, woman keeps of war than anyone else. So did Christian’s who kept black slaves

[@sai140382]

how old are you?

[@harendragautam872]

@@sai140382 Thank you for your comment but anyone's age may not be relevant to your question because no one of us existed that time back in history except those eyewitnishing historians. And why would they lied ? What is more relevant is the factual recoding by foriegn scholars that how our forefathers behaved. Your point is well taken that it could be one side of the story and there is more to it.I am always willing to learn and will read according to your argument. But distorting and denying history will not achieve anything. Please have open mind sir.I value your opinion but respectfully disagree with it .Thank you very kind.

[@umaghargi4765]

They were the practices of that time. All such practices have changed & Hinduism is always open for changes rather than Christianity & Islam . Now, there is no Sati, no child marriages, no bigamy. Untouchability is almost vanished. Divorce & remarriage after divorce are common. Inter - caste marriages are common. Women of Hindu society are so free as they have become highly educated & compete with men in every field . They don't have restrictions regarding dress (like burqha). They can go to Temples unlike Muslim women who are not allowed in Masjid. So, now, Hindu religion is the only religion which is dropping the unwanted rules & practices & opening upto new scientific world.

[@christianfrommuslim]

Sadly, the caste system is starting to emerge with Indian immigrants to California. I know reformers who are trying to nip it in the bud, but ignorance and denial are hindering progress.

[@Vijinger10]

Marco Polo was a great traveler, observations of daily life are still valid today. He deserves a separate hour

[@kafka1343]

Thank you Namit sir and the wire for bringing such a academically historian series with no biases just based on historic facts ,text and evidence not from delusion Misquotation This series really help us to know what our roots are . Jai Bhim

[@harendragautam872]

The suffering of black slaves from jungles of Africa to New world America to construct this Super power America has acknowledged by white Americans and expressing regrets for past behavior of America. But the India's indigenous people who were mainly Buddhist they have no such luck and still living under Brutal Hindu caste order. Now we know who caused all these sufferings from generations. Thanks to these foriegn scholars. We are greatful to them and professor.

[@sai140382]

No sir, he is only showing one side of the picture pls watch rajiv malhorta

[@srikrishnak196]

Question? Do you guys hate all brahmins? Or do you hate brahmanism which exists even in some conservative people from the lower castes.

[@RanvirBose]

Very interesting and riveting...... Thanks to Namit Arora and the Wire....

[@chandrikaroy1060]

Excellent episode. I have not missed any episode, all of them are very good .Thanks Namit arora and his team. Thanks Wire.

[@Samimkhan-j5p]

What alburuni wrote even today exists

[@2.9378]

Ha tum toh 1400 saal se wahi ho

[@kafka1343]

​@@2.9378Dalit Students Stopped From Entering Temple By Upper Caste Men In Uttarakhand's Almora Dalit Groom Refuses To Get Off Horse, Crowd Throws Stones At Baraat 90-Year-Old Dalit Man Stopped From Entering Uttar Pradesh Temple, Burnt Alive Gujarat: 13 Persons Held For Preventing Last Rites Of Dalit Man In Vadodara Village It's not important to be alive just look at current scenario and compares it with past

[@Ahmedahmed-tu8zn]

​@@2.9378 don't cope , it's truepill accept it ,dear.

[@srikrishnak196]

Ok doesn't mean you guys heroes either

[@VikKuk-mu4eb]

Osama ..

[@aniketh9224]

Insightful, this needs to be shown in schools

[@SCIENCEPARADISE]

Sir you are a great orater Nice series please continue it

[@indusmartin]

Really a brave work . Much more bravery than the works of Albariño as the times now are more intolerant than his . I request the wire to use services of people like me to dub this narration into Telugu . Every young mind needs to watch these episodes . That’s the only way to bring tolerance and harmony in the present society . Take a bow !

[@okramronan]

This has been one amazing series. Jesus contents are too good. No need for telivision

[@Ells-i4n]

Great narrative lot of new revelations 🙏

[@sanvat6379]

Loving this series .... insightful 👍

[@Bertie.athenaeum]

What. A. Series! ♥️

[@parakramsahu6009]

Thank you for telling unbiased history.

[@findit.12]

Unbiased 😂😂😂🤥🤡

[@kafka1343]

Its Concensusly accepted in academic historian world that Al baruni is the finest account to know about early Indian and Hindu society Those who try to reject are just ignorant who neither wrote book nor read it but believes in delusion.

[@grapeshott]

But of course Al Beruni had his own biases...but he is honest in his observations...

[@michealanderson2282]

where did you get ' consensus'?

[@fahmidapatrawala9346]

Superb,factual, intelligent narrative

[@rajeshVengadesan]

Its demeaning hindu history so you will be pleased

[@rajeshVengadesan]

Tgst doesmt mean he ismt right

[@karmyogi-2.1]

Good series.

[@bluebuddy46422]

Such a great series thank you

[@anildubey9211]

Very nice. Thank you so much.

[@parijatmukhopadhyay322]

This bramhinical hegemony is still prevalent in our country and is the root cause of most of social backwardness. I have a request to Namit sir and wire if you could explain how Brahmans emerged in helm as social elites in caste pyramid.

[@sathyansundar]

Very sincere ! But seeing the earlier episodes one can understand your thoughts and questions were answered briefly. To get an in-depth knowledge, there are a lot of books and informative audio-visual presentations made by the Dravidian party, which can be useful. However, a vast majority of them are in Tamil and English.

[@sai140382]

watch rajeev malhotra

[@praneeth5127]

It was the ignorant attitude that made them declare themselves as superior. The greed of power and money makes humans distort even the holiest scripture for their own needs just because find a loop hole in it to cover their sins.

[@sathyansundar]

The Vedas were never holiest in the first place. So as the Bhagavad Gita.

[@sai140382]

because you have not read it?@@sathyansundar

[@pudur_artspudur_arts624]

More such series pls, let it come....

[@Oceansta]

Really good episode.

[@deenakurup7355]

Wow ,well explained

[@Eveready-b2u]

So many customs are still prevalent, also it was interesting to know indians preferred dark skin.

[@jannloch]

This has been so interesting. Thank you.

[@Pingu_astrocat21]

this is so good. Thank you for posting these videos!

[@vishaalbhatnagar3924]

Eye opening series.

[@swarnamohanty3121]

Excellent

[@murkyPurple123]

thank you

[@Islamicepistemology]

What alberuni wrote is still visible in the mind of brahmans. They can never give spritual equality. Without this no development is worth praising.

[@Shubham-lp5wj]

Aise bol rha h jaise quran me Science h?

[@ObservantLearner]

Outstanding 👏👏

[@MrVictorcalling]

It's very disappointing to know that Al Baruni wrote 140+ books but only 22 survived! How much knowledge those books would have given us in so called "Vikasit Bharat"!!

[@github921]

I remember reading a book by British author Alice Albinia (Empires of the Indus) wherein she wrote that Al Beruni's account of India was not actually negative but apparently so. She says that he found much that he liked but couched it in critical language because he feared Ghazni and his followers (he himself was their slave/PoW). She questioned the approach of Indian historians who says that Indian schools of thought were simply rotting at the time. How to know what is correct?

[@Indian-xj5ww]

@gautamprakash9225 The first thing I suggest is to reread Alice Albinia’s account of Alberuni, as I did, and to notice that she isn’t saying what you are suggesting (also, Albinia is a journalist, not a historian). Second, it's not Indian historians alone who have interpreted Alberuni. Third, read Alberuni and realize that he published his book after Mahmud's death, and it even has several direct criticisms of Mahmud. For example, he accused Mahmud of ‘having failed in the duties of a protector of art and science’ at home, and also criticized his temple raids in India. This is significant. He was certainly not trying to please his boss by 'sounding critical' of the Hindus. His engagement with India was deeper. You can see logical and detailed reasoning behind his criticisms. There is no good reason to say that he wrote one thing but believed another. So I think your point is not quite a valid one.

[@hshakeem]

Fantastic. An absolute pleasure to watch.

[@sai140382]

u sure man?

[@arjunkovoor9488]

Good job! Just a correction. The language is Malayalam. The people are Malayalees. So it is not Malayalee Speaking Muslims. It is Malayalam. A very common mistake North Indians make.

[@ratnakamal1]

Al Beruni would have sung differently had he visited Bharat a half-a-millenia earlier and met Brahma Gupta, Aryabhatta, Varahamitra and the likes or went back deeper in time and shook hands with Susruta. Looks like the Brahminical dogmas swamped over scientific enquiry in latter periods. Science faced the same fate in the Islamic world. It is interesting to note that the exact opposite happened in the Western World where science was allowed to override the dogmas of the Church.

[@TheArvindUTube]

One interesting fact I learnt in AL Birunis book was Indians ate genda/indian rhino meat. Rhinos roamed all across gangetic forests. Even brahmins preferred genda meat.😮

[@tamsalingnetworknepal2705]

I dunno you may have no idea but in some rituals rhinos meat is needed in chetriya barna of some ethnic hindus in nepal

[@TheArvindUTube]

@@tamsalingnetworknepal2705 oh really! Even today? Since now it's protected animal.

[@tamsalingnetworknepal2705]

@@TheArvindUTube yeah for that they have replaced meat with use of rhino tails , but originally and historically it was rhino meat they needed. So we can figure out that rhino meat was consumed

[@atompf24]

Excellent!

[@Gujratiah]

A praiseworthy attempt to condense the history of South Asia into digestable bite-sized pieces. A little 'Amar, Akbar Anthony ' in its approach but why not? Rather that than Modi-ism extrapolated infinitely into th past and the future. Well done to all involved!

[@rajeshVengadesan]

Amar akbar Anthony is not reality wake up, they will not be tolerant of critism towrds thier religion snd would react violently

[@mooncatcher1]

As expected good presentation 👍🌹

[@rameezshahazad6140]

You are too amazing...

[@mdjaffer3286]

Thanks!

[@rajeshkumarbhagat]

Jai bhim

[@TheAbsurd_Man]

Impressive ❤keep it up👍

[@yahiyafirdous]

Nice to listen to n having glimpses of India history.

[@omved9217]

Namit seems to have done a fantastic job here. I’m sure he has solid evidences to back up his facts which he doesn’t mind sharing. Somanath Temple built on Buddhist Temple Multiple Hindu Temples were built on Buddhist temple It’s common to have Rival Hindu kings destroying each other’s Hindu temple in similar lines of what , Islamic invaders sultans did to hindu temples

[@bharatprsad]

A best series with a very insightful light of knowledge on our past...

[@parakramsahu6009]

Thanks

[@DGRVP]

Very well traced nd connecting our dots..from a well seasoned mind.

[@AzeemAyeshaSiddiqua]

Thank you WIRE for Authentic information Reliable source of information 🙏

[@zedkay5145]

Only if our country would taught proper history since 1947 our country would have been different

[@sabihatanveer8494]

Superbly crafted episode sir, many thanx

[@vamsidaran]

Sai deepak needs burnol

[@Mhmhind]

17:20 is still a reality

[@shivanigupta5648]

Ty so much.... These videos are amazing... And very knowledgeable...

[@ranganathanv5365]

Great job. Please keep it up

[@AdvKapatkarS]

Thanks for the Knowledge

[@FakirAbotani]

Enlightening as always.. thank you sir.

[@SajidIsa-s6i]

Excellent narration and research Nimit.

[@PrasantaDatta-y1j]

Beautiful is the only word that can be said. Thanks.

[@Ahmedahmed-tu8zn]

Nice work

[@cchakri]

Interesting

[@MathsSirAssam]

Continue this series.. suggest some books also for further inquiry.

[@RajeshreeSawant-n1u]

Mediaeval Brahminism ne India ko capture karte hi India se science decline ho gaya yeh ek brutal fact hai jo ancient travellers bhi likh rahe hai . Aur aaj ke zoote Brahmins kehte hai ki ancient Brahmins ke science se morden science nikla 😂 ancient Brahmins smart the because tab Buddhists Universitys thi and science apne peak per tha . Mediaeval Brahmins Gapodi chand the . Pu re india ko barbaad kar ke rakh Diya brahmani system ne . Gurukulas me ghanta kuch baki nahi tha . Point noted Aarya bhut Buddhists Universitys me padha tha kisi Gurukul me nahi .

[@EntropyInfo]

Tu buddhist hi brahman bane aur dalito soshit kiya

[@RajeshreeSawant-n1u]

@@EntropyInfo Buddhists indigenous the. Brahmin kehte hai ki hum videshi hai. Buddhists ke sare evidences India me milte hai . But Brahmino ke single evidences India me nahi milte . Ab tum hi batao jo Buddhists Brahmin me convert huye voh khud ko videshi kaay ku bulate hai re ? Pls answer

[@EntropyInfo]

@@RajeshreeSawant-n1u wo kaha khetr hai wah videshi hai.....wo left keheta hai ki Brahmin videshi hai.....Aryan immigration/invasion theory and other such theories......but we don't have substantial proof...... why don't they maintenaned their foreign features inspite being in power for thousands of year or they knew Phule and Ambedkar will born one day and we should hide our features by populating with native

[@emonrezbi9699]

One correction*. He was not a shia but a sunni of ashari creed as it has already proven by most of the scholars studying his biography.

[@babyuzair604]

Niceand true information of history

[@ansh_u_r]

16:14 religion for India is in every aspects of life even in mathematics.

[@xr55]

Mathematics is not a religion.

[@ansh_u_r]

@@xr55 but religion can have mathematics..

[@anbalagapandians1200]

Super News ThankyouSir

[@DineshSharma-km5nm]

Great information thank you

[@devilakshmi29]

I would like to see episode 6 too.

[@ranasyed3205]

Thanks a lot for unbiased history and facts with such a great narration

[@jikkkjvghj]

Absence of butthurt andhbhakts in comments 😂😂😂

[@bijayahamal1668]

They don’t understand English 😂. Imagine if it was on Hindi language?

[@jikkkjvghj]

@@bijayahamal1668 no they do understand English but here illusions of WhatsApp university will be broken. They jusy love to live in delusional world rather than reality.

[@clclassesbyabhishekmauryas8973]

Very good presentation. Please arrange the hindi episode also for masses who had only misinformation in name of history.

[@subramaniyamm2288]

Sir, you missed 7th century to 13 century, because of any foreign travellers didn't report that period or what?

[@sathyansundar]

Even much earlier, from 3rd to 6th century CE, the importance of Kalabhra dynasty in the south was ignored (even when it comes to seeing the Indian history, historians from the north completely ignore the south, Namir Arora is no exception), to the point the vast majority of Tamil literature (pathinen keezhkanakku) came into compilatory existence during this period.

[@subramaniyamm2288]

@@sathyansundar may be, we have tamil sangam era literature for 3rd BC to 6AD, mauryan kings inscriptions proved tamil kings at south. Recently we excavated the keeladi. As tamilnadu is developing at the same location since long as like madurai City, we can't do maximum excavations as people are still living there.

[@sathyansundar]

@@subramaniyamm2288 Absolutely. agree with you at 110% level. 😃

[@UNITISHIPPINGSERVICES]

its great . however there is a book Tony Joseph's " early Indians" having more and more brief about INDIA

[@animeshkumar1684]

Excellent show! Thanks! Sadly, not much has changed in the past 1000 years

[@marshallthanuvan857]

Hi Namit , great educational series. In this episode you mention Thanjavur as under the Pandyas. Thanjavur is a Chola capital and territory is it not!

[@Indian-xj5ww]

In addition to the Cholas, Thanjavur "was ruled by various dynasties such as the Mutharaiyar dynasty, the Pandyas, the Vijayanagar Empire, the Madurai Nayaks, the Thanjavur Nayaks, the Thanjavur Marathas and the British Empire." (wikipedia)

[@srikrishnak196]

​@@Indian-xj5wwduring chola empire it was ruled by cholas. Understand the context

[@Moe-bg1or]

Thanks for the beautiful narration! It’s entertaining and enlightening simultaneously.

[@ansh_u_r]

If you want to get knowledge from Brahmins and to know real meaning ls they will never share with you unless you are not of their same gotra and if you push them more they will just confuse.

[@amania9254]

❤❤❤