Every Indian and history books talk about Jodha Akbar’s love story, but why don’t they discuss the stories of Chandragupta Maurya and Helena? Was Akbar love real or just merely lust?

 

Akbar and Maryam Uz Zamani Begum

Akbar was the Padishah of Mughal Empire and he did not have any love story with anyone and certainly not any fictional lady named Jodha Bai.

Jodha Bai is a misnomer in James Tod’s book because he confused his daughter in law and wife of Salim, Jagat Gosain who was Princess of Jodhpur as Maryam Uz Zamani, wife of Akbar. His sources were mostly court gossips and laymen information and therefore he got confused and made a fictional Jodha Bai.

No authentic history book written by historians calls Akbar’s marriage to Princess of Amber , Maryam Uz Zamani Begum (original name alleged to be Harka Bai or Heer Kunwari) to be a Romantic Saga but a strict strategic alliance in which she was given as wife to Akbar in immense pressure and very unwillingly by the Raja. Her own feelings are not known but surely she accepted her fate as she was a princess and her first duty was to save her house and her people. In Mughal Sources she is mentioned as loyal, chaste and moralistic woman. She did trade and could issue certain farmans dealing with charities.

Akbar had other wives and many concubines and their names are even mentioned in Mughal sources. Ruqayah Sultan Begum and Salima Sultan Begum who were his cousins were his pure blooded Mughal Wives and were respected in his Harem and by the Emperor.

Sandrocottus and Seleucid Princess

The information on Sandrocottus's Seleucid wife is very vague. Little to no information are available on her or their relationship. She was a peace treaty where Seleucus sent her in Antahpura of Sandrocottus to be his wife. It's not known who initiated marital alliance in the Treaty but it was Seleucus who was on the defeating side.

The Seleucid Princess’ name was not Helena. None of the sources mentions any of the daughters of Seleucus and Apama being called Helena. And no authentic history books glorify this so called love story because no sources of any love story are available. Chandragupta is not known to be a romantic king. Even in Parishisth Parvan, it's daughter of Nanda who fell in love with him at first sight while he was busy trying to consolidate his gains and deal with Parvatak. He even rejected the princess simply because when she put her foot on his chariot, it broke.

Both Emperors were not lover boys and Sandrocottus was an extremely smart and educated man and very, very disciplined man because of his strong military career and moralistic upbringing in Taxila University.

Megasthenes praises Sandrocottus as a very conscientious King who spent his entire day in the court listening to the problems of his people.

Meanwhile, Akbar was just a typical Mughal Emperor, it's just that his officers were really talented and Akbar as an individual could command loyalty.

What are some of the greatest marketing disasters in history?

 In 1974 Indian government introduced FERA (Foreign Exchange Regulation Act) after which foreign companies operating in India were asked to dilute their equity to domestic companies (upto 60 percent). Indira Gandhi executed it with iron hand partuclaly during Emergency.

In 1977 Janta Party defeated Congress and for the first time a non Congress government came to power. At the same time the protectionist Morarji Desai government asked Coca Cola to dilute their 60% equity to local companies and give their secret recipe as part of fair competition policy. Coca Cola agreed to the first condition but refused the second. The Janta Party government refused them permission to conduct trade in India and Coca Cola left the country. Now there was a 100 crores Cola market in India untapped. The government decided to launch their own soft drinks brand. After deliberations the name of the brand was fixed as “77” (Double seven) to commemorate the year of launching and he year of formation of Janta Party government (1977). So the Cold Drink was staged as an achievement of the Janta Party and this political marketing didn't do great favours to either the brand or the company. Their advertisements promoted the cold drink with the promise of “Good Times” (the promise of Acche Din started from there only!!)

The cold drink was launched in late 1977 with massive PR claiming the cold drink to be a Swadeshi brand and claimed that it tastes exactly like Coca Cola. But this claim failed badly because people gave negative response to the brand and considered it way inferior to the taste of Coca Cola. Also Parle Agro launched Thums Up which was much superior Cola brand. So the sales were poor gaining a profit of only 93000 and after that the losses started piling so that government stopped issuing the sales reports of the company.

Another problem was that the Janta Party government was itself very unstable and within 3 years and two PM’s later the government lost the 1980 elections and Congress came back to power. Congress Party saw Double Seven as a Janta Party initiative and therefore didn't promoted it due to which the company died gradually. By 1990’s Pepsi and Coca Cola reentered Indian market and Thums Up was bought was Coca Cola. Double Seven was long forgotten.

What are some rare photos of world history?

 Some rare/interesting photos of world history:

One of Japan’s last samurai, in the late 1800s

A selfie in 1920; a century ago!

Dubai Airport and its surrounding area in the ‘80s

A photograph of a British woman, Margaret Neve, born in 1792. The photo is dated 1902.

The world’s first photograph, taken in France in 1826.

The world’s first self-portrait, taken in Philadelphia in 1839.

Also taken in 1839, this is the first photo with people in it, taken in Paris.

The first photo taken from above! In 1860

The first photo of Earth, as seen from a view from the Moon.

When Bill Clinton met President Kennedy.

What are some of the awful batting collapses in the history of cricket?

 2014

India vs Bangladesh

This match saw one of the worst batting display from both the teams

India batted first and was bundled out for mere 105. From 55/3 India faltered to 86/9. Some big hitting by Umesh Yadav ensured that India crossed the 100 mark. Defeat was confirmed for India. But what happened was hardly believable considering India was bowling with bowlers like Mohit Sharma, Stuart Binny etc who were not established bowlers at that time.

Bangladesh was 44/2 at one point when Stuart Binny was introduced as bowling change. And from there Bangladesh fell like Nine Pins.

Stuart Binny took 6 wickets and gave away only 4 runs in 4.4 overs, breaking the record of Anil Kumble as the best bowling figures from India (Kumble took 12/6). Bangladesh lost their last 8 wickets for mere 14 runs. They were bundled out for only 58 runs and lost the match by 47 runs. Mohit Sharma took the rest of the 4 wickets.

Stuart Binny was adjusted the Man of the match for taking six wickets. The cumulative total of the match was 163/20.

What are the rarest pictures you have ever seen?

 In 1896 the Olympics came back in Athens. The participants in the 100m race did not even know how to start in the right way. Some of them were bent forward, and others erect. Rules had not yet existed. They were only working out the thing, and had no idea that they were making history.

The photos of the last Samurai were taken in 1860s. These were actual warriors but their moment was coming to a close. Their entire class disappeared in several years. A tradition spanning a long period of time was lost literally overnight.

In 1953 Queen Elizabeth turned out to be the world centre. The first time her coronation was broadcasted on TV. It was seen by millions of people. The monarchy ceased to be a personal affair, something visible to everyone.

The first Indian cricket team to visit England came in 1886. It appeared an insignificant thing, but it was not. That trip served to make cricket something massive at home.

And then there is the Schwerer Gustav, a huge war machine. It demonstrates the extent to which man can go to construct destruction.

It is a trend: things appear, develop, and fade away. History does not cease--it goes on.

Who was Anarkali in Indian history, and what did she do to become famous?

William Finch and Edward Terry, two British visitors at Jahangir’s court heard the rumours that there was a lady named Anarkali, who was wife of Akbar and mother of Prince Daniyal. He and Jahangir had a love affair while Akbar was alive and when he got to know about it, he confined her alive in a closed wall and she died.

No contemporary sources of Akbar and Jahangir mentions Anarkali, Neither Akbarnama or Tuzuk-i-Jahangiri. Other scholars also does not mention any such incident.

If there was indeed such a woman, she might had been a concubine/courtesan because Salim would not dare to have an affair with Akbar's legitimate wife. And if she were a Concubine, how could she say no to a prince. He might would have secretly punished her as her voice didn't matter.

Altogether, there might be some truth behind the rumours but again, no literally or archeological evidences are available to prove the legend as truth.

Anarkali Bagh also does not mention Jahangir or salim and therefore has no evidence for it to be belonging to real Anarkali.

Her being mother of Prince Daniyal is pure rumour and isn't supported by legitimate sources at all.

What are some crazy coincidences in history?

 History repeated itself so precisely in England that it almost defies explanation. Two murders, two young women, 157 years apart, yet their stories are so strikingly similar they read like the same crime.

This is the story of Erdington murders.

• Mary Ashford was killed on 27th May 1817 in Pype Hayes Park, Erdington, Birmingham. Barbara Forrest was killed on 27th May 1974 in Pype Hayes Park, Erdington, Birmingham.
• Both Mary and Barbara were 20 years old at the time.
• Both events occurred on a Whit Monday, a popular English bank holiday.
• Mary and Barbara were both born on 31st December.
• Both women spent their last evening dancing before being assaulted and killed.
• The Last name of the accused in both cases was Thornton.
• Mary and Barbara had expressed a feeling of doom in the days before the tragedy.
• Both Thorntons were acquitted due to lack of evidence against them.
• A Sibling of each of the victims refused to accept the verdict and fought for justice but neither murder was ever solved.

Coincidence or history repeating itself?

Cricket: Has a player ever surprised you with an unlikely record?

 

• Rahul Dravid has a higher strike rate than Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma in T20Is. The catch here is that Dravid has played just one T20I where he scored 31 out of 21 balls which gave him a career T20I strike rate of 147.61 higher than the strike rates of Virat Kohli (136.12) and Rohit Sharma (137.68). Yes they have played more matches than him but it is what it is.

• Ryan ten Doeschate has an average of 67 (33 ODI matches) which is the highest in ODI cricket with the calculation done for batsmen having played a minimum of 30 ODI innings. Virat Kohli holds the second spot with an average of 59.34.

• Dhoni has scored a half century batting at five different positions (From 3 to 7) in the IPL.

• Virender Sehwag has received 68 reprieves which is the highest by a cricketer followed by Sangakkara at 67.

• Shikhar Dhawan is the first Indian to score a hundred in his 100th ODI.

• Arthur Fagg is the only player to have scored a double century in both the innings of a first class match. He scored 244 and 202 in the two innings playing for Kent against Essex in 1938.

• Wasim Akram holds the record for getting run out the most times (38) in international cricket. Inzamam UL-Haq too has the same number but has played more matches which technically places him in the second spot.

All images were taken from Google.

Which player do you think has been completely utilized by their team in the IPL history?

 Undoubtedly, Christopher Henry Gayle. The Universe Boss has been worth every single penny for their franchise.

So far Chris Gayle has been a part of 3 IPL teams.

1. Kolkata Knight Riders
2. Royal Challengers Bangalore
3. Kings XI Punjab

Gayle played for the first time in 2009 for the Kolkata Knight Riders. And he was quite impressive too. He continued his form in 2010 as well. But, then KKR committed a huge blunder. They let Chris Gayle go away assuming that he won't be available for the 2011 IPL because of his international commitments.

His stats were impressive standing at 463 runs in 16 matches at a strike rate of 141.59. For a player who was invested with ₹10 crores in 3 years these stats were not bad at all.

• Unsold at the auction

IPL can be crazy. Despite such brilliant stats Gayle went unsold at the 2011 IPL. But, it wasn't over for him yet. RCB had roped in Dirk Nannes at a whopping cost of ₹3crores. RCB had a poor season and needed a good replacement, since Gayle was at a base price of ₹ 1.8crores he was demeed fit. And this was where the fortunes of RCB as well as Gayle changed.

• The Rampage

Chris Gayle went on to hit a century in his first match for RCB against KKR. Within 2 weeks he hit another hundred vs KXIP. RCB was unstoppable and Gayle single handedly took them to finals scoring a whopping 608 runs which included 2 hundreds and 7 fifties.

His golden run with the team continued and he was retained by RCB in 2014 for ₹7.5 crores. Him along with ABD and VK were the batting pillars of RCB.

From 2011 to 2017 Gayle played a total of 115 matches for RCB where he scored 2795 runs which included 4 hundreds and 16 fifties at a phenomenal strike rate of 136. Such a performance for ₹ 40 crores over a period of 6 years is worth a penny.

But in 2018 RCB decided to let go of Gayle. And the next phase was going to begin!

• Same old same old

Just like 2011, Gayle was almost unsold in 2018 until Kings XI Punjab purchased him on his base price of ₹ 2 crores. Many thought that Gayle has now aged and his power was over. But he was the same old. Him along with KL Rahul were the most destructive pair for KXIP.

Yet again Gayle hammered the opposition with same brute. For KXIP till 2020 he played 31 matching amassing 1146 at a scintillating rate of 146.7 which included 2 tons and 10 half-centuries. Again ₹ 6 crores for 3 years and you get such excellent results.

In true sense Gayle has been a consistent T20 performer which hasn't disappointed his franchise ever. Gayle has been the perfect worth for his franchise every season.

What are some of the most horrifying pictures in history?

 Here's my list

The Burning Monk, 1963
A Vietnamese Buddhist monk allowed himself to be set on fire and burnt to death on the streets of Saigon to protest the South Vietnamese governments treatment of the Buddhist population of South Vietnam.

The falling man, 2001
One of the worst terror attacks in history that left nearly 3000 people dead and 6000 more injured. During the attacks of September 11, people trapped in the WTC towers had the horrific choice of burn to death, or jump…

Into the jaws of death, 1944
US Army 1ID in their beach assault of Omaha sector of the Normandy landings, not a horrific photo for its content, but a horrific photo because we know what followed, an emotional and awe inspiring photograph. Truly, the greatest generation.

Execution of Kiev Jews, 1942
The SS Einsatzgruppen, murdering Jews outside the city of Kiev during the second world war. The holocaust took the lives of some six million Jewish people and is still regarded as one of the worst genocides in the history of man

The beheading of an Australian soldier, 1943
Leonard Siffleet was an Australian Special Forces radio operator sent to Papua New Guinea on a mission, but was captured by locals and turned over to the Japanese, after weeks of torture, he and his fellow servicemen (3 in total) were bonded, blindfolded and beheaded.

The Burnt Baby, Date unknown.
In what is relatively unknown to the western world, Japan committed thousands of attrocities and war crimes in China throughout WWII, below a young child, severely burnt, sits in a train station in Shanghai after it has been bombed out in what was known as “Bloody Saturday”

The effect of Mustard Gas, 1918
What would appear to be a Commonwealth soldier, most likely British, the after effects of the deadly chemical agent, Mustard Gas, which was used by both sides in WWI, it would seep into the lungs and tear apart the inside tissue, it would burn skin like acid and leave horrible scars such as below… The war to end all wars they said.

Napalm Girl, 1972
When an ARVN pilot mistook the fleeing civilians for NVA and dropped cannisters of Napalm, they didn't realise that they would create arguably one the most iconic war photos ever. The girl suffered 3rd degree burns over some 30% of her body, this photo greatly contributed to the US abandoning the war in Vietnam.

The lynching of two African Americans, 1930
Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith, charged with the murder and alleged rape of two separate persons, whilst it was proven that the two murdered Claude Deeter, the rape allegations (which sparked the mob lynching the two) was withdrawn when Mary Ball (the accuser) later testified she had lied about it. Some may call it justice, but they were killed because the crowd believed they raped someone, they were murdered on falls grounds.

King Leopold II, 1885?
In what is a lesser know atrocity similar to that of the Holocaust of WWII, the enslavement of the ironically named “Congo Free State” saw an estimated 8–10 Million people killed, and hundreds and thousands of people tortured, mutilated and disfigured.

I would go on, but for the sake of not making this post too long ill leave it at here.

“There is no justice among men” ~ Nicholas II, The last Tsar of Russia.

What are top most brutal acts of revenge in history?

 The man who had his cheating wife sentenced to death.

Meet Robert Devereux, the 3rd Earl of Essex.

When he was 13, Robert was married to the 14 year old Frances Howard in a political union. The marriage was not consummated, and Robert immediately left for a two year tour of Europe, leaving his wife in England.

Frances promptly began a very public affair with the Earl of Somerset.

On Robert’s return, Frances reportedly barricaded herself in her room away from him, and eventually filed for an annulment of the marriage on the grounds of impotence, claiming that she had made every effort but Robert couldn’t perform in the bedroom. Robert claimed that everything was working fine down there, but he just couldn’t perform with her, claiming that she “reviled him, and miscalled him, terming him a cow and coward, and beast.“

In order to prove the impotence, Frances had to be examined by 12 women, who reported that she was in fact a virgin, however it was widely suspected that Frances had been switched with another girl for the examination, especially when it transpired that ‘Frances’ had insisted on wearing a veil through the whole thing. A popular song at the time made mockery of this event:

“This Dame was inspected but Fraud interjected
A maid of more perfection
Whom the midwives did handle whilest the knight held the candle
O there was a clear inspection!”

The rumours about Frances and Somerset were all but confirmed when following the annulment, they married 4 months later.

The whole escapade was the 17th century equivalent of a paparazzi feeding frenzy which made Robert a laughing stock in court and across the country. A situation only made worse when he remarried only for that marriage to also fall apart amongst rumours of infidelity. Even on the battlefield he was not safe from jibes, this was the banner one of his rivals flew against him during the Civil War:

Though clearly seething with rage, Robert could not touch Frances because she was now the wife of another powerful man, however that was about to change.

Sir Thomas Overbury, a friend of Somerset, had been strongly advising Somerset not to marry Frances. Frances’ family had carried out a plot which had led to Overbury inadvertently insulting the King and getting locked up in the Tower of London, where he died a mere 12 days after Frances and Somerset’s wedding.

The next year, an apothecary assistant confessed on his deathbed that he had been paid £20 by Frances to provide poisons for the purpose of murdering Overbury, and the prison guard confessed to smuggling poisoned sweets and tarts (provided by Frances) into his cell.

The Somerset’s were arrested and a trial was called, and who did they call to be one of the impartial jury members?:

Why, one Robert Devereux of course.

Robert pressed the King hard to impose the death penalty on his ex-wife, and he duly did so.

Regardless of whether Frances was guilty or not, being judged in a Murder trial by your cuckolded ex-husband is not anyone’s idea of a good time.

Note - it’s always worth remembering with things like this that we don’t, and can’t, know the full story. It was relatively common for women back then to be made out to be witches or adulterous if it suited the needs of the powerful.