People Archives - Storytrails

History, People, Places

Raja Desingu of Gingee

A Rajput prince from Bundelkhand named Tej Singh came to Gingee in Tamil Nadu and became a local hero named Raja Desingu. His story is still told in local ballads and street performances like Therukoothu and Poi-Kal-Kuthirai, and even the Burra-Katha tradition of Andhra. It was even made into a Tamil biopic in the 1960s, featuring MGR. Who was Raja Desingu?

History, People, Places

Yale and Slave Trade

Did you know that Yale University was built on donations made from ill-gotten wealth, largely from slave trade in the 17th century? Madras or present-day Chennai is where the University’s benefactor, Elihu Yale, made much of his money.

History, People, Places

William Lambton: The Soldier Who Mapped India

The Great Trigonometrical Survey of India was the largest measurement of the Earth’s surface ever attempted. Apart from mapping the country, the project measured the height of Mount Everest, the tallest peak in the world, and even corroborated Newton’s theory about the shape of the Earth. This is the story of the man who led this massive project – Col. William Lambton.

History, People

Lord Ripon: The ‘Father of Self-Government in India’

How did a British administrator come to be known as the ‘father of local self-government in India’? Read on for the story of Lord Ripon, a Viceroy of India whose liberal policies were way ahead of his times – a man who championed the cause of Indians even as his own compatriots plotted his downfall.

Culture, History, People

UVeSa: The Man Who Rediscovered Ancient Tamil Literature

Dr. U.V. Swaminatha Iyer was only 32 when he published an edition of the great Tamil epic, Jeevaka Chintamani, on paper for the first time. This was the culmination of a seven-year quest that had taken him to the remotest corners of Tamil Nadu. Read on to know the story of the man who unearthed a treasure mine of ancient classical Tamil literature.

History, People

The Indian Travelogue of Niccolao Manucci

A lot of what we know of Mughal history has been pieced together from royal chronicles – and travellers’ accounts. Niccolao Manucci was an Italian adventurer who spent most of his life in India, during which he documented the Mughal reign in an epic work called Storia do Mogor. Read on for the story of his fascinating life.

History, People, Places

The Story of Bruce Foote: The British Scientist Who Discovered Madrasian Culture

Why is Robert Bruce Foote, an Englishman, considered to be the ‘father of Indian prehistory’? What is the significance of ‘Madrasian Culture’? Read on for the fascinating story of a man who made Madras an unforgettable name in anthropology.

History, People, Places

The ‘Mad King’ and the Mongols

The Mongols were infamous for their remarkable conquests that spanned a vast expanse of the world. Yet, they were never able to conquer Delhi, despite it being within striking distance. Why? The answer is most likely – Alauddin Khilji. The Mongols’ repeated attempts to capture Delhi were thwarted by Khilji’s resolute defence.

History, People, Places

The Loan Sharks of the Carnatic

One of the many ways in which the British East India Company gained control over various regions of India was by forging advantageous friendships with local rulers and getting involved in internal politics. And some conquests were made simply through financial wheeling and dealing…

History, People

The Portuguese Doctor Who Fled to India

His face can be seen on Portuguese bank notes. There are gardens in Lisbon and in Goa that are named after him. He wrote one of the first books printed in India. And yet, his body was actually dug up and burned in a posthumous public denouncement. This is the story of Garcia de Orta, a Portuguese physician who fled to India.