Hinduism and Caste: A Counter Narrative
The media and academic narrative today presents Hindu civilization as a negation of 21st century egalitarian norms. While elements of this description are not entirely incorrect given the hierarchy and exclusion More...
Tirukethiswaram and the Silk Road of the Sea
The history of the Sri Lankan temple of Tirukethiswaram should be viewed in the context of ancient navigational routes. Tirukethiswaram was located in Mantai, a center of sea-borne commercial links between China More...
Jaffna: A Medieval Tamil Hindu State
There was a Tamil kingdom in north Sri Lanka that lasted between 350 to 400 years despite the vicissitudes, turbulence and interruptions. The Kingdom of Jaffna developed maritime and commercial influence of some More...
Hindu law and jurisprudence: a Primer
This piece is intended to demonstrate that Hindu or Brahmanic law is rooted in popular convention and practice. While it is a high textual tradition, it incorporates divergent folk tradition. Hindu law was never More...
Ambedkar: a dispassionate assessment
I would like to share my individual and personal views on Ambedkar, a path breaker and rebel iconoclast I have tremendous regard for. This said, he perhaps needs to be also viewed through a prism that has been sidestepped More...
Decline & Fall of the Hindu Civilization in Cambodia
Cambodian history illustrates the interplay of economics and ideology in defining the fate of a nation. A vibrant South East Asian empire that selectively adopted Indian civilizational norms and institutions expanded More...
The Arthashastra and the welfare state
As a new Gregorian year begins, it is appropriate to revisit the concept of a welfare state in the Sanskrit canon. The state had its obligations to the broader population. The public welfare was the measure by which More...
A Short History of Indian Mercantilism
The history of South India is one of a vibrant and dynamic mercantilism. I would highlight just one example out of several i.e. the international trade carried out by south Indian merchants from 650 to 1250 CE. More...