From The Guptas To British India: Indian History Podcasts To Learn From This Quarantine

From The Guptas To British India: Indian History Podcasts To Learn From This Quarantine

In the heyday of the All India Radio, people were more than excited to just be listening to content devoid of any visual titillation. This excitement subsided with the onset of televised programmes, leading to the All India Radio’s imminent death.

However, in recent years, podcasts have re-emerged not only in India, but also globally. This is probably because producers, being increasingly aware of the kind of content people like, have started creating audio-based that would cater to the interests and aptitudes of different kinds of people. Contrary to popular opinion, it turns out that podcasts can be extremely fun. It can also be educative and engaging in a way the written text seldom is.

If history lessons have not boded well with you, or if you are lagging behind your peers in your knowledge of the Guptas and the Mughals, and how British India got its Independence, here’s your chance to brush up and relearn through our curation of podcasts on Indian history.

I. History of India Podcast, Echoes of India by Anirudh Kanisetti

Echoes of India is the story of India like you’ve never heard it before. Host Anirudh Kanisetti takes you on a journey through its wonders, from the Greek art of Afghanistan to the thriving ports of Tamil Nadu. Along the way, monks debate, queens boast, and armies roar. From philosophy to politics to economics, the past comes back to life — noisy, breathing, as thriving as the Indian subcontinent is today.

You can find the podcast on IVM Podcasts or Spotify.

II. Yuddha - the Indian Military History Podcast by Anirudh Kanisetti & Aditya Ramanathan

The Indian subcontinent is about the size of Europe and is way more diverse and complicated — but how much do we know about its violent past? The land of Gandhi is also the land of the war-elephant, of gunpowder-wielding infantry, and of nuclear weapons that destroy everything in their wake.

In Yuddha, Anirudh Kanisetti (host of Echoes of India: A History Podcast) and Aditya Ramanathan explore the darker, blood-splattered side of India, beyond Bollywood and school textbooks. From the medieval invasions of Southeast Asia to the titanic clashes of the twentieth century, this is the military history of the subcontinent the way it was meant to be told.

You can find the podcast here.

III. Itihaas by Sneha Gore Mehendale

It is an engaging podcast giving an insight into Indian history through stories and anecdotes. The podcast series looks at history not as an accumulation of dates and facts, but rather as the story of mankind, a story of how we came to be like we are, today.

Moreover, history is not only political. It goes beyond nations, rise and fall of kingdoms. Every other area in this world has a history. Right from the history of science, history of brands, history of cinema, history of food and so on. Itihaas aims to deal with all this eventually, with necessary subject experts getting featured in a podcast.

You can check out the podcast here.

IV. History of India podcast by Kit Patrick

This podcast is a homage to Patrick’s late wife Snehal Sidhu-Patrick, and he has steadfastly avoided monetising it. Instead, he asks people who enjoy the podcast to consider donating to a charity that funds a scholarship for students with disabilities to attend the University of Cambridge. Through this podcast, Kit Patrick looks at the history of India starting from 600 BCE. The podcast is light-hearted and effervescent, yet follows a grounded narration, and is an absolute joy to listen to.

You can check out the podcast here.

V. Historical India Podcast by Vivek Vasan

Check out this chronological history of India and South Asia from the Stone Age to the modern times by Vivek Vasan on iTunes and Stitcher.

You can check out the podcast here.

VI. Incarnations: India in 50 Lives by BBC Radio 4

The podcast is hosted by Professor Sunil Khilnani. It tells us about the story of India through the lives of stellar personalities like Dhirubhai Ambani, Charan Singh, M.F. Hussain, Satyajit Ray and others.

You can check out the podcast here.

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