Writer & Geek
By Writer & Geek
We are the leading independent documentary podcast in India. We talk History, Science, Technology and everything in between; well most of the things.
Writer & GeekMay 23, 2021
00:00
18:49
108: Operation Overlord
Operation Overlord was launched on 6 June 1944 and is to date the largest amphibious assault in the history of warfare. Nearly 160,000 troops crossed the English Channel on 6 June, and more than two million Allied troops were in France by the end of August. It led to the successful invasion of German-occupied Western Europe during World War II.
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Image MIckStephenson at English Wikipedia.
May 23, 202118:49
107: Pyramids
The Pyramids are one of the ancient wonders of the world. It is one of the most mysterious structures ever built. In this episode, we try to uncover some of the mysteries.
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Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Soupy Squirrel from Pixabay
May 09, 202127:23
106: Colonialism in India - Part 12: The Indian Revolutionaries
The Indian Revolutionary Movement
The first signs of the revolutionary movement can be traced back to 1847 when 5000 peasants rose against the British East India Company (EIC) in Kurnool district (Andra Pradesh) under the leadership of Uyyalawada Narasimha Reddy. They were protesting against the changes made to the traditional agrarian system.
Jugantar Party
The revolutionary movement was not organised till the 20th Century. The first signs of its organisation can be noticed in 1905, during the partition of Bengal.
The Jugantar party was formed in April 1906 by Aurobindo Ghosh, Barindra Kumar Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta, Lal Bal Pal, Subodh Chandra Mullick.
They collected and manufactured bombs. The Jugantars sent some of their members for training abroad, too. But the attempted murder of a district judge in Muzaffarpur resulted in the arrest of many of them.
They planned to revolt against the British during the First World War with the help of Indians living abroad. It relied on the clandestine landing of German arms and ammunitions in the Indian coast, which never materialised.
They supported Mahatma Gandhi's Non-Cooperation Movement while conducting revolutionary activities.
Hindustan Socialist Republican Association
It was established in October 1924 in Kanpur, Uttar Pradesh by revolutionaries like Ramprasad Bismil, Jogesh Chatterjee, Chandrashekhar Azad, Yogendra Shukla and Sachindranath Sanyal. They aimed to throw out the British and establish the Federal Republic of the United States of India.
The Kakori train robbery is one of the notable mutinies by the group. It led to the hanging of Ashfaqullah Khan, Ramprasad Bismil, Roshan Singh, Rajendra Lahiri.
The group reorganised under Chandrashekhar Azad with new members of the likes of Bhagat Singh, Bhagwati Charan Vohra and Sukhdev and renamed themselves the Hindustan Socialist Republican Association (HSRA).
They killed Saunders, a police officer involved in the lathi-charge that killed Lala Lajpat Rai.
Bhagat Singh, Sukhdev and Rajguru threw a bomb inside the Central Legislative Assembly. It was followed by their trial and hanging on 23 March 1931.
Abhinav Bharat Secret Society
It was a secret society started by VD Savarkar and GD Savarkar in 1904. It was involved in many revolutionary activities until its disbandment in 1952.
One of the popular deeds of the society was the assassination of Lt. Col. William Curzon-Wyllie on 1 July 1909.
After the existence of the society was unearthed, Savarkar was transported to the Cellular Jail in the Andaman Islands in 1910.
Kotwal Dasta
It was formed by Veer Bhai Kotwal with around 50 members during the Quit India Movement. They cut down electric pylons to cripple the industries and railways. Around 11 pylons were cut from September to November 1942.
Previous episode mentioned in this episode: 074: Oh beer, oh beer!
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Image by Rueben lys
Jan 14, 202120:27
105: The Boeing Debacle (MCAS)
In this episode, we talk about the Boeing 737 Max accidents and the reason behind it.
Boeing’s 737 is one of the most widely used aircraft. But two crashes of its new 737 Max 8 model and the following investigation, led to some dark details about how a software system overpowered the pilots and plunged everyone on board to a horrific end.
Manoeuvring Characteristics Augmentation System, abbreviated as MCAS is a software designed to save an aeroplane from a potential stall due to a high angle of attack. The angle of attack is the angle between the aircraft direction of mention forward and the wing. Aircraft usually have a slight positive angle of attack to create more lift at slower speeds. But if the angle of attack becomes too high, added drag is created and there is a danger of a stall where aircraft falls out of the sky uncontrollably.
MCAS was designed to lower the airplane’s nose when the angle of attack becomes too high and thus preventing a stall. But in two of Boeing’s 737 Max 8 aircraft, these systems erroneously pushed the planes into nosedive resulting in catastrophic accidents. The worst part of this disaster was that the pilots of 737 were not informed of this particular software and wasn’t even mentioned in any training documents.
In this episode, we delve a little deeper into the background of these tragedies and learn how competition between two aircraft manufacturers resulted in the loss of hundreds of lives.
Previous episode mentioned in the episode: 048: Jet Engines
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Image by nickyhardinguk from Pixabay
Jan 08, 202127:56
104: Serial KIller Files - Part 9: Rodney Alcala
Rodney Alcala is a notorious serial killer who spread terror in the United States from 1968 to 1979.
Name: Rodrigo Jacques Alcala Buquor
Birth: 23 August 1943
Convictions: Battery, kidnapping, murder, probation violation, rape, providing cannabis to a minor
Victims: 8 to 130
Span: 1968 to 1979
Crime penalty: Death
Aliases: The Dating Game Killer, John Berger, John Burger, Rod Alcala
During his appearance in The Dating Game in 1978, the host, Jim Lange introduced him as a "successful photographer who got his start when his father found him in the darkroom at the age of 13, fully developed. Between takes, you might find him skydiving or motorcycling." Alcala won the competition (a date with Cheryl Bradshaw) with his charm. But Bradshaw later declined the date because Alcala started acting creepy. The fellow bachelors in the show described Alcala to be very strange and have bizarre opinions. It is believed that the rejection led Alcala on a killing spree where he killed at least three women.
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Source: Rodney Alcala BiographyRodney Alcala Murderpedia
The Dating Game Wikipedia
Rodney Alcala Wikipedia
Image from LA Weekly
Dec 28, 202027:32
103: Colonialism in India - Part 11: Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi was the primary leader of India’s independence movement and also the architect of a form of non-violent civil disobedience that would influence the world. Until Gandhi was assassinated in 1948, his life and teachings inspired activists including Martin Luther King Jr. and Nelson Mandela.
Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Born: 2 October 1869 (Porbandar, Gujarat)
Known for: Being the father of the nation, political activism leading to Indian independence, nonviolence (ahimsa)
Occupation: Lawyer, activist, writer, politician
Died: 30 January 1948
Cause of death: Assassination through gunshot by Nathuram Godse
Introduction
He was the youngest son from his father, Karamchand Gandhi’s fourth marriage to Putlibai Gandhi.
Karamchand Gandhi did not have much elementary education but was capable to be the dewan of Porbandar.
He went on to become the dewan of Rajkot later on.
Mohandas Gandhi was a mediocre student who won the occasional prizes and scholarships who was - “good at English, fair in Arithmetic and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad handwriting.”
He got married at the age of thirteen to Kasturba Makhanji Kapadia.
They went on to have four children - Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, Devdas.
Education
He liked to be a doctor but coming from a background of Vaishnava faith, they were against vivisection.
To attain a good post in the high posts in one of the states in Gujarat, he had to be a barrister.
He went to England and joined the Inner Temple which is one of the four London law colleges.
He struggled with more issues than academic problems, especially vegetarianism became a major struggle for him.
He came under constant pressure from his friends about how vegetarianism is going to wreck his studies and health.
But then he found a vegetarian restaurant and a book reasoning the goodness of vegetarianism.
He became a member of the executive committee of the London Vegetarian Society, contributing articles to its journal and attending its conferences.
Early Career
He had a lot of issues practising law.
His fear of public speaking took a toll on him as he could not get any prestigious barrister jobs back in India.
This led to him moving to South Africa and taking a job there.
South Africa taught him a lot about the disparities between the white and the coloured.
India (1915-1947)
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)
It began because of the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Ended with the Chauri Chaura incident of 1922.
It led to the arrest of Gandhi and many other prominent leaders.
Civil Disobedience Movement(1930)
Dandi March (12th March - 6th April 1930)
Time Man of the Year 1930
Gandhi and 78 trusted volunteers marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (384 km) in 25 days.
Resulted in the Government of India Act 1935 which granted large measures of autonomy to the provinces of British India.
Quit Indian Movement (1942)
It was opposed by Hindu Mahasabha, All India Muslim League, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Communist Party of India, and the Princely States.
Quotes mentioned in the podcasts from Britannica:
“Gandhi had critics in his own country and indeed in his own party. The liberal leaders protested that he was going too fast; the young radicals complained that he was not going fast enough; left-wing politicians alleged that he was not serious about evicting the British or liquidating such vested Indian interests as princes and landlords; the leaders of the untouchables doubted his good faith as a social reformer; and Muslim leaders accused him of partiality to his own community.”
“Scholars have continued to judge Gandhi’s place in history. He was the catalyst if not the initiator of three of the major revolutions of the 20th century: the movements against colonialism, racism, and violence.”
Book mentioned in the episode:
The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle Edition | MP3 CD | Audio Cassette
Fin
Name: Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi
Born: 2 October 1869 (Porbandar, Gujarat)
Known for: Being the father of the nation, political activism leading to Indian independence, nonviolence (ahimsa)
Occupation: Lawyer, activist, writer, politician
Died: 30 January 1948
Cause of death: Assassination through gunshot by Nathuram Godse
Introduction
He was the youngest son from his father, Karamchand Gandhi’s fourth marriage to Putlibai Gandhi.
Karamchand Gandhi did not have much elementary education but was capable to be the dewan of Porbandar.
He went on to become the dewan of Rajkot later on.
Mohandas Gandhi was a mediocre student who won the occasional prizes and scholarships who was - “good at English, fair in Arithmetic and weak in Geography; conduct very good, bad handwriting.”
He got married at the age of thirteen to Kasturba Makhanji Kapadia.
They went on to have four children - Harilal, Manilal, Ramdas, Devdas.
Education
He liked to be a doctor but coming from a background of Vaishnava faith, they were against vivisection.
To attain a good post in the high posts in one of the states in Gujarat, he had to be a barrister.
He went to England and joined the Inner Temple which is one of the four London law colleges.
He struggled with more issues than academic problems, especially vegetarianism became a major struggle for him.
He came under constant pressure from his friends about how vegetarianism is going to wreck his studies and health.
But then he found a vegetarian restaurant and a book reasoning the goodness of vegetarianism.
He became a member of the executive committee of the London Vegetarian Society, contributing articles to its journal and attending its conferences.
Early Career
He had a lot of issues practising law.
His fear of public speaking took a toll on him as he could not get any prestigious barrister jobs back in India.
This led to him moving to South Africa and taking a job there.
South Africa taught him a lot about the disparities between the white and the coloured.
India (1915-1947)
Non-Cooperation Movement (1920)
It began because of the Rowlatt Act and the Jallianwala Bagh massacre.
Ended with the Chauri Chaura incident of 1922.
It led to the arrest of Gandhi and many other prominent leaders.
Civil Disobedience Movement(1930)
Dandi March (12th March - 6th April 1930)
Time Man of the Year 1930
Gandhi and 78 trusted volunteers marched from Sabarmati Ashram to Dandi (384 km) in 25 days.
Resulted in the Government of India Act 1935 which granted large measures of autonomy to the provinces of British India.
Quit Indian Movement (1942)
It was opposed by Hindu Mahasabha, All India Muslim League, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh, Communist Party of India, and the Princely States.
Quotes mentioned in the podcasts from Britannica:
“Gandhi had critics in his own country and indeed in his own party. The liberal leaders protested that he was going too fast; the young radicals complained that he was not going fast enough; left-wing politicians alleged that he was not serious about evicting the British or liquidating such vested Indian interests as princes and landlords; the leaders of the untouchables doubted his good faith as a social reformer; and Muslim leaders accused him of partiality to his own community.”
“Scholars have continued to judge Gandhi’s place in history. He was the catalyst if not the initiator of three of the major revolutions of the 20th century: the movements against colonialism, racism, and violence.”
Book mentioned in the episode:
The Story of My Experiments with Truth by Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle Edition | MP3 CD | Audio Cassette
Fin
Dec 15, 202037:35
RECAST: Dyatlov Pass Incident
Dear Listeners,
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recast the episode where we talked about Dyatlov Pass Incident.
To the east of the Ural mountains, in Yekaterinburg city cemetery, there is a group grave of 9 members from a hiking group who died mysteriously.
Timeline
Arrived by train at Ivdel a town at the centre of the northern province of Sverdlovsk Oblast on 25th January 1959.
Took a truck ride to Vizhai (last settlement towards the north).
Hikers purchased and had loaves of bread when they were in Vizhai to keep energy high.
Started trek towards Otorten from Vizhai on 27th January.
Yuri Yudin returned on 28th due to health issues.
On 31st, the hikers arrived at a highland area and started preparing for their climb. They saved surplus food in a wooded area for their return hike.
Snowstorms resulted in hikers being deviated from their intended path and ended up on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl (Dead Mountain).
Group decided to camp on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl instead of hiking all the way back into the wooded area about 1.5 km away. It is speculated that the group wanted to practice camping on a mountain slope.
Dyatlov had told his sports club that he would send a telegram from Vizhai no later than 12th February and that it might take even longer.
It was not until 20th that the relatives of the hikers demanded a search be conducted for the missing hikers.
The search party was mobilised and the military also took part in the search. On 26th of February, the search party found the tent that was used by the hikers.
The tent was torn from inside and the hikers were missing. All the belongings including warm clothing and shoes were left behind.
A set of footprints could be found heading away from the tent towards the woods, but after 500m, the tracks disappeared in the snow.
At the edge of the forest, under a Siberian Pine tree, there was a visible sign of a fire that was lit.
The first two bodies, Krivonischenko and Doroshenko were found shoeless near the fire site wearing only their underwears.
The tree also had visible marks of someone having climbed it, with branches up to 5 metres broken. Someone seems to have climbed the tree to either escape from something or to look at something in distance.
Further search in the snow between the camp and the pine tree revealed the bodies of Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin. Their poses suggested that they were trying to return to the campsite perhaps for food and warm clothing. They were found at a distance of 300, 480 and 630 metres from the tree respectively.
The four remaining hikers were not found until 4th of May under 4 metres of snow around 75 metres away from the pine tree towards the woods. These four happened to be better dressed than others and the ones who died later were wearing the clothes of the ones who had died earlier. A hastily constructed den was found near the bodies.
Something happened on the night of 31st - 1st which lead to the death of all the hikers.
Inquiry
An inquiry was started into the matter after the first five bodies were found. It was concluded that hypothermia was the reason for the deaths.
The finding of the four bodies later presented puzzling details which changed the course of the inquest.
Three of the four hikers had serious fatal injuries to the head and chest area.
Doctors concluded that the force required to cause a similar injury would be something similar to that of a car hitting a person.
Except for Dubinina who was missing her tongue, eyes, parts of lips and a part of the skull, no major external wounds were found on the bodies. It was later claimed that these injuries were a result of her being face down on the water.
Theories
The inquest concluded that all the hikers had died of a compelling natural force. The inquiry was stopped in May and all
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recast the episode where we talked about Dyatlov Pass Incident.
To the east of the Ural mountains, in Yekaterinburg city cemetery, there is a group grave of 9 members from a hiking group who died mysteriously.
Timeline
Arrived by train at Ivdel a town at the centre of the northern province of Sverdlovsk Oblast on 25th January 1959.
Took a truck ride to Vizhai (last settlement towards the north).
Hikers purchased and had loaves of bread when they were in Vizhai to keep energy high.
Started trek towards Otorten from Vizhai on 27th January.
Yuri Yudin returned on 28th due to health issues.
On 31st, the hikers arrived at a highland area and started preparing for their climb. They saved surplus food in a wooded area for their return hike.
Snowstorms resulted in hikers being deviated from their intended path and ended up on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl (Dead Mountain).
Group decided to camp on the slopes of Kholat Syakhl instead of hiking all the way back into the wooded area about 1.5 km away. It is speculated that the group wanted to practice camping on a mountain slope.
Dyatlov had told his sports club that he would send a telegram from Vizhai no later than 12th February and that it might take even longer.
It was not until 20th that the relatives of the hikers demanded a search be conducted for the missing hikers.
The search party was mobilised and the military also took part in the search. On 26th of February, the search party found the tent that was used by the hikers.
The tent was torn from inside and the hikers were missing. All the belongings including warm clothing and shoes were left behind.
A set of footprints could be found heading away from the tent towards the woods, but after 500m, the tracks disappeared in the snow.
At the edge of the forest, under a Siberian Pine tree, there was a visible sign of a fire that was lit.
The first two bodies, Krivonischenko and Doroshenko were found shoeless near the fire site wearing only their underwears.
The tree also had visible marks of someone having climbed it, with branches up to 5 metres broken. Someone seems to have climbed the tree to either escape from something or to look at something in distance.
Further search in the snow between the camp and the pine tree revealed the bodies of Dyatlov, Kolmogorova and Slobodin. Their poses suggested that they were trying to return to the campsite perhaps for food and warm clothing. They were found at a distance of 300, 480 and 630 metres from the tree respectively.
The four remaining hikers were not found until 4th of May under 4 metres of snow around 75 metres away from the pine tree towards the woods. These four happened to be better dressed than others and the ones who died later were wearing the clothes of the ones who had died earlier. A hastily constructed den was found near the bodies.
Something happened on the night of 31st - 1st which lead to the death of all the hikers.
Inquiry
An inquiry was started into the matter after the first five bodies were found. It was concluded that hypothermia was the reason for the deaths.
The finding of the four bodies later presented puzzling details which changed the course of the inquest.
Three of the four hikers had serious fatal injuries to the head and chest area.
Doctors concluded that the force required to cause a similar injury would be something similar to that of a car hitting a person.
Except for Dubinina who was missing her tongue, eyes, parts of lips and a part of the skull, no major external wounds were found on the bodies. It was later claimed that these injuries were a result of her being face down on the water.
Theories
The inquest concluded that all the hikers had died of a compelling natural force. The inquiry was stopped in May and all
Dec 08, 202048:30
RECAST: Cosmic Time Measurement In Hinduism
Dear Listeners,
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recast the episode where we talked about time measurement in Hindu culture.
Resources:
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Dec 01, 202035:33
RECAST: Is Smoking Cool?
Dear Listeners,
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recast our conversation about the history of smoking.
History
The origin of tobacco can be traced back to 6000 BC, in the American continent. It was considered medicinal and used as a painkiller.
Smoking cannabis can be traced back to 2000 BC, India. It is also mentioned in Atharvaveda.
Cannabis smoking in the middle east was common, especially Hookah. Even women took part in it privately.
Christopher Columbus played a big part in getting it to the European continent
1531 - first tobacco cultivation in Europe.
By 1600, tobacco became an integral part of the society as a good section started smoking.
In 1560, Jean Nicot took tobacco with him to Spain from France
In 1571, a Spanish doctor named Nicolas Monardes, apparently “found out” tobacco could cure 36 health problems (what a joke!)
In 1588, Thomas Harriet, a Virginian, said that smoking gives the daily dose of tobacco. Not surprisingly, he died of nose cancer.
English King James I was one of the first to speak against smoking
Tobacco used as an exchange during these time. The barter system did rely on tobacco.
Africa was introduced to tobacco by Arab traders in the 13th century, It was popularised by French merchants in 1600 by bringing tobacco to Senegal & Gambia.
The 17th century saw Japanese use a device called Kiseru. It was a long-stemmed device.
In 1760, Pierre Lorillard set up the Lorillard Tobacco Company in NYC. it is the oldest tobacco company in the US.
Nicotine was discovered in 1826 and found to be harmful to humans.
1836, Samuel Green mentioned that tobacco is an insecticide, a poison which can kill.
Chinese got into the habit of smoking opium due to colonialism. The British got them addicted to opium and it resulted in the Opium Wars.
Chewing tobacco became popular amongst cowboys in the 19th century. It was more popular than smoking.
By 1901, smoking was catching up with 6 billion cigars and 3 billion cigarettes sold.
In 1902, Britisher, Philip Morris set up Marlboro brand
1913, R. J. Reynolds set up the Camel brand of cigarettes.
World Wars saw a tremendous increase in smoking. It was called soldier’s smoke and was included in the soldier’s ration.
By 1923, Camel took over 45% of the market in the US.
Which led to Marlboro marketing it as women’s cigarette in 1924. They called it Mild as May. The number of women smokers tripled over the next few years.
Nazi Germany has one of the most powerful anti-smoking movement.
During the 1950s evidence of smoking leading to lung cancer began popping up.
In 1952, Kent Brand developed Micronite, a cigarette which contains asbestos. It was shelved shortly afterwards.
In 1953, Dr Ernst L. Wynders found that cigarette tar causes a tumour in mice
In 1956, first menthol cigarette was released by RJ Reynolds called Salem.
In 1964, regulations in cigarette advertisements were placed after the finding on Smoking and Health report made it clear that smoking causes lung cancer.
In 1965, Britain takes cigarette commercials off television
In 1966, health warnings started popping up on packets
In 1968, Bravo, a non-tobacco cigarette brand made of lettuce. Mega Failure!
The US takes off cigarette advertisements in 1971
the first national Great American Smokeout takes place in 1977. It is an annual event which takes place on the third Thursday of every November.
In 1982, it is found out that second-hand smoking also leads to lung cancer
In 1985, lung cancer overtakes breast cancer as the number one cause of women’s death.
India and Smoking
The first act to add a statutory warning on packets came into existence in 1975
Public smoking banned in Kerala in 1999. The first state in India to do that.
On September 8, 2000, the complete ban on tobacco and smoking advertisements came into
Nov 24, 202044:20
RECAST: Serial Killer Files - Cyanide Mohan
Dear Listeners,
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recall our conversation about Cyanide Mohan. A serial killer from South India.
Mohan Kumar, infamously known as Cyanide Mohan is a serial killer who targeted women by offering them marriage.
Details:
DOB: 1963
Place: Mangalore
Marital status: Married thrice
Span of crime: 2005-2009
Number of victims: 20
Date of apprehension: October 2009
Crime History
Cyanide Mohan worked as a primary school teacher from 1980 to 2003.
He was fired from his job for allegedly pushing a woman off the Nethravathi when she refused his marriage proposal.
The motive of the murders were to satisfy his sexual needs and to extort the valuables from his victims.
He used cyanide laced pills to kill his victims.
Convicted for 5 murders of the 20 murders.
He is his own attorney and successful appealed to convert one death penalty into a life sentence.
He is also found to have committed bank frauds and forgeries
Currently serving two death penalties and two life sentences.
Resources:
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Nov 17, 202028:48
RECAST: Why Is Horror So Fascinating? Feat. Nikesh Murali
Dear Listeners,
We are taking a month long break to come back with some more amazing content for you. Till then we will be recasting four of our favourite episodes from the past. Hope you enjoy it! :)
This week, we recast the episode we did with our dear friend, Nikesh Murali. He is a writer and voice actor and also hosts the critically acclaimed horror podcast, Indian Noir.
Find Nikesh online:
Indian Noir
Nikesh’s website
Resources:
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Nov 10, 202002:25:05
102: Audiophile Related Stuff
Note: This is not a sponsored episode. But do go check Headphone Zone if you are looking for premium quality audiophile equipment which are not available anywhere else in India.
Watch the episode on YouTube.
We have always been hardcore music enthusiasts since our childhood. We have had exposure to a variety of music styles, and it has influenced our daily lives a lot. But over the past few months, we realised we have not been listening to music the way it is supposed to. And in this episode, we talk about stuff related to audiophiles and our journey from being complete rookies to beginner audiophiles. We also talk about some of the equipment that we use.
"An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction." - Wikipedia
DAC
A digital-to-analogue converter (DAC, D/A, D2A, or D-to-A) is a system that converts a digital signal into an analogue signal. Most of the listening devices that we use, such as laptops and smartphones have inbuilt DAC in them. But being multipurpose devices, it is equipped with sub-par DACs. So, to get the best quality from the audio, a dedicated external DAC is required.
Headphone Amplifier
A headphone amplifier is a low-powered audio amplifier designed to drive headphones worn on or in the ears. It helps increase the threshold of the maximum volume achievable on a headphone.
DAC vs Headphone Amplifier
A DAC help in the seamless conversion of digital signals to analogue. On the other hand, a headphone amplifier only helps to increase the maximum volume of a headphone.
A DAC removes the white noise from the headphone. But a headphone amplifier does not help with that as it still uses the listening device's inbuilt DAC.
Closed-Back Headphones
Closed-back headphones have a solid outer shell with no perforations of any sort such that the shell effectively cups the entire ear. This results in noise cancellation, reduction in sound bleeding but a reduced sound staging. These are mostly used by studio professionals while recording.
Open-Back Headphones
Open-back headphones are designed so that the outer shell of the ear covering is perforated in some fashion, typically with horizontal cutouts. Thus, resulting in sound bleeding but providing a better sound stage. These are mostly used by studio professionals while mixing and mastering.
True Wireless Earbuds
True Wireless Earbuds are earphones that are completely wireless and does not even have wires connecting the two buds. It is a revolutionary piece of technology that came along with Apple removing the headphone jacks from their headphones. The technology is still at its infancy but has grown tremendously since its inception in late 2016.
Sound Signatures
Extra Bass - It is in the name. These headphones have their bass boosted while the mids and highs suppressed. Most of the JBL and V-Moda headphones follow this sound signature. Suits for DJs.
Warm and Smooth - Here, the bass is emphasised with the high trebles cut to remove the harshness of the audio. Sennheiser is known for creating some great warm and smooth sounding headphones.
V-Shaped - It emphasizes bass and treble while cutting down on the mid-ranges. Apple's Airpod Pro is the best example of such earphones.
Flat - As the name suggests, these headphones do not emphasis on any frequencies. These are well-suited for studio professionals as it provides what is there in the audio.
Balanced - Balanced is similar to the flat signature but has all the frequencies tweaked a bit to give you a fun sound. The Jabra Elite 75t is an example of balanced sounding earbuds.
Bright - They have boosted treble and mid-ranges. These depend on the quality of the audio you listen to because if the audio quality is low, it can get quite jarring and uncomfortable. But at the same time, it exposes the imperfections in well-recorded audio.
Find all the products mentioned in the podcast below:
Headphone Zone
DAC - ifi Audio Zen
Closed-back headphones - Audio Technica ATH
Watch the episode on YouTube.
We have always been hardcore music enthusiasts since our childhood. We have had exposure to a variety of music styles, and it has influenced our daily lives a lot. But over the past few months, we realised we have not been listening to music the way it is supposed to. And in this episode, we talk about stuff related to audiophiles and our journey from being complete rookies to beginner audiophiles. We also talk about some of the equipment that we use.
"An audiophile is a person who is enthusiastic about high-fidelity sound reproduction." - Wikipedia
DAC
A digital-to-analogue converter (DAC, D/A, D2A, or D-to-A) is a system that converts a digital signal into an analogue signal. Most of the listening devices that we use, such as laptops and smartphones have inbuilt DAC in them. But being multipurpose devices, it is equipped with sub-par DACs. So, to get the best quality from the audio, a dedicated external DAC is required.
Headphone Amplifier
A headphone amplifier is a low-powered audio amplifier designed to drive headphones worn on or in the ears. It helps increase the threshold of the maximum volume achievable on a headphone.
DAC vs Headphone Amplifier
A DAC help in the seamless conversion of digital signals to analogue. On the other hand, a headphone amplifier only helps to increase the maximum volume of a headphone.
A DAC removes the white noise from the headphone. But a headphone amplifier does not help with that as it still uses the listening device's inbuilt DAC.
Closed-Back Headphones
Closed-back headphones have a solid outer shell with no perforations of any sort such that the shell effectively cups the entire ear. This results in noise cancellation, reduction in sound bleeding but a reduced sound staging. These are mostly used by studio professionals while recording.
Open-Back Headphones
Open-back headphones are designed so that the outer shell of the ear covering is perforated in some fashion, typically with horizontal cutouts. Thus, resulting in sound bleeding but providing a better sound stage. These are mostly used by studio professionals while mixing and mastering.
True Wireless Earbuds
True Wireless Earbuds are earphones that are completely wireless and does not even have wires connecting the two buds. It is a revolutionary piece of technology that came along with Apple removing the headphone jacks from their headphones. The technology is still at its infancy but has grown tremendously since its inception in late 2016.
Sound Signatures
Extra Bass - It is in the name. These headphones have their bass boosted while the mids and highs suppressed. Most of the JBL and V-Moda headphones follow this sound signature. Suits for DJs.
Warm and Smooth - Here, the bass is emphasised with the high trebles cut to remove the harshness of the audio. Sennheiser is known for creating some great warm and smooth sounding headphones.
V-Shaped - It emphasizes bass and treble while cutting down on the mid-ranges. Apple's Airpod Pro is the best example of such earphones.
Flat - As the name suggests, these headphones do not emphasis on any frequencies. These are well-suited for studio professionals as it provides what is there in the audio.
Balanced - Balanced is similar to the flat signature but has all the frequencies tweaked a bit to give you a fun sound. The Jabra Elite 75t is an example of balanced sounding earbuds.
Bright - They have boosted treble and mid-ranges. These depend on the quality of the audio you listen to because if the audio quality is low, it can get quite jarring and uncomfortable. But at the same time, it exposes the imperfections in well-recorded audio.
Find all the products mentioned in the podcast below:
Headphone Zone
DAC - ifi Audio Zen
Closed-back headphones - Audio Technica ATH
Nov 03, 202041:49
101: Kunchan Nambiar - The Creator of Ottamthullal
Kunchan Nambiar was an early Malayalam poet, performer, satirist and the inventor of the Kerala art form of Ottamthullal.
Kunjan Nambiar was born in Kerala on May 5 1705, in Palakkad, Kerala.
Thunchaththu Ezhuthachan and Cherusseri Namboothiri and Nambiar are known as the ancient triumvirate.
Nambiar learnt Kalaripayattu and Sanskrit before moving to the court of Marthanda Varma in 1748.
He had established himself as a poet by the time he reached the royal court.
He introduced Ottamthullal to the masses in the 18th century.
The motivation behind creating Ottamthullal is that Nambiar was made fun of by the Chakyar for sleeping while playing Mizhavu during a Chakyar Koothu performance.
He created Ottamthullal to parody prevalent regional prejudices and sociopolitical conditions.
Ottamthullal is a dance and poetic performance.
It is usually accompanied by a Mridangam or an Idakka.
The performances take popular folktales from the past and satirise it with a lot of comedy.
He parodied everyone in attendance and didn’t spare even the rich (Which was a big deal back then).
The Chakyar complained to the King about Nambiar’s performances and Ottamthullal was banned in some of the temple complexes.
The performer is draped in colourful clothes and green makeup.
Some of the performances similar to Ottamthullal are Parayanthullal and Seethankan Thullal.
Nambiar had written 64 works for the art form.
One of the most popular works of Ottamthullal is Kalyana Sougandhikam.
The main feature of the art was that it was conducted in Malayalam which most of the commoners could understand.
Back then, most of the performances included stylised or Sanskritised Malayalam which was not accessible to the common folks.
What we can understand is that art was used to spread a social message even back then.
Nambiar died of rabies in 1770.
May 5 is celebrated as Kunchan Day in Kerala.
Links to things Mentioned:
Our episode on vaccination: 090: How Does Vaccination Work?
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Sources:
Curating Kunchan Nambiar for the masses
Kunjan Nambiar Wikipedia
Story of the birth of Kunjan Nambiar
Ottan Thullal Wikipedia
That Inexplicable Tenth Rasa From An Actor-Dancer Who Collapsed And Died On Stage
Image by Bobinson K B from Flickr | Source: Oh, my brother is coming!
Oct 27, 202024:46
100: Numbers
Correction - Shankar incorrectly mentions that Thomas Edison published the Theory of Relativity as opposed to Albert Einstein. Either he had a momentary lapse of reasoning or he is a complete idiot. You decide!
In the 100th episode of Writer and Geek Show, the lads discuss the origins of the numerical system and how Vishnu was poor in maths.
Tally marks were used as early ways of counting.
Roman numerals were an extension of primitive tally marks with the usage of alphabets as numerals.
A positional system with place value attached to digits was invented in India between 1st and 4th century AD.
Aryabhatta approximated the value of Pi during the early medieval period.
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi popularized the Hindu numerals in the Arabian and Western world through his mathematical work.
Fibonacci used these Hindu Arabic numerals for his work and thus popularized it in Europe.
They came to be known as the Hindu Arabic system or as Arabic numerals.
In the 15th century, Hindu Arabic numerals replaced Roman numerals as the primary number system.
Wikipedia articles:
Number System
Muhammad ibn Musa al-Khwarizmi
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Oct 20, 202035:41
099: Colonialism in India - Part 10: British Raj and Indian National Congress
After the Rebellion of 1857, nationalist movements cropped up across the country. The idea of a free India became prevalent during this time.
Indian National Congress (INC)
Inspired by AO Hume, Dadabhai Naoroji and Surendranath Banerjee founded INC in 1885
It was the first time an organisation recognised India as a country
The organisation initially did not have a well-formed ideology and was a debating society that met annually
The idea was to let Britishers rule India while obtaining some kind of rights for the Indian citizens
But it did not last long and the party was divided into two factions - Moderates and Extremists
Moderates and Extremists
Moderates were led by Dadabhai Naoroji, Gopal Krishna Gokhale who opposed the extremists led by Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Bipin Chandra Pal and Lala Lajpat Rai.
The extremists were forced out of INC and the Tilak was later arrested, which led to INC losing its credibility.
Aligarh University and the Muslim League
In 1875, under Sir Syed Ahmed Khan, Muhammadan Anglo-Oriental College at Aligarh, Uttar Pradesh was founded (renamed Aligarh Muslim University in 1920)
Bengal was divided into two in 1906 - East Bengal and West Bengal
The Muslim faction in the country did not feel INC is inclusive and they formed The Muslim League
The Revolutionaries
Jallianwala Bagh Massacre in 1919 was a turning point in the revolutionary movement
The work of the revolutionaries including Khudiram Bose and Prafulla Chaki gained recognition
Both of them tried to assassinate British officials and were captured and executed
Jugantar was established in April 1906 by Aurobindo Ghosh, his brother Barin Ghosh, Bhupendranath Datta, Raja Subodh Mallik.
They collected and manufactured arms and explosives for revolutionary activities.
Ghadar Party and its movement to conduct a Pan-India rebellion in the British Indian Army.
All India Conference of Indian Christians was founded in 1914 with KT Paul as its first president
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Source:
Indian National Congress Wikipedia
Indian Independence Movement Wikipedia
Timeline of Indian History from 1857 to 1947
10 Events That Led to Indian Independence
Image courtesy Canva
Oct 13, 202017:01
098: Unscripted - Part 3: Life and Death
Welcome to the third part of Writer & Geek Unscripted. In this episode, we talk about our idea about life and death. Watch this episode on Youtube.
We touch upon our personal experiences of dealing with the death of near and dear ones and also how we rely on the principles of optimistic nihilism and stoicism to get through tough situations.
Find the video about Optimistic Nihilism mentioned in the episode here: Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell - Optimistic Nihilism
Find more about Stoicism here: The philosophy of Stoicism - Massimo Pigliucci
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Oli Lynch from Pixabay
Oct 06, 202021:46
097: Telephones
Phones have progressed from just being an appliance to connect via voice to becoming an all in one device that keeps you connected with the world at all times.
Alexander Graham Bell is credited with inventing the phone back in 1876.
In the same year, the first two-way long-distance communication via phone was conducted.
First telephone exchange in India was set up in 1882.
Telephones were improved during the early 20th century
Early car phones appeared in 1946 in the United States
In 1947, Bell labs proposed a cellular network
Motorola built the first truly wireless phone in 1973.
The public started using wireless phones in the 80s
First mobile phone communication happened in India on July 31st, 1995.
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Stefan Kuhn from Pixabay
Sep 29, 202033:26
096: History of Aircraft Carriers feat. INS Viraat
INS Viraat was India’s flagship aircraft carrier before INS Vikramaditya was commissioned in 2013. It was completed and commissioned in 1959 by the British Royal Navy (as HMS Hermes) and was the last of Centaur-class aircraft carriers. It served the Royal Navy for 25 years before being sold to the Indian Navy in 1987. The carrier was decommissioned in 2017 and is currently on its way to be scrapped at the port of Alang, Gujarat.
Largest Aircraft Carrier
USS Gerald R Ford
Length: 337 metres
Displacement: 100,000 tons
Speed: In excess of 30 knots (56 km/h)
Range: Unlimited (20-25 years)
Cost: $12.8 billion + $4.7 billion R&D
Smallest Aircraft Carrier
HTMS Chakri Naruebet
Length: 182.65 metres
Displacement: 11,486 tons
Speed: 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h)
Range: 10,000 nautical miles (19,000 kilometres)
Cost: $285 million in 1993
History of Aircraft Carriers
In 1806, the Royal Navy used a ship to launch kites with propaganda leaflets. These leaflets with propaganda against Napoleon in French were dropped in France.
Ballon Carriers
On 12 July 1849, Austrian ship SMS Vulcano tried to drop incendiary balloons in Venice. But the wind blew most of the balloon incendiary back to the city.
Gas-filled balloons were used during the American Civil war for the reconnaissance of Confederate positions.
Ballon carriers were used during World War I by the navies of Britain, France, Germany, Italy, Russia, and Sweden mostly as observation posts. Their ships were mostly decommissioned or turned into seaplane carriers.
Seaplane Carriers
In 1910, seaplanes were invented. These led to the development of ships which could carry these seaplanes. It was the first form of aircraft carriers.
The first seaplane carrier, Foudre, was developed by the French in December 1911. A 10-metre flat deck was developed in 1913 for launching the seaplanes.
HMS Hermes was temporarily converted to a seaplane carrier by the Royal Navy in April-May 1913, making it the first British seaplane carrier.
The first seaplane carrier of the US was USS Mississippi, which was converted in December 1913.
The first naval launched air raids that happened in 1914 during World War I. The Imperial Japanese Navy seaplane Wakamiya lowered four Maurice Farman seaplanes using a crane, which went on to bombard German forces.
The naval raid on the Zeppelin base at Cuxhaven on 25 December 1914 demonstrated the ability of seaborne air raids to the Europeans.
Many ships used catapults to launch seaplanes for reconnaissance and later retrieve it using cranes. This method was popular even during World War II.
Flat-Deck Carriers
The first successful launch of a plane from a stationary ship took place in November 1910. The pilot was Eugene Ely. A structure was fixed over the armoured cruiser USS Birmingham.
The first landing took place on 18 January 1911 on the structure fixed on USS Pennsylvania. It used an improvised braking system of sandbags and ropes.
On 9 May 1912, Commander Charles Rumney Samson became the first pilot to take off from a moving plane. He took off from the battleship HMS Hibernia.
World War I
HMS Ark Royal was the first aircraft carrier. It was launched on 5 September 1914. It was part of the Gallipoli campaign. It was a merchant ship modified to be a carrier.
The first ship to be designed as an aircraft carrier was HMS Furious in 1916. At first, it had separate flight decks but was rebuilt in 1925 with a full-length flight deck. It took part in combat during World War II.
Squadron Commander EH Dunning landed his plane on a moving HMS Furious on 2 August 1917, becoming the first person to land on a moving ship. But he tragically died five days later while trying to land another plane on the same carrier.
The first-ever carrier-launched airstrike took place on 19 July 1918 during the Tondern Raid. Seven planes were launched from HMS Furious with two 23-kilogram bombs to attack the German Zeppelin base in Tondern. As the carrier had no recovery system
Sep 22, 202041:51
095: The Internet
Correction - Vishnu incorrectly mentions that Tor stands for ‘Tor Onion Router’ and that it is a recursive acronym. He’s an idiot As Shankar mentioned, it actually stands for ‘The Onion Router’.
The early form of the Internet was invented by the Advanced Research Project Agency (ARPA) in the form of ARPANET, which was a group of computers connected together and sharing resources.
In 1990, Sir Tim Berners-Lee developed the first website with an address info.cern.ch and was available within the CERN network. This site is accessible at http://info.cern.ch/hypertext/WWW/TheProject.html
IP addresses help identify a computer on the network and Domain Name Service (DNS) helps assign meaningful web addresses (like writerandgeek.com) that direct to these IP addresses. This makes remembering websites easy. Integrated Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) is a non-profit controlling the DNS.
Trans-oceanic cables help provide internet to every continent except in the world except Antarctica. Any damages to these cables can result in disruption of the internet over a wide area or a country.
Deepweb is the part of the internet which is not indexed by search engines and websites in the deep web cannot be viewed by normal browsers. Browsers like TOR browser are used to access these websites. A subset of the deep web is called Darknet where usually activities that are illegal take place. Like drug trade, etc.
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Sep 15, 202033:55
094: Colonialism in India - Part 9: The Causes and Impact of the Revolt of 1857
The Revolt of 1857 is also known by other names such as The Sepoy Mutiny, The Indian Mutiny, The Great Rebellion, The Indian Insurrection, India’s First War of Independence.
Political Causes:
Doctrine of Lapse
Cancelling of Nana Sahib’s pension (Bajirao II)
Not letting Rani Lakshmi Bhai rule Jhansi
Abolish the Mughal Emperor title after the death of Bahadur Shah II
Economical Causes:
India was turned into a colonial economy to serve the British capitalist interests
High taxes, eviction of people, discriminatory practices, and destruction of traditional handicrafts
Social and Religious Causes:
Sati, infanticide, re-marriage of widows were considered to be interference by the Indians
The work of the Christian missionaries and the introduction of English education
The change of the Hindu law of property to accommodate conversion to Christianity
Military Causes:
The Indian soldiers were considered inferior
The high ranks in the army were exclusively reserved for English men
Sending Indian soldiers overseas
Immediate Cause:
The introduction of the Enfield rifle and the greased cartridge
Timeline:
On 29th March 1857, a sepoy called Mangal Pandey killed his superior English officers during a parade in Barrackpore, Bengal.
It spread to Berhampore on 24th April 1857 where the cavalrymen refused to accept the greased cartridges.
On 10th May 1857, Mutineers killed their superiors in Meerut and started marching towards Delhi.
On 12th May, Bahadur Shah was proclaimed the Emperor of India. He was 81. But the real command was in the hands of Bakht Khan who led the troops in Bareilly and moved them to Delhi.
Nana Sahib led the troops in Kanpur. He proclaimed himself to be the Peshwa and governor of the region. It was Tantya Tope who did most of the fighting there.
Hazrat Mahal, the Begum of Awadh led the revolt in Lucknow. She proclaimed her song Birjis Qadr as the Nawab of Awadh.
It is in Lucknow where Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence (the British resident) was killed.
Rani Laxmi Bai was defeated in Jhansi, but she captured Gwalior with the help of Tantya Tope.
In Bareilly, Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla led the revolt and proclaimed himself as the Nawab.
Banaras, Allahabad, Nasirabad, Indore, Aligarh and Kota where the other centres of the battle were the mutineers killed their superiors, not even sparing women or children, burned the land records, plundered the treasury.
Bahadur Shah II proved to be a weak leader and the Britishers were able to suppress the revolt soon enough. He was arrested and deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862.
They recaptured Delhi on 20th September 1857 under the leadership of John Nicholson.
General Havelock defeated the rebels in Kanpur.
After his defeat, Nana Sahib refused to surrender and escaped to Nepal.
Hugh Henry Rose suppressed the revolt in Jhansi and Rani Laxmi Bai died on the battlefield.
Banaras, Bareilly, and Gwalior were recaptured by the Britishers.
Why did the revolt fail?
It was a highly localised revolt mainly restricted to North India.
It was poorly organised and the leaders lacked coordination.
Scindia of Gwalior, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Holkar of Indore, the Nawab of Bhopal, the Raja of Jodhpur, the Rulers of Kashmir, Patiala, and Sindh, and the Rana of Nepal actively support the British during the revolt.
The British had way better and advanced resources and also proven generals leading their troops.
There was no common cause for the rebels, they had different goals.
Impact of the Revolt:
The Queen’s Proclamation of November 1858 announced the policy of the British Government to be followed in India.
It abolished territorial extension, the native rulers were assured of their title, land and rights, and honour if they cooperated with the British.
The ruler's right to adopt a child in the case of the absence of a natural heir was accepted.
The policy of divide and rule was actively pursued to keep the Hindus and Muslims separated leading to the gro
Political Causes:
Doctrine of Lapse
Cancelling of Nana Sahib’s pension (Bajirao II)
Not letting Rani Lakshmi Bhai rule Jhansi
Abolish the Mughal Emperor title after the death of Bahadur Shah II
Economical Causes:
India was turned into a colonial economy to serve the British capitalist interests
High taxes, eviction of people, discriminatory practices, and destruction of traditional handicrafts
Social and Religious Causes:
Sati, infanticide, re-marriage of widows were considered to be interference by the Indians
The work of the Christian missionaries and the introduction of English education
The change of the Hindu law of property to accommodate conversion to Christianity
Military Causes:
The Indian soldiers were considered inferior
The high ranks in the army were exclusively reserved for English men
Sending Indian soldiers overseas
Immediate Cause:
The introduction of the Enfield rifle and the greased cartridge
Timeline:
On 29th March 1857, a sepoy called Mangal Pandey killed his superior English officers during a parade in Barrackpore, Bengal.
It spread to Berhampore on 24th April 1857 where the cavalrymen refused to accept the greased cartridges.
On 10th May 1857, Mutineers killed their superiors in Meerut and started marching towards Delhi.
On 12th May, Bahadur Shah was proclaimed the Emperor of India. He was 81. But the real command was in the hands of Bakht Khan who led the troops in Bareilly and moved them to Delhi.
Nana Sahib led the troops in Kanpur. He proclaimed himself to be the Peshwa and governor of the region. It was Tantya Tope who did most of the fighting there.
Hazrat Mahal, the Begum of Awadh led the revolt in Lucknow. She proclaimed her song Birjis Qadr as the Nawab of Awadh.
It is in Lucknow where Sir Henry Montgomery Lawrence (the British resident) was killed.
Rani Laxmi Bai was defeated in Jhansi, but she captured Gwalior with the help of Tantya Tope.
In Bareilly, Khan Bahadur Khan Rohilla led the revolt and proclaimed himself as the Nawab.
Banaras, Allahabad, Nasirabad, Indore, Aligarh and Kota where the other centres of the battle were the mutineers killed their superiors, not even sparing women or children, burned the land records, plundered the treasury.
Bahadur Shah II proved to be a weak leader and the Britishers were able to suppress the revolt soon enough. He was arrested and deported to Rangoon where he died in 1862.
They recaptured Delhi on 20th September 1857 under the leadership of John Nicholson.
General Havelock defeated the rebels in Kanpur.
After his defeat, Nana Sahib refused to surrender and escaped to Nepal.
Hugh Henry Rose suppressed the revolt in Jhansi and Rani Laxmi Bai died on the battlefield.
Banaras, Bareilly, and Gwalior were recaptured by the Britishers.
Why did the revolt fail?
It was a highly localised revolt mainly restricted to North India.
It was poorly organised and the leaders lacked coordination.
Scindia of Gwalior, the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Holkar of Indore, the Nawab of Bhopal, the Raja of Jodhpur, the Rulers of Kashmir, Patiala, and Sindh, and the Rana of Nepal actively support the British during the revolt.
The British had way better and advanced resources and also proven generals leading their troops.
There was no common cause for the rebels, they had different goals.
Impact of the Revolt:
The Queen’s Proclamation of November 1858 announced the policy of the British Government to be followed in India.
It abolished territorial extension, the native rulers were assured of their title, land and rights, and honour if they cooperated with the British.
The ruler's right to adopt a child in the case of the absence of a natural heir was accepted.
The policy of divide and rule was actively pursued to keep the Hindus and Muslims separated leading to the gro
Sep 08, 202033:24
093: Unscripted - Part 2: Entertainment during Lockdown
Welcome to the second part of Writer & Geek Unscripted. In this episode, we talk about the series’ we have binged on during the course of the lockdown
Series’ mentioned in this episode:
Netflix:
Mad Men
Fauda
The Good Place
History 101
Snowpiercer
100
The Unbreakable Kimmy Schmidt
Amazon Prime Video:
The Family Man
The Office (US)
Suits
Apple TV:
The Morning Show
For All Mankind
Curiosity Stream:
Forensic Files
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image by Oli Lynch from Pixabay
Sep 01, 202051:06
092: Colonialism in India - Part 8: British East India Company Policies and Robert Clive
Note: Our friend Rupen Paul for The Right Room podcast helped us a lot in researching Robert Clive. So, go check out his podcast or find him on his socials here.
After the Battle of Plassey, the British East India Company under the leadership of Robert Clive realised that they can administer the Indian colony and expand their territories and improve their profits. This led to a series of new policies which resulted in many battles.
Battle of Buxar (23 June 1764)
Fought against the British under Major Hector Munro by Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah of Avadh and Shah Alam II of Mughal
Mir Qasim fled the battlefield and later committed suicide
The Allies are defeated and Mir Jaffer is again crowned as the puppet Nawab
The company did not want to indulge in the administration of the country
They wanted to expand their settlements to improve the trade
They began involving in the affairs of the Princely States to achieve this objective
They began appointing Residents in all the Princely States to look after the relationship and trade between the company and the State
The company wanted to use political, economic and diplomatic methods to extend their influence
With the residents, the company decides who would be the successor and also who should be appointed in administrative posts in these Princely States
Robert Clive chose Warren Hastings as the British Resident for Bengal in 1758
Warren Hastings was one of the prisoners of Siraj-ud-Daulah during his campaign in Fort William
Robert Clive left India in 1760 amassing massive wealth
Clive returned to India in 1765 after the Battle of Buxar and was appointed the Governor of Bengal
After the death of Mir Jaffer in 1765, the tone of the company changed
Clive wrote a letter to the company chairman that they should become the nawab themselves
In the same year, the dual system of governance was introduced
Dual System of Bengal (1765-1772):
The East India Company set up a dual system of Diwan and Nizam
The Diwan was selected by the company for revenue collection for them and the Nizam to rule the region
The company basically took over the defence administration and left the nawab with the civil administration
This happened under the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II who was forced to allow the company to collect taxes from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
In return, the company paid an annual tribute to the Emperor
The revenue received from these regions were used to buy merchandise from India and the returns would go to England
Thus the company became economically self-sufficient in India - Thus began the British loot of India
The Regulating Act of 1773
The act brought the three provinces under one rule and established the governor-general of India
By 1772, the company acquired Bombay and Madras, too, as their presidencies
Warren Hastings (1773-1785) became the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1771 and the Governor-General of India in 1773
The Great Famine of 1770 (almost 10 million deaths) brought about a need to change the system in the colonies
The share prices of the company plummet and the British Government had to bail out the company
Hastings’ Judicial Plan of 1772 created Faujdhari (criminal) and Diwani Adalat in the districts of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Each district had a district collector - he had the power of administrator, judge and magistrate
The Kazis and pandits translated the local laws to the officials
This created a fair justice system and it led to the present-day District Administrative System
It helped correct the defects and retain the local traditions of the courts and law in the regions
But it also this led to unsatisfactory judgements due to the bias of Kazis and pandits
In 1773, a Supreme Court was established in Fort William
It was set up due to the dilemma the British government was in due to the importance of the company but their need to stop corruption
Want for expansion
After Bombay and Madras presidency, the British wanted to ex
After the Battle of Plassey, the British East India Company under the leadership of Robert Clive realised that they can administer the Indian colony and expand their territories and improve their profits. This led to a series of new policies which resulted in many battles.
Battle of Buxar (23 June 1764)
Fought against the British under Major Hector Munro by Mir Qasim, Shuja-ud-Daulah of Avadh and Shah Alam II of Mughal
Mir Qasim fled the battlefield and later committed suicide
The Allies are defeated and Mir Jaffer is again crowned as the puppet Nawab
The company did not want to indulge in the administration of the country
They wanted to expand their settlements to improve the trade
They began involving in the affairs of the Princely States to achieve this objective
They began appointing Residents in all the Princely States to look after the relationship and trade between the company and the State
The company wanted to use political, economic and diplomatic methods to extend their influence
With the residents, the company decides who would be the successor and also who should be appointed in administrative posts in these Princely States
Robert Clive chose Warren Hastings as the British Resident for Bengal in 1758
Warren Hastings was one of the prisoners of Siraj-ud-Daulah during his campaign in Fort William
Robert Clive left India in 1760 amassing massive wealth
Clive returned to India in 1765 after the Battle of Buxar and was appointed the Governor of Bengal
After the death of Mir Jaffer in 1765, the tone of the company changed
Clive wrote a letter to the company chairman that they should become the nawab themselves
In the same year, the dual system of governance was introduced
Dual System of Bengal (1765-1772):
The East India Company set up a dual system of Diwan and Nizam
The Diwan was selected by the company for revenue collection for them and the Nizam to rule the region
The company basically took over the defence administration and left the nawab with the civil administration
This happened under the Mughal emperor, Shah Alam II who was forced to allow the company to collect taxes from Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
In return, the company paid an annual tribute to the Emperor
The revenue received from these regions were used to buy merchandise from India and the returns would go to England
Thus the company became economically self-sufficient in India - Thus began the British loot of India
The Regulating Act of 1773
The act brought the three provinces under one rule and established the governor-general of India
By 1772, the company acquired Bombay and Madras, too, as their presidencies
Warren Hastings (1773-1785) became the first Governor-General of Bengal in 1771 and the Governor-General of India in 1773
The Great Famine of 1770 (almost 10 million deaths) brought about a need to change the system in the colonies
The share prices of the company plummet and the British Government had to bail out the company
Hastings’ Judicial Plan of 1772 created Faujdhari (criminal) and Diwani Adalat in the districts of Bengal, Bihar and Orissa
Each district had a district collector - he had the power of administrator, judge and magistrate
The Kazis and pandits translated the local laws to the officials
This created a fair justice system and it led to the present-day District Administrative System
It helped correct the defects and retain the local traditions of the courts and law in the regions
But it also this led to unsatisfactory judgements due to the bias of Kazis and pandits
In 1773, a Supreme Court was established in Fort William
It was set up due to the dilemma the British government was in due to the importance of the company but their need to stop corruption
Want for expansion
After Bombay and Madras presidency, the British wanted to ex
Aug 25, 202034:25
091: Colonialism in India - Part 7: British East India Company and the Battle of Plassey
As the French, British were also late to reach the shores of India. Facing tough competition from the Portuguese and the Dutch, it took them a few decades to figure out ways to outweigh the other empires. But by 1757, the British East India Company became the true force in colonial India.
In 1588, British traders asked for permission to conduct trade in East India
The British acquired a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600 and arrived in India in 1608 at Surat
The British East India Company had competitors like the Portuguese and the Dutch who had reached India before
The British decided to rely on politics to do trade with India till 1661 when they set up their first factory in Hubli (they only had trade posts till then)
They used the internal conflicts among empires for their advantage
By 1696, they began building a fort around the settlement
In 1698, they bribed the Mughal officials to give them zamindari rights to three villages (one of the villages were Calcutta)
The British also persuaded Aurangzeb to issue a Farman (a Farman is a royal order providing permission to trade)
This Farman had a condition that the trade will be duty-free leading to a huge loss for Bengal
The British officials used to indulge in private trade, adding to the woes of Bengal
After the death of Aurangzeb, the empire struggled to survive with internal issues
Murshid Quli Khan (1717-1720), Alvardi Khan (1740-1756), and Siraj-Ud-Daulah (1756-1757) were the three most powerful nawabs of Bengal
Murshid Quli Khan, the 1st Nawab of Bengal, took the matter in his own hands and started fighting against the British
Alvardi Khan was also engaged in conflicts with the Marathas
The British didn’t pay taxes, they expanded their fortification, wrote disrespectful letters to the nawab, and caused huge revenue loss to Bengal
The company tried to justify their action by saying that the nawabs made unjust demands, they imposed extreme taxes and duties, and trade can expand only through increasing settlements
The Company wanted to remove Siraj-Ud-Daulah from the rule and place a puppet ruler
The nawab asked the company to stop interfering in the region’s politics, stop fortification, and start paying taxes
These conflict of interest led to the Battle of Plassey starting with the Nawab capturing Fort William
Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah ordered the French and British to stop fortification of Fort William
He captured 146 Britishers and locked them up in a room that can hold only 25 people for 3 days (Black Hole Incident)
123 people died and the British retaliated leading to the Battle of Plassey
Robert Clive with an army of 3000 defeated Nawab with the help of Mir Jaffer, Nawab’s Commander-in-Chief
After defeating the nawab, he fled in a camel, but was later captured and assassinated by Mir Jafar
Mir Jaffer becomes the puppet Nawab
The Battle of Plassey was the first major victory of the company in India and it instilled the confidence in them to start administering in the colony
Source:
Crash Course Modern History | British East India Company from 1600 - 1857
Economic Impact of Colonial Rule in India
How did British occupy India? | British India Timeline | British East India Company | Eclectic
East India Company Wikipedia
Trucial States Wikipedia
Princely States Wikipedia
Attribution:
This work includes the following sounds from freesound.org/
“EPIC GAME MUSIC BEST ONE DONE ON KEYBOARD BY KRIS KLAVENES.wav” by Freesound.org member klavo1985
“Epicmusic.wav” by Freesound.org member nuria1512
“Wooden_door_open.wav” by Freesound.org member joedeshon
“field recording wood stairs going running” by Freesound.org member Garuda1982
“Writing” by Freesound.org member Hornetan1
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
In 1588, British traders asked for permission to conduct trade in East India
The British acquired a charter from Queen Elizabeth I in 1600 and arrived in India in 1608 at Surat
The British East India Company had competitors like the Portuguese and the Dutch who had reached India before
The British decided to rely on politics to do trade with India till 1661 when they set up their first factory in Hubli (they only had trade posts till then)
They used the internal conflicts among empires for their advantage
By 1696, they began building a fort around the settlement
In 1698, they bribed the Mughal officials to give them zamindari rights to three villages (one of the villages were Calcutta)
The British also persuaded Aurangzeb to issue a Farman (a Farman is a royal order providing permission to trade)
This Farman had a condition that the trade will be duty-free leading to a huge loss for Bengal
The British officials used to indulge in private trade, adding to the woes of Bengal
After the death of Aurangzeb, the empire struggled to survive with internal issues
Murshid Quli Khan (1717-1720), Alvardi Khan (1740-1756), and Siraj-Ud-Daulah (1756-1757) were the three most powerful nawabs of Bengal
Murshid Quli Khan, the 1st Nawab of Bengal, took the matter in his own hands and started fighting against the British
Alvardi Khan was also engaged in conflicts with the Marathas
The British didn’t pay taxes, they expanded their fortification, wrote disrespectful letters to the nawab, and caused huge revenue loss to Bengal
The company tried to justify their action by saying that the nawabs made unjust demands, they imposed extreme taxes and duties, and trade can expand only through increasing settlements
The Company wanted to remove Siraj-Ud-Daulah from the rule and place a puppet ruler
The nawab asked the company to stop interfering in the region’s politics, stop fortification, and start paying taxes
These conflict of interest led to the Battle of Plassey starting with the Nawab capturing Fort William
Nawab Siraj-Ud-Daulah ordered the French and British to stop fortification of Fort William
He captured 146 Britishers and locked them up in a room that can hold only 25 people for 3 days (Black Hole Incident)
123 people died and the British retaliated leading to the Battle of Plassey
Robert Clive with an army of 3000 defeated Nawab with the help of Mir Jaffer, Nawab’s Commander-in-Chief
After defeating the nawab, he fled in a camel, but was later captured and assassinated by Mir Jafar
Mir Jaffer becomes the puppet Nawab
The Battle of Plassey was the first major victory of the company in India and it instilled the confidence in them to start administering in the colony
Source:
Crash Course Modern History | British East India Company from 1600 - 1857
Economic Impact of Colonial Rule in India
How did British occupy India? | British India Timeline | British East India Company | Eclectic
East India Company Wikipedia
Trucial States Wikipedia
Princely States Wikipedia
Attribution:
This work includes the following sounds from freesound.org/
“EPIC GAME MUSIC BEST ONE DONE ON KEYBOARD BY KRIS KLAVENES.wav” by Freesound.org member klavo1985
“Epicmusic.wav” by Freesound.org member nuria1512
“Wooden_door_open.wav” by Freesound.org member joedeshon
“field recording wood stairs going running” by Freesound.org member Garuda1982
“Writing” by Freesound.org member Hornetan1
Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay
Aug 18, 202022:30
090: How Does Vaccination Work?
A vaccine is a biological preparation that provides active acquired immunity to a particular infectious disease. Vaccines contain a microorganism or virus in a weakened, live or killed state, or proteins or toxins from the organism. Vaccination comes from the Latin word “Vacca” meaning cow.
First used to eradicate smallpox estimated to have killed about 300-500 million people.
Vaccination is different from inoculation in that inoculation is a process where the actual pathogen itself is injected and in some cases, the person inoculated may catch the disease and infection can become serious as well.
Variolation: Practised in Ottoman Empire for immunity against smallpox, brought to England by lady Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Required quarantine. Milk Maids rejected the procedure claiming they had cowpox.
Immune cells start as stem cells within the bone marrow. Lymph nods store immune cells to be released during pathogen infection and swell during infection as a result.
Antigen Presenting Cells (APC) monitors blood for pathogens and on finding them start the process of Phagocytosis where the pathogens are ingested and broken down to be presented to the nearest lymph nodes which start the immune response. These pieces of pathogens are called antigens.
APC activates the T cells which oversee the cytokine proteins. These proteins of the immune system help regulate immunity. B cells multiply and generate antibodies that can kill the pathogens.
After the first infection, these T and B cells remain in the system preparing for future pathogen invasions.
Two types of vaccines:
Live attenuated vaccines: a mild version of the pathogen is used. Effective for a long time but the risk of being infected.
Inactivated vaccine: Dead pathogens or parts of pathogens are used. It is effective for a short term and repeated booster shots might be essential. Safer.
Herd Immunity: When a majority of people in the society get immunity which slows down the spread.
Immunological memory: Ability of an immune system to quickly and specifically recognise an antigen the body has previously seen and then initiate an immune response.
Acquired Immune System: It is a subsystem of the immune system that consists of specialised cells and processes that eliminate pathogens by limiting their growth.
Vaccination can fail due to difference in immunity amongst people. Usually has side effects and no vaccine is 100% effective
Source:
Infographic Show video: How Are Vaccines Actually Made
Reddit post on Rabies: What's a scary or disturbing fact that would probably keep most people awake at night?
Image by cottonbro from Pexels
First used to eradicate smallpox estimated to have killed about 300-500 million people.
Vaccination is different from inoculation in that inoculation is a process where the actual pathogen itself is injected and in some cases, the person inoculated may catch the disease and infection can become serious as well.
Variolation: Practised in Ottoman Empire for immunity against smallpox, brought to England by lady Lady Mary Wortley Montagu. Required quarantine. Milk Maids rejected the procedure claiming they had cowpox.
Immune cells start as stem cells within the bone marrow. Lymph nods store immune cells to be released during pathogen infection and swell during infection as a result.
Antigen Presenting Cells (APC) monitors blood for pathogens and on finding them start the process of Phagocytosis where the pathogens are ingested and broken down to be presented to the nearest lymph nodes which start the immune response. These pieces of pathogens are called antigens.
APC activates the T cells which oversee the cytokine proteins. These proteins of the immune system help regulate immunity. B cells multiply and generate antibodies that can kill the pathogens.
After the first infection, these T and B cells remain in the system preparing for future pathogen invasions.
Two types of vaccines:
Live attenuated vaccines: a mild version of the pathogen is used. Effective for a long time but the risk of being infected.
Inactivated vaccine: Dead pathogens or parts of pathogens are used. It is effective for a short term and repeated booster shots might be essential. Safer.
Herd Immunity: When a majority of people in the society get immunity which slows down the spread.
Immunological memory: Ability of an immune system to quickly and specifically recognise an antigen the body has previously seen and then initiate an immune response.
Acquired Immune System: It is a subsystem of the immune system that consists of specialised cells and processes that eliminate pathogens by limiting their growth.
Vaccination can fail due to difference in immunity amongst people. Usually has side effects and no vaccine is 100% effective
Source:
Infographic Show video: How Are Vaccines Actually Made
Reddit post on Rabies: What's a scary or disturbing fact that would probably keep most people awake at night?
Image by cottonbro from Pexels
Aug 11, 202029:14
089: Colonialism in India - Part 6: Japanese Occupation of India
The story of Japanese occupation is one that is long forgotten. So here is an episode throwing some light into the incident.
They were merciless and gained confidence after the Japanese-Russian war.
The war happened between 1904-1905
The Russians did not have resources or technological advancements to fight against the Japanese
Conquered China in the 1930s
The Chinese invasion of Manchuria began on 18 September 1931
It happened right after the staged Mukden Incident
They established the puppet state of Manchukuo
The deception was exposed in 1932 by the Lytton Report
It led to Japan being diplomatically isolated and eventually, their withdrawal from the League of Nations
Nanjing Massacre
It was an episode of mass murder and rape by the Imperial Army of Japan in Nanjing, the then capital of China during the second Sino-Japanese War.
China was the underdog and much inferior army and the Japanese showed no remorse.
It happened over a period of six weeks starting from 13 December 1937
Around 40,000 to 300,000 people were murdered and looted during this period of time
The accounts of the massacre were erased by Japan shortly before their surrender in 1945
There is a huge controversy surrounding the issue including outright denial of the occurrence of the massacre to the accusation that the Chinese government exaggerated the number of people killed
But many in the Japanese government themselves have admitted to killing many non-combatants
Conquering of Burma
Japan occupied Burma (a previous British territory) from 1942-1945
The conquest began in December of 1941
Conquer of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The conquest of the island by Japan took place in 1942
The accounts are collected from
the unpublished reports of a local resident Rama Krishna: The Andaman Islands under Japanese Occupation 1942–1945
unpublished account by a British Officer, D. McCarthy: The Andaman Interlude (he was sent on a secret mission to the islands in 1944)
and with the memories of the older inhabitants interviewed by historians
On the fourth day after the arrival of the Japanese, the first victim was killed.
A young man Zulfiqar Ali angered by the soldiers pursuing chickens in his house fired an airgun at the soldiers. He was forced to go into hiding. Once he was captured his arms were twisted till they broke and then he was fired at.
Locals joined the Indian Independence League founded by Rash Behari Bose
One of its members, Dr Diwan Singh also formed a peace committee
An airport was built through forced labour
Comfort Women were brought from South Korea to these garrisons
Most of the topmost leaders of the Indian Independence League were captured and killed
Andaman and Nicobar Islands were handed over to Indian National Army in 29 December 1943
Subhas Chandra Bose visited Port Blair and raised the INA tricolour proclaiming Azad Hind
The Japanese screened his every movement to shield the reality of the situation from Bose
The Homfray Ganj massacre took place on 30 January 1944, where 44 civilians from the island were killed on the accusation that they were spies
The Islands were ruled by the Japanese till the British took it back in October 7, 1945
In 1945, due to scarcity of food, around 250-700 inhabitants of the islands were forced to move to uninhabited islands to produce food
A rescue mission could only find 12 survivors and hundreds of skeletons on the islands. Many also died due to shark attacks
Around 2000 people were killed and over 500 tortured during the course of Japanese occupation
The Battle of Imphal
The battleground was spread across present-day Manipur and Nagaland
30,000 soldiers died. More than half while retreating due to starvation and diseases
Japan was not prepared at all. Expected to get it over within 3 weeks, but went on for months
The allied air supply was far superior
Lt. Gen. Renya Mutaguchi said the conquest would require the sacrifice of 5,000 soldiers
Hirokuni Saito’s journal gave
They were merciless and gained confidence after the Japanese-Russian war.
The war happened between 1904-1905
The Russians did not have resources or technological advancements to fight against the Japanese
Conquered China in the 1930s
The Chinese invasion of Manchuria began on 18 September 1931
It happened right after the staged Mukden Incident
They established the puppet state of Manchukuo
The deception was exposed in 1932 by the Lytton Report
It led to Japan being diplomatically isolated and eventually, their withdrawal from the League of Nations
Nanjing Massacre
It was an episode of mass murder and rape by the Imperial Army of Japan in Nanjing, the then capital of China during the second Sino-Japanese War.
China was the underdog and much inferior army and the Japanese showed no remorse.
It happened over a period of six weeks starting from 13 December 1937
Around 40,000 to 300,000 people were murdered and looted during this period of time
The accounts of the massacre were erased by Japan shortly before their surrender in 1945
There is a huge controversy surrounding the issue including outright denial of the occurrence of the massacre to the accusation that the Chinese government exaggerated the number of people killed
But many in the Japanese government themselves have admitted to killing many non-combatants
Conquering of Burma
Japan occupied Burma (a previous British territory) from 1942-1945
The conquest began in December of 1941
Conquer of Andaman and Nicobar Islands
The conquest of the island by Japan took place in 1942
The accounts are collected from
the unpublished reports of a local resident Rama Krishna: The Andaman Islands under Japanese Occupation 1942–1945
unpublished account by a British Officer, D. McCarthy: The Andaman Interlude (he was sent on a secret mission to the islands in 1944)
and with the memories of the older inhabitants interviewed by historians
On the fourth day after the arrival of the Japanese, the first victim was killed.
A young man Zulfiqar Ali angered by the soldiers pursuing chickens in his house fired an airgun at the soldiers. He was forced to go into hiding. Once he was captured his arms were twisted till they broke and then he was fired at.
Locals joined the Indian Independence League founded by Rash Behari Bose
One of its members, Dr Diwan Singh also formed a peace committee
An airport was built through forced labour
Comfort Women were brought from South Korea to these garrisons
Most of the topmost leaders of the Indian Independence League were captured and killed
Andaman and Nicobar Islands were handed over to Indian National Army in 29 December 1943
Subhas Chandra Bose visited Port Blair and raised the INA tricolour proclaiming Azad Hind
The Japanese screened his every movement to shield the reality of the situation from Bose
The Homfray Ganj massacre took place on 30 January 1944, where 44 civilians from the island were killed on the accusation that they were spies
The Islands were ruled by the Japanese till the British took it back in October 7, 1945
In 1945, due to scarcity of food, around 250-700 inhabitants of the islands were forced to move to uninhabited islands to produce food
A rescue mission could only find 12 survivors and hundreds of skeletons on the islands. Many also died due to shark attacks
Around 2000 people were killed and over 500 tortured during the course of Japanese occupation
The Battle of Imphal
The battleground was spread across present-day Manipur and Nagaland
30,000 soldiers died. More than half while retreating due to starvation and diseases
Japan was not prepared at all. Expected to get it over within 3 weeks, but went on for months
The allied air supply was far superior
Lt. Gen. Renya Mutaguchi said the conquest would require the sacrifice of 5,000 soldiers
Hirokuni Saito’s journal gave
Aug 04, 202032:22
088: Unscripted - Part 1: Locked Down
This episode is sponsored by BodyCafé. BodyCafé is an organic lifestyle wellness brand that is based on authentic and traditional beauty practices.
Visit BodyCafé and use the coupon code HI15 for the best quality hand sanitizers and other beauty products.
Coupon code: HI15
Welcome to the first part of Writer & Geek Unscripted. We have been planning this a series where we talk about things that are happening around us for the longest time. But it needed a big push in the form of a pandemic to get it in motion.In the first episode of the series, we talk about how the pandemic has effected our personal, work and social life, and how we are coping with it. We also talk about some of the things we do to keep some sense of sanity in this new "abnormally" normal times.If you find this relatable, make sure you share your story with us. Be it in written, audio or video form, let us know how you are getting through. If you are okay with sharing it with the rest of the world, we will add your story in the next episode.Find the Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Productivity application we mentioned in this episode:Notion | Things | Tick Tick
Books we have mentioned and recommend you to check out:
The Third Door: Hardcover | Kindle
Atomic Habits: Paperback | Kindle | Audio CD
Sherlock Holmes: Paperback | Mass Market Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle
The Hound of Baskervilles: Paperback | Hardcover | Kindle | Audio CD
Note: The purchase links for the books are affiliate links. So, it will do a world of good for us if you purchase any of these books using these links. Thank you!
This episode is sponsored by BodyCafé. BodyCafé is an organic lifestyle wellness brand that is based on authentic and traditional beauty practices.
Visit BodyCafé and use the coupon code HI15 for the best quality hand sanitizers and other beauty products.
Coupon code: HI15
Image by Oli Lynch from Pixabay
Jul 28, 202044:37
087: Hand Sanitizer & Mouth Wash
This episode is sponsored by BodyCafé. BodyCafé is an organic lifestyle wellness brand that is based on authentic and traditional beauty practices.
Visit BodyCafé and use the coupon code HI15 for the best quality hand sanitizers and other beauty products.
Coupon code: HI15
What is a hand sanitizer?
It is a liquid, gel or foam used to reduce infectious agents in on our hands.
Hand wash is usually preferred as hand sanitizers cannot kill certain kinds of germs and it cannot remove harmful chemicals. But during certain situations, it is handy to use hand sanitizer over hand wash.
Effective hand sanitizer has over 60% of alcohol content. It is usually a combination of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or n-propanol from 60% to 95% concentration.
It works with many microorganisms but does not have much effect in spores (a primitive usually unicellular often environmentally resistant dormant or reproductive body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms and capable of development into a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore).
Glycerol can be added to reduce drying of the skin. Fragrances can be added but it can lead to allergic reactions.
There are non-alcoholic hand sanitizers but are mostly ineffective. Alcohol-free sanitizers use povidone-iodine, benzalkonium chloride or triclosan.
Alcohol's antiseptic properties have been put into use since the 14th century but in the modern world, alcohol-based hand sanitizer became a fixture from the 1980s.
Hand sanitizers were introduced to the healthcare setting in 1966 and were popularised in the 90s.
Hand sanitizer not effective on greasy, oily surfaces. It cannot remove heavy metal and pesticides like contaminants.
Hand sanitizers are recommended only if hand wash is not available.
It is flammable so has to be handled with care.
It does not affect the beneficial microorganisms but removes the outer oil layer from the skin.
Cases of ingestion have caused deaths. During the pandemic, the scarcity of alcohol leads to nine alcoholics in New Mexico to drink hand sanitizer. They were severely injured and three died.
How to use it?
Apply product to the palm of one hand.
Rub hands together.
Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.
Do not go near flame or gas burner or any burning object during applying hand sanitizer.
Listerine:
Founded in 1879 by Joseph Lawrence
Named after John Lister
Kill germs that cause bad breath
Joseph Lister demonstrated in 1865 that using carbolic acid on surgical dressings drastically reduces the chance of post-surgical infection. His demonstration was inspired by Louis Pasteur's study of microbial infection.
It was promoted to the dentist as an oral care product from 1895. Finally released as over the counter mouthwash in the US from 1914.
It started as a powerful surgical antiseptic, the distilled form was sold both as a floor cleaner and as a cure for gonorrhoea.
It was not successful until the 1920s when it was promoted as a solution for chronic halitosis (bad breath).
(Mention the advertisement.)
From the 1920s-1970s it was also marketed as a preventive measure for sore throat and cold. (did not work at all)
Listerine cigarettes were also marketed in 1927.
From the 1930s - mid-1950s it was also advertised as a preventive measure for infectious dandruff.
Safety concerns were raised saying acidic mouthwash increases the chances of oral cancer but was cleared as no evidence was found to support it.
The active ingredients listed on Listerine packaging are essential oils which are menthol (mint) 0.042%, thymol (thyme) 0.064%, methyl salicylate (wintergreen) 0.06%, and eucalyptol (eucalyptus) 0.092%.
Dettol vs Savlon:
Dettol was released in 1933 as an antiseptic liquid for the treatment of cuts and wounds. It remained like that for the next 50 years.
Now it has hand wash, liquid antiseptics, body wash, plater, soap and shaving cream with 50% of market sh
Visit BodyCafé and use the coupon code HI15 for the best quality hand sanitizers and other beauty products.
Coupon code: HI15
What is a hand sanitizer?
It is a liquid, gel or foam used to reduce infectious agents in on our hands.
Hand wash is usually preferred as hand sanitizers cannot kill certain kinds of germs and it cannot remove harmful chemicals. But during certain situations, it is handy to use hand sanitizer over hand wash.
Effective hand sanitizer has over 60% of alcohol content. It is usually a combination of isopropyl alcohol, ethanol (ethyl alcohol) or n-propanol from 60% to 95% concentration.
It works with many microorganisms but does not have much effect in spores (a primitive usually unicellular often environmentally resistant dormant or reproductive body produced by plants, fungi, and some microorganisms and capable of development into a new individual either directly or after fusion with another spore).
Glycerol can be added to reduce drying of the skin. Fragrances can be added but it can lead to allergic reactions.
There are non-alcoholic hand sanitizers but are mostly ineffective. Alcohol-free sanitizers use povidone-iodine, benzalkonium chloride or triclosan.
Alcohol's antiseptic properties have been put into use since the 14th century but in the modern world, alcohol-based hand sanitizer became a fixture from the 1980s.
Hand sanitizers were introduced to the healthcare setting in 1966 and were popularised in the 90s.
Hand sanitizer not effective on greasy, oily surfaces. It cannot remove heavy metal and pesticides like contaminants.
Hand sanitizers are recommended only if hand wash is not available.
It is flammable so has to be handled with care.
It does not affect the beneficial microorganisms but removes the outer oil layer from the skin.
Cases of ingestion have caused deaths. During the pandemic, the scarcity of alcohol leads to nine alcoholics in New Mexico to drink hand sanitizer. They were severely injured and three died.
How to use it?
Apply product to the palm of one hand.
Rub hands together.
Rub the product over all surfaces of hands and fingers until hands are dry.
Do not go near flame or gas burner or any burning object during applying hand sanitizer.
Listerine:
Founded in 1879 by Joseph Lawrence
Named after John Lister
Kill germs that cause bad breath
Joseph Lister demonstrated in 1865 that using carbolic acid on surgical dressings drastically reduces the chance of post-surgical infection. His demonstration was inspired by Louis Pasteur's study of microbial infection.
It was promoted to the dentist as an oral care product from 1895. Finally released as over the counter mouthwash in the US from 1914.
It started as a powerful surgical antiseptic, the distilled form was sold both as a floor cleaner and as a cure for gonorrhoea.
It was not successful until the 1920s when it was promoted as a solution for chronic halitosis (bad breath).
(Mention the advertisement.)
From the 1920s-1970s it was also marketed as a preventive measure for sore throat and cold. (did not work at all)
Listerine cigarettes were also marketed in 1927.
From the 1930s - mid-1950s it was also advertised as a preventive measure for infectious dandruff.
Safety concerns were raised saying acidic mouthwash increases the chances of oral cancer but was cleared as no evidence was found to support it.
The active ingredients listed on Listerine packaging are essential oils which are menthol (mint) 0.042%, thymol (thyme) 0.064%, methyl salicylate (wintergreen) 0.06%, and eucalyptol (eucalyptus) 0.092%.
Dettol vs Savlon:
Dettol was released in 1933 as an antiseptic liquid for the treatment of cuts and wounds. It remained like that for the next 50 years.
Now it has hand wash, liquid antiseptics, body wash, plater, soap and shaving cream with 50% of market sh
Jul 21, 202032:37
086: Colonialism in India - Part 5: French Occupation of India
The French came into play relatively late in comparison with the British, Dutch and Portuguese. They established themselves in colonial India in the second half of the 17th Century and occupied their post until 1954. They produced rice, peanuts, betel nuts, and vegetables.
Their major establishments in India were Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam (Andra Pradesh) on Coromandel Coast and Mahe on the Malabar Coast and Chandernagor in Bengal.
By the time the French came to India, other colonial powers had multiple trading stations and ports set up. Their customs barriers, belief systems, inexperience in such large investments are quoted as some reasons for their late entry in the trade.
The first French East India Company was set up under Henry IV in 1603 but didn’t have any settlements. The second was set up in 1642, but it took its proper shape only in 1664 with the help of Jean Baptist Caillouet under Louis XIV. The company gained a monopoly for the next 50 years.
The company was given the go-ahead to trade in Madagascar (a fertile land for agriculture). But it took up a lot of resources and they dropped the idea in a few years to concentrate on India.
The duties of the company were handled by Francois Caron who previously worked with the Dutch East India Company for 30 years and reached the post of Governor-General.
Factories were opened in Surat in 1668, Masulipatnam in 1669, and Bantam, Indonesian. And in 1673 with the permission of Mughal in Chandernagore.
They established their stronghold in Pondicherry by 1674. Pondicherry was obtained from the Sultan of Bijapur. In 1701, Pondicherry was made the headquarters of French East India Company.
Dutch had seized Pondicherry from the French in the 1690s, but they took it back in 6 years through the Treaty of Ryswick. But the Dutch held their garrison in Pondicherry for another two years before leaving, eventually. (The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the Nine Years' War which took place from 1688 to 1697 between France, and the Grand Alliance, which included England, Spain, Emperor Leopold, and the Dutch Republic.)
The War of Spanish Succession in Europe led to French losing many of their factories in India.
As the Dutch left Mauritius in 1715, the French replaced them there. Later they took over Seychelles and Chagos Islands.
By 1718 they had to leave Surat, Masulipatnam and Bantam factories because they were not able to compete with the Dutch and the British.
The company was combined with John Law’s Mississippi company in 1719. Its purpose was to run both the west and east Indian companies. But the company dissolved in a year.
In 1723, the company restarted and set up their factories in Yanam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahe, and Karaikal. They worked under the name of “The Perpetual Company of the Indies”.
They rose in power from 1720-1742 under the leadership of governors Pierre Christophe Le Noir and Pierre Benoît Dumas backed by the possession of Mauritius and the Southern Indian Ocean.
The political situation in South India was weak during the 1740s. The princely states were busy fighting each other, leaving the colonial power to conquer territories that were left without much protection such as the Coromandel Coast. (Hyderabad battling Marathas)
Joseph François Dupleix (most successful general), after he arrived in 1741, wanted to create a French empire in India. This clashed with the interest of the British. They extended their empire from Hyderabad to Kanyakumari. But the dream of further expansion was squashed by the arrival of British Governor, Robert Clive. Dupleix was sent back to France after the peace talks failed.
The British and the French got too much into the political scene of India leading to a conflict between them - Carnatic Wars (1740-1748).
Seven-year war - French and British - 1756-1763 - it is also referred to as Zero World War.
In 175
Their major establishments in India were Pondicherry, Karaikal, Yanam (Andra Pradesh) on Coromandel Coast and Mahe on the Malabar Coast and Chandernagor in Bengal.
By the time the French came to India, other colonial powers had multiple trading stations and ports set up. Their customs barriers, belief systems, inexperience in such large investments are quoted as some reasons for their late entry in the trade.
The first French East India Company was set up under Henry IV in 1603 but didn’t have any settlements. The second was set up in 1642, but it took its proper shape only in 1664 with the help of Jean Baptist Caillouet under Louis XIV. The company gained a monopoly for the next 50 years.
The company was given the go-ahead to trade in Madagascar (a fertile land for agriculture). But it took up a lot of resources and they dropped the idea in a few years to concentrate on India.
The duties of the company were handled by Francois Caron who previously worked with the Dutch East India Company for 30 years and reached the post of Governor-General.
Factories were opened in Surat in 1668, Masulipatnam in 1669, and Bantam, Indonesian. And in 1673 with the permission of Mughal in Chandernagore.
They established their stronghold in Pondicherry by 1674. Pondicherry was obtained from the Sultan of Bijapur. In 1701, Pondicherry was made the headquarters of French East India Company.
Dutch had seized Pondicherry from the French in the 1690s, but they took it back in 6 years through the Treaty of Ryswick. But the Dutch held their garrison in Pondicherry for another two years before leaving, eventually. (The Peace of Ryswick, or Rijswijk, was a series of treaties signed in the Dutch city of Rijswijk between 20 September and 30 October 1697. They ended the Nine Years' War which took place from 1688 to 1697 between France, and the Grand Alliance, which included England, Spain, Emperor Leopold, and the Dutch Republic.)
The War of Spanish Succession in Europe led to French losing many of their factories in India.
As the Dutch left Mauritius in 1715, the French replaced them there. Later they took over Seychelles and Chagos Islands.
By 1718 they had to leave Surat, Masulipatnam and Bantam factories because they were not able to compete with the Dutch and the British.
The company was combined with John Law’s Mississippi company in 1719. Its purpose was to run both the west and east Indian companies. But the company dissolved in a year.
In 1723, the company restarted and set up their factories in Yanam in Andhra Pradesh, Mahe, and Karaikal. They worked under the name of “The Perpetual Company of the Indies”.
They rose in power from 1720-1742 under the leadership of governors Pierre Christophe Le Noir and Pierre Benoît Dumas backed by the possession of Mauritius and the Southern Indian Ocean.
The political situation in South India was weak during the 1740s. The princely states were busy fighting each other, leaving the colonial power to conquer territories that were left without much protection such as the Coromandel Coast. (Hyderabad battling Marathas)
Joseph François Dupleix (most successful general), after he arrived in 1741, wanted to create a French empire in India. This clashed with the interest of the British. They extended their empire from Hyderabad to Kanyakumari. But the dream of further expansion was squashed by the arrival of British Governor, Robert Clive. Dupleix was sent back to France after the peace talks failed.
The British and the French got too much into the political scene of India leading to a conflict between them - Carnatic Wars (1740-1748).
Seven-year war - French and British - 1756-1763 - it is also referred to as Zero World War.
In 175
Jul 11, 202023:43
085: Colonialism in India - Part 4: Dano-Norwegian Occupation of India
The Danish-Norwegian occupation of India is not as significant in comparison with many of the other colonial empires because they did not pose any military or trading threats. They were never able to capitalise and monopolise on their trade routes like the British, the French or the Portuguese.
First Danish East India Company
Danish India was the name given to Danish-Norwegian colonies in India.
The Danish used to trade with India before the Portuguese drove them off.
Their empire survived for over 200 years in India.
They established bases in Tharangambadi in Tamil Nadu, Serampore in West Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands.
They were able to hold on to their posts in India because they created their own niche in the trade so there was no conflict between the other empires.
But as always, the British finally took the Danish occupied regions in the 19th century (1839, 1845, 1868 to be exact).
Christian IV on 17 March 1616, ordered the creation of the Danish East India Company for managing trade with Asia for the next 12 years.
But the project took another 2 years to launch as they were not able to secure finances right away. (Dutch assistance to trade with Sri Lanka)
The first expedition to Asia took place in 1618 under the leadership of Admiral Ove Gjedde.
The crew took two years (May 1620) to reach Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and lost more than half its crew.
They had to occupy Koneswaram Temple as the Emperor no longer wanted to trade with anyone other than the Portuguese due to the peace treaty they signed in between.
Their trade director, Robert Crappe had already set sail to Asia a month before the main voyage started.
Their ship was sunk near Karaikal with most of the crew killed and two were placed on the beach on spikes by the Portuguese as a warning to the Danish.
Crappe and 13 other crew members who escaped were captured by native Indian and taken to the leader of Thanjavur.
The leader was interested in trading opportunities and let the Danish set up their base in Tharangambadi, building Fort Dansborg on 20 November 1620.
1621-1650
The colony faced a lot of issues due to this time. From administration to investment and loss of two-thirds of trading vessels, things looked bleak. The geographical location of the colony resulted in high tides resulting in the destruction of everything they built. The dire financial situation forced them to directly conduct business.
1625 a factory established in Masulipatnam (major hub)
Mini hubs in Pipli and Balasore
They still were under poor financial conditions and had only three ships left
Tensions began building up as they could not pay the local leader
The British and the Dutch also wanted them out but did not do anything as it would complicate their relationships in mainland Europe.
They try to sell Fort Dansborg to the Dutch in 1640
Go to war against the Mughals in 1642, capture one of their ships in the Bay of Bengal and make it theirs naming it Bengali Prize.
In 1643, the Dutch and Sweden declared war on Denmark. The Danish holdings profit decreases drastically under the Dutch and the leader sends his band to raid Tranquebar.
Christian IV, the King, dies and the company goes bankrupt.
Two years after Christian IV’s death Frederick II, his son, abolished the company.
Though abolished, the colony remained a royal property of the Danes and it was held by a garrison unaware of the developments back home. But over the years, the number of Danes decreased and it was hired by the Portuguese. It was later taken back by Eskild Anderson Kongsbakke (the only remaining Dane in Tranquebar) in 1665 and he defended it from everyone. He kept on seizing ships in the Bay of Bengal and built a wall and finally negotiated with the local leaders. This news prompted the King to send another vessel captained by Captain Sivardt Adelaer, to confirm the coming back of the colony in India again after 19 years of isolation.
Second Danish East India Company (1672-1732)
With
First Danish East India Company
Danish India was the name given to Danish-Norwegian colonies in India.
The Danish used to trade with India before the Portuguese drove them off.
Their empire survived for over 200 years in India.
They established bases in Tharangambadi in Tamil Nadu, Serampore in West Bengal, and the Nicobar Islands.
They were able to hold on to their posts in India because they created their own niche in the trade so there was no conflict between the other empires.
But as always, the British finally took the Danish occupied regions in the 19th century (1839, 1845, 1868 to be exact).
Christian IV on 17 March 1616, ordered the creation of the Danish East India Company for managing trade with Asia for the next 12 years.
But the project took another 2 years to launch as they were not able to secure finances right away. (Dutch assistance to trade with Sri Lanka)
The first expedition to Asia took place in 1618 under the leadership of Admiral Ove Gjedde.
The crew took two years (May 1620) to reach Ceylon (present-day Sri Lanka) and lost more than half its crew.
They had to occupy Koneswaram Temple as the Emperor no longer wanted to trade with anyone other than the Portuguese due to the peace treaty they signed in between.
Their trade director, Robert Crappe had already set sail to Asia a month before the main voyage started.
Their ship was sunk near Karaikal with most of the crew killed and two were placed on the beach on spikes by the Portuguese as a warning to the Danish.
Crappe and 13 other crew members who escaped were captured by native Indian and taken to the leader of Thanjavur.
The leader was interested in trading opportunities and let the Danish set up their base in Tharangambadi, building Fort Dansborg on 20 November 1620.
1621-1650
The colony faced a lot of issues due to this time. From administration to investment and loss of two-thirds of trading vessels, things looked bleak. The geographical location of the colony resulted in high tides resulting in the destruction of everything they built. The dire financial situation forced them to directly conduct business.
1625 a factory established in Masulipatnam (major hub)
Mini hubs in Pipli and Balasore
They still were under poor financial conditions and had only three ships left
Tensions began building up as they could not pay the local leader
The British and the Dutch also wanted them out but did not do anything as it would complicate their relationships in mainland Europe.
They try to sell Fort Dansborg to the Dutch in 1640
Go to war against the Mughals in 1642, capture one of their ships in the Bay of Bengal and make it theirs naming it Bengali Prize.
In 1643, the Dutch and Sweden declared war on Denmark. The Danish holdings profit decreases drastically under the Dutch and the leader sends his band to raid Tranquebar.
Christian IV, the King, dies and the company goes bankrupt.
Two years after Christian IV’s death Frederick II, his son, abolished the company.
Though abolished, the colony remained a royal property of the Danes and it was held by a garrison unaware of the developments back home. But over the years, the number of Danes decreased and it was hired by the Portuguese. It was later taken back by Eskild Anderson Kongsbakke (the only remaining Dane in Tranquebar) in 1665 and he defended it from everyone. He kept on seizing ships in the Bay of Bengal and built a wall and finally negotiated with the local leaders. This news prompted the King to send another vessel captained by Captain Sivardt Adelaer, to confirm the coming back of the colony in India again after 19 years of isolation.
Second Danish East India Company (1672-1732)
With
Jul 04, 202018:11
084: History of Marriage - Part 2
Marriage is a culturally recognised union between people. The ceremony of marriage is called a wedding.
Marriages may be conducted for legal, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, political and various other reasons.
Early marriages started as strategic alliances and the parties marrying each other usually have no say in the matter at all.
Some specific rules exist about who is allowed to marry. Certain relationships are forbidden from marrying.
In modern times, interfaith and same-sex marriages are common and part of many societies around the world.
Marriage happens when the parties bring government into the commitment!
Most countries require a civil marriage and registration of the marriage to be considered valid and not just the religious ceremony.
Crazy facts:
In Ancient Greece, if a woman's father dies without a male heir, she can be forced to divorce the nearest relative. Even if she has to divorce the first wife.In some cultures, marrying to the spirit of a deceased person was also conducted to strengthen the family bond.A Roman statesman married off his wife to his friend to strengthen their bond and then remarried her when the friend died.Upper-class aristocrats usually had arranged marriages and practised adultery to help nurture the marriages. Weird.People from lower strata of the society in Europe, like peasants, had to pay a fee to marry someone they loved, else the village decides for them.It some parts of the world, loving your spouse too much and calling nicknames was all considered to be impolite.
Sources:
Wikipedia
The Spruce
Psychology Today
Live Science
International Business Times
Image by marla66 from Pixabay
Marriages may be conducted for legal, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, political and various other reasons.
Early marriages started as strategic alliances and the parties marrying each other usually have no say in the matter at all.
Some specific rules exist about who is allowed to marry. Certain relationships are forbidden from marrying.
In modern times, interfaith and same-sex marriages are common and part of many societies around the world.
Marriage happens when the parties bring government into the commitment!
Most countries require a civil marriage and registration of the marriage to be considered valid and not just the religious ceremony.
Crazy facts:
In Ancient Greece, if a woman's father dies without a male heir, she can be forced to divorce the nearest relative. Even if she has to divorce the first wife.In some cultures, marrying to the spirit of a deceased person was also conducted to strengthen the family bond.A Roman statesman married off his wife to his friend to strengthen their bond and then remarried her when the friend died.Upper-class aristocrats usually had arranged marriages and practised adultery to help nurture the marriages. Weird.People from lower strata of the society in Europe, like peasants, had to pay a fee to marry someone they loved, else the village decides for them.It some parts of the world, loving your spouse too much and calling nicknames was all considered to be impolite.
Sources:
Wikipedia
The Spruce
Psychology Today
Live Science
International Business Times
Image by marla66 from Pixabay
Jun 27, 202019:01
083: History of Marriage - Part 1
Marriage is a culturally recognised union between people. The ceremony of marriage is called a wedding.
Marriages may be conducted for legal, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, political and various other reasons.
Early marriages started as strategic alliances and the parties marrying each other usually have no say in the matter at all.
Some specific rules exist about who is allowed to marry. Certain relationships are forbidden from marrying.
In modern times, interfaith and same-sex marriages are common and part of many societies around the world.
Marriage happens when the parties bring government into the commitment!
Most countries require a civil marriage and registration of the marriage to be considered valid and not just the religious ceremony.
Crazy facts:
In Ancient Greece, if a woman's father dies without a male heir, she can be forced to divorce the nearest relative. Even if she has to divorce the first wife.In some cultures, marrying to the spirit of a deceased person was also conducted to strengthen the family bond.A Roman statesman married off his wife to his friend to strengthen their bond and then remarried her when the friend died.Upper-class aristocrats usually had arranged marriages and practised adultery to help nurture the marriages. Weird.People from lower strata of the society in Europe, like peasants, had to pay a fee to marry someone they loved, else the village decides for them.It some parts of the world, loving your spouse too much and calling nicknames was all considered to be impolite.
Sources:
Wikipedia
The Spruce
Psychology Today
Live Science
International Business Times
Image by marla66 from Pixabay
Marriages may be conducted for legal, social, emotional, financial, spiritual, political and various other reasons.
Early marriages started as strategic alliances and the parties marrying each other usually have no say in the matter at all.
Some specific rules exist about who is allowed to marry. Certain relationships are forbidden from marrying.
In modern times, interfaith and same-sex marriages are common and part of many societies around the world.
Marriage happens when the parties bring government into the commitment!
Most countries require a civil marriage and registration of the marriage to be considered valid and not just the religious ceremony.
Crazy facts:
In Ancient Greece, if a woman's father dies without a male heir, she can be forced to divorce the nearest relative. Even if she has to divorce the first wife.In some cultures, marrying to the spirit of a deceased person was also conducted to strengthen the family bond.A Roman statesman married off his wife to his friend to strengthen their bond and then remarried her when the friend died.Upper-class aristocrats usually had arranged marriages and practised adultery to help nurture the marriages. Weird.People from lower strata of the society in Europe, like peasants, had to pay a fee to marry someone they loved, else the village decides for them.It some parts of the world, loving your spouse too much and calling nicknames was all considered to be impolite.
Sources:
Wikipedia
The Spruce
Psychology Today
Live Science
International Business Times
Image by marla66 from Pixabay
Jun 20, 202018:17
082: A Comprehensive Overview of the History Malayalam Cinema - Part 2: The 1970s till the Present
Listen to the first part here - A Comprehensive Overview of the History of Malayalam Cinema - Part 1
The 1970s witnessed a new wave of Malayalam cinema where the bridging of parallel and commercial cinema was at its best. It was also the time when political and action movies gained a following. Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s directorial debut, Swayamvaram in 1972 is known for pioneering the new wave of cinema movement in the industry. Chattakari (1974) and Avalude Ravukal (1978) were some of the boldest Malayalam movies of that time with the latter being the first A certified movie. The movies were based on the themes of teenage pregnancy and prostitution, respectively, which were topics that were profoundly frowned upon during those times.
The latter half of the 1970s witnessed the emergence of the legendary actor Jayan. He reformed the industry with his macho image and action sequences never seen before. Like who can forget the “We are not beggars…” dialogue from the movie Angadi (1980). It still gives me goosebumps.
Notable movies from the 1970s
Swayamvaram (1972)
Arakkallan Mukkalkkallan (1974)
Chattakari (1974)
Kodiyettam (1977)
Avalude Raavukam (1978)
Thacholi Ambu (1978)
The 1980s was the decade of combining common man’s problems with comedy. The rise of geniuses like Sreenivasan spearheaded this genre of movies to the forefront with movies such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), and Varavelpu (1989). 1981 was a milestone year for Malayalam cinema with the release of Elippathayam and Manjil Virinja Pookkal. The former being screened at the London Film Festival and winning the Sunderland Trophy and the latter propelling Mohanlal Viswanathan, our very own Lalettan, to stardom. Though it is almost impossible to imagine that he started his career predominantly playing antagonistic characters.
M T Vasudevan Nair made his presence known with his screenplay for movies like Nakhakshathangal (1986), that helped Monisha win the National Award for Best Actress at the age of 15, and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1988), an epic historical drama which showed Chandu Chekavar as a misunderstood hero. Director P Padmarajan also made his mark with the 1987 romantic drama, Thoovanathumbikal, and the 1988 mystery thriller, Aparan. The decade also delivered Malayalam’s own investigative thriller detective series with Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988), the first movie from the four-part series, with Mammootty playing the role of Sethurama Iyer.
The 80s observed many firsts with Padayottam (1982), a film based on the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, becoming the first Malayalam film to be shot in 70 mm, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), the first Indian 3D film, and Adipapam (1988) gaining the crown of being the first Malayalam softcore film.
Notable movies from the 1980s
Angadi (1980)
Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1981)
Elippathayam (1981)
Padayottam (1982)
Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984)
My Dear Kuttichathan (1984)
Nakhakshathangal (1986)
Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986)
Nadodikkattu (1987)
Thaniyavartanam (1987)
Aparan (1988)
Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988)
Varavelpu (1989)
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989)
The 1990s had a great start with movies such as the comedy-thriller In Harihar Nagar (1990) and comedy-drama Godfather (1991) running for over a year in theatres gaining cult status. It also saw a few larger than life stars take on a majority of screentime. With Mohanlal and Mammooty taking lead roles in almost all genres, Suresh Gopi shining in the action movie landscape, and Jayaram starring in your next-door neighbour, family-friendly characters.
Siddique-Lal’s Vietnam Colony was released in 1992 and it is noteworthy for having plot similarities with the 2009 movie Avatar — the second highest-grossing movie in the world. What does James Cameron have to say about that, I wonder? The time also witnessed movies like Manichitrathazhu (1993) where the female
The 1970s witnessed a new wave of Malayalam cinema where the bridging of parallel and commercial cinema was at its best. It was also the time when political and action movies gained a following. Adoor Gopalakrishnan’s directorial debut, Swayamvaram in 1972 is known for pioneering the new wave of cinema movement in the industry. Chattakari (1974) and Avalude Ravukal (1978) were some of the boldest Malayalam movies of that time with the latter being the first A certified movie. The movies were based on the themes of teenage pregnancy and prostitution, respectively, which were topics that were profoundly frowned upon during those times.
The latter half of the 1970s witnessed the emergence of the legendary actor Jayan. He reformed the industry with his macho image and action sequences never seen before. Like who can forget the “We are not beggars…” dialogue from the movie Angadi (1980). It still gives me goosebumps.
Notable movies from the 1970s
Swayamvaram (1972)
Arakkallan Mukkalkkallan (1974)
Chattakari (1974)
Kodiyettam (1977)
Avalude Raavukam (1978)
Thacholi Ambu (1978)
The 1980s was the decade of combining common man’s problems with comedy. The rise of geniuses like Sreenivasan spearheaded this genre of movies to the forefront with movies such as Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984), Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986), Nadodikkattu (1987), and Varavelpu (1989). 1981 was a milestone year for Malayalam cinema with the release of Elippathayam and Manjil Virinja Pookkal. The former being screened at the London Film Festival and winning the Sunderland Trophy and the latter propelling Mohanlal Viswanathan, our very own Lalettan, to stardom. Though it is almost impossible to imagine that he started his career predominantly playing antagonistic characters.
M T Vasudevan Nair made his presence known with his screenplay for movies like Nakhakshathangal (1986), that helped Monisha win the National Award for Best Actress at the age of 15, and Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1988), an epic historical drama which showed Chandu Chekavar as a misunderstood hero. Director P Padmarajan also made his mark with the 1987 romantic drama, Thoovanathumbikal, and the 1988 mystery thriller, Aparan. The decade also delivered Malayalam’s own investigative thriller detective series with Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988), the first movie from the four-part series, with Mammootty playing the role of Sethurama Iyer.
The 80s observed many firsts with Padayottam (1982), a film based on the novel The Count of Monte Cristo, becoming the first Malayalam film to be shot in 70 mm, My Dear Kuttichathan (1984), the first Indian 3D film, and Adipapam (1988) gaining the crown of being the first Malayalam softcore film.
Notable movies from the 1980s
Angadi (1980)
Manjil Virinja Pookkal (1981)
Elippathayam (1981)
Padayottam (1982)
Odaruthammava Aalariyam (1984)
My Dear Kuttichathan (1984)
Nakhakshathangal (1986)
Sanmanassullavarkku Samadhanam (1986)
Nadodikkattu (1987)
Thaniyavartanam (1987)
Aparan (1988)
Oru CBI Diary Kurippu (1988)
Varavelpu (1989)
Oru Vadakkan Veeragatha (1989)
The 1990s had a great start with movies such as the comedy-thriller In Harihar Nagar (1990) and comedy-drama Godfather (1991) running for over a year in theatres gaining cult status. It also saw a few larger than life stars take on a majority of screentime. With Mohanlal and Mammooty taking lead roles in almost all genres, Suresh Gopi shining in the action movie landscape, and Jayaram starring in your next-door neighbour, family-friendly characters.
Siddique-Lal’s Vietnam Colony was released in 1992 and it is noteworthy for having plot similarities with the 2009 movie Avatar — the second highest-grossing movie in the world. What does James Cameron have to say about that, I wonder? The time also witnessed movies like Manichitrathazhu (1993) where the female
May 28, 202031:28
081: A Comprehensive Overview of the History of Malayalam Cinema - Part 1: Inception and Progress till 1970
Over the years, the landscape of Malayalam cinema has changed. It has evolved. From the hero-centric, superhuman and outright chauvinistic characters in the late 1990s and early 2000s, it has moved to a character-centric, common man, and realistic stories.
May 21, 202023:60
080: Colonialism in India - Part 3: United East India Company and Dutch Occupation of India
The Dutch are one of the most prosperous countries in the European continent. But that was not the case back in the 16th century. It was not even an independent country as it came under the Spanish. Before Spanish occupation, they used to trade spices procured from the Portuguese who virtually owned every major spice port in the East.
May 14, 202026:23
079: Serial KIller Files - Part 8: Stoneman of India
The Stoneman Killer terrorised the streets of Bombay and Calcutta in the mid and late 1980s. The killer's modus operandi involved dashing their victim’s face with a stone that weighed around 30 kg.
May 06, 202019:17
078: Colonialism in India - Part 2: The Journey of Vasco da Gama and Portuguese Occupation of India
It is a common misconception that Portuguese were the first Europeans to start trading with India. In fact, it was Danish. So, we bust the myths and talk about the facts.
Apr 23, 202020:51
077: Colonialism in India - Part 1: Indus Valley Civilisation
India has a long history. But no story about Indian history would be complete without mentioning one of the greatest civilisations that ever existed - the Indus Valley civilisation. The Bronze age civilisation that stood majestically along with Egyptian and Mesopotamian civilisations.
Apr 11, 202021:23
076: Black Death - The Pandemic that Shook the World
Black death is a pandemic that raged in many parts of the world and wiped out around one-third to two-thirds of the population in Europe.
Mar 31, 202016:55
075: Dissecting Blue Whales
Blue whales are the largest living beings in the world. The marine mammal is scientifically known as Balaenoptera musculus. It is classified as endangered but its population is increasing. Blue whales are hunted for its oil, blubber and also meat.
Mar 08, 202032:18
074: Oh beer, oh beer!
In this episode, we talk about the mighty beer!
Nov 24, 201939:33
073: Why Do We Remember Things?
In this episode we talk about how memory works.
Nov 08, 201930:54
072: Serial Killer Files Part 7 - Cyanide Lady
In this episode in the serial killer series, we talk about Jolly Joseph, a killer from Kerala
Oct 25, 201920:35
071: Cosmic Time Measurement In Hinduism
In this episode, we talk about time measurement in Hindu culture.
Oct 04, 201934:00
070: Renting A House
In this episode, we talk about what you need to know while renting a house in India.
Sep 20, 201931:56
069: '69'
In this episode, we talk about human orgasm.
Sep 13, 201935:35
068: Water Crisis In Bangalore
In this episode, we talk about how water crisis is cripping Bangalore.
Jun 22, 201927:54
067: History Of Money
This week, we talk about the history of money.
Jun 05, 201933:59
066: Dyatlov Pass Incident
This week, we talk about the unsolved mystery of Dyatlov Pass.
May 26, 201948:30
065: More horror featuring Indian Noir
This week, we discuss more about why humans are fascinated with the horror genre.
May 17, 201901:14:55
064: Why Is Horror So Fascinating? Featuring Indian Noir.
This week, we why humans are fascinated with the horror genre.
May 10, 201901:11:41
063: Is Ejection Seat A Better Alternative?
This week, we talk about the scary lifesaver - the ejection seat
Mar 16, 201928:44
062: Beer Talk: Life 'N' Stuff
This week, the boys sit down to discuss life 'n' stuff.
Mar 08, 201936:11
061: Personal Finance Ft. Naga From Passion People Podcast
This week, Vishnu is joined by Naga Subramanya from Passion People Podcast to discuss personal finance
Feb 12, 201901:03:46
060: Cholanaikkans: The Lost Tribe
This week, we talk about the tribe of Cholanaikkans
Jan 22, 201929:52
059: The Humble Toilet
This week, we talk about good humble 'ol toilets
Jan 09, 201930:24
058: Serial Killer Files Part 6 - The Gangster From Madras
This week, we talk about the gangster who terrorised Madras in the 80s
Dec 29, 201829:44
057: The Wonderful Chocolate
This week, we talk about the delicious chocolate
Dec 18, 201832:34
056: The Monolithic Wonder
In this episode, we talk about Shravanabelagola and Jainism
Nov 20, 201832:09
055: Why Is A Dog A Dog And Not Wolf?
In this episode, we talk about how domestication of animals work.
Nov 07, 201844:26
054: Is Smoking Cool?
In this episode, we talk about the history of smoking.
Oct 30, 201846:37
053: Get Tourself a Tattoo!
In this episode, we discuss about the art of tattooing.
Oct 09, 201833:06
052: The History Of Vacuum Cleaner
What were the origins of this humble but useful home applaince?
Sep 16, 201832:32
051: Ice-Cream
Ice-cream is fascinating, and it does have a fascinating history too.
Sep 09, 201831:19
050: Cryptography Ft. Rupen Paul
A standup comedian, a writer and a software engineer talk about cryptography
Aug 26, 201856:13
049: Serial Killer Files Part 5 - Cyanide Mohan
In this episode, we talk about Cyanide Mohan. A serial killer from South India.
Aug 19, 201827:16
048: Jet Engines
Jet engines are awesome, we get that. But how did it all start?
Aug 12, 201832:08
047: Pizza
Pizza is one of the most popular food item in the world, let's see where it came from.
Aug 05, 201841:59
046: Deconstructing Formula One
Formula 1 is a crazy motorsport, not just driving around in circles.
Jun 03, 201801:06:48
045: Pioneer 10 - The Lost Traveller
Pioneer 10 travelled beyond solar system, it continues into the unknown.
May 27, 201849:17
044: Bizarre History Of Birth Control
Doing it isn't just for having kids, so how did people prevent that through history?
May 20, 201839:08
043: Beer Talk: Why Learn History?
Is history important? Why should we learn it?
May 13, 201823:12
042: History Of Timekeeping
Clocks and watches are devine! We talk about how humans felt need for timekeeping and all about it.
May 06, 201854:14
041: Coffee Rules The World
Coffee is the beverage of champions. We talk about how coffee is extracted and other stuff related to coffee.
Apr 29, 201847:27
040: Serial Killer Files Part 4 - DC Sniper
We talk about the DC Snipers who terrorized the US in 2002.
Apr 15, 201844:23
039: Why Do The Continents Move
Was the world different when dinosaurs lived? We discuss about plate techtonics in this episode
Apr 08, 201821:09
038: Beer Talk: Facebook, Google And Online Privacy
How safe is your data? How are you being tracked, we ramble about that in the pilot of beer-talk
Apr 01, 201819:33
037: The Race To The South Pole
A look into the famous race to South Pole by a Norweigian and a Brit
Mar 25, 201854:20
036: Blockchain Primer
A simplified view into the mysterious blockchain technology that powers cryptocurrency
Mar 18, 201841:11
035: The Match Fixing Scandal Of 2000
A deeper look into the involvement of Indian and South African players in the match-fixing scandal of 2000
Mar 11, 201841:12
034: Life As A Comic With Rupen Paul
An interview with a good friend and Bangalore's up and coming standup comedian Rupen Paul
Mar 04, 201801:06:27
033: Submarines
Submarines are awesome. We discuss the history and workings.
Feb 18, 201834:44
032: Restaurant Roundup - 02
We are foodies and here are few places we love or hate
Feb 11, 201828:38
031: Serial Killer Files Part 3 - The Green River Killer
We talk about the Green River Killer.
Feb 04, 201831:60
030: To Moon And Back - Part 5
We talk about missions after Apollo 11.
Jan 28, 201830:44
029: History Of Motion Pictures: Part 1
We talk about the evolution of motion pictures and photography
Jan 21, 201824:60
028: Evolution Of Languages: Dravidian - Part 1
We talk about Dravidian languages, especially Kannada.
Jan 12, 201826:42
027: History Of The Toothbrush
We talk about our little friend called the toothbrush
Jan 05, 201825:26
026: Serial Killer Files Part 2 - The Real Psycho
We talk about Ed Gein, man behind Psycho
Dec 29, 201727:07
025: The Genographic Project (Human Migration)
We talk about how human beings moved out of Africa into other parts of the world
Dec 22, 201725:57
024: What Is The Law Of Attraction?
We talk about how LOA really works, no BS!
Dec 15, 201728:49
023: To Moon And Back - Part 4
We talk about lesser known facts of Apollo 11 mission.
Dec 08, 201724:21
022: Freelancing and Startups
We talk about our experiences in freelancing and startup.
Dec 01, 201730:23
021: The War Stories: World War I & II
We talk about some lesser known facts related to World Wars.
Nov 24, 201726:05
020: Serial Killer Files Part 1 - The Night Stalker
We talk about Richard Ramirez, The Night Stalker
Nov 17, 201729:56
019: Restaurant Roundup - 01
We are foodies and here are few places we love or hate
Nov 10, 201730:32
018: Tools For Writing
We discuss about how we got into writing and the tools we use
Nov 03, 201732:09
017: Our Musical Evolution
We discuss the evolution of our musical taste over the years.
Oct 27, 201737:50
016: The Neanderthals - Where Did They Go?
Neanderthals co-existed with human beings, we wonder where they went.
Oct 20, 201722:26
015: Podcasting Infrastructure, Hardware And Software
We continue our discussion on podcasting and get into the technical aspects.
Oct 13, 201726:23
014: Introduction to Podcasting
We started a podcast on budget. How can you do it?
Oct 06, 201726:46
013: Mars One - Too Ambitious?
Mars One makes ambitious claimes of putting man on Mars. How solid is the plan?
Sep 29, 201728:11
012: One Mr. Sherlock Holmes
We grew up reading Sherlock Holmes stories, let's discuss that.
Sep 22, 201724:48
011: To Moon And Back - Part 3
We discuss about the Apollo missions preceding the Apollo 11 mission.
Sep 15, 201724:48
010: Mangalyaan: To Mars On Budget
Mangalyaan was a success for ISRO. Especially the budget management part.
Sep 08, 201728:30
009: 3D Printing For Practical Purposes
We discuss 3D priting and it's practical application in future of lifestyle and business.
Sep 01, 201723:25
008: AI - Evolution Or Revolution?
We discuss the pros and cons of AI development.
Aug 16, 201727:02
007: Mass Hysteria Feat. Monkey Man
We discuss the curious cases of mass hysteria from around the world.
Aug 01, 201736:39
006: To Moon And Back - Part 2
We discuss in depth about the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn V.
Jul 16, 201728:04
005: To Moon And Back - Part 1
We discuss the events that eventually lead to the humans walking on Moon.
Jul 01, 201731:46
004: Phantom Time Hypothesis
We discuss Phantom Time Hypothesis which questions the existance of early middle ages.
Jun 16, 201725:16
003: Losing Weight
Our discussion today is about losing weight the right way without going through difficult diet plans and exercises that burn yourself out.
Jun 01, 201734:31
002: Social Media Gives You Wings
Key Takaways
No need to be rude to express your opinion on social media.
Before you post something, think a few times to see if you might end up in a awkward situation.
Be careful before you add people to your friend/follow list.
If you end up in an online argument with your friends/relatives, best thing is to have a direct talk.
Be polite to customer care that uses social media. Remember, it is always a human being on the other side.
Mentions
Justine Sacco Tweet Controversy
Read how the reporter later came into peace with Justine - Gawker
Sashi Tharoor’s tweet that Shankar tries reproducing
Media
Background Music:
Lamprey - Breath
Pachyderm - Ice Cold
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Image: Pixabay
Jun 01, 201738:23
001: Does Formal Education Do Justice?
Key Takaways
Experiences over Academics: School and colleges teach you more about real life experiences than about academics.
Subjects don’t matter (that much): The subjects you learn during your academical years don’t matter much. If you have passion and interest, you can make a living in the field of your intrest.
Hands on better than theory: Always focus on getting experince, do practical work. This is worth more than a degree.
Mentions
Sir Ken Robinson’s TED Talk
Pallikoodam
Media
Music:
Pachyderm - Ice Cold
Lee Rosevere
Find the affiliate links to the equipment and resources we use to make this podcast here.
Find Writer & Geek's guide to podcasting here.
Thumbnail Image: Pixabay
Jun 01, 201731:37