The told & untold history of Mysuru Kingdom

Research and author: Ameen Ahmed Tumakuru Summary A lot has been written about the origins, youth and military life of Shivaji, particularly his friendship as well as the intense conflicts with the Bijapur Sultans first and then the Moghuls. But not much is known on how the residents of other kingdoms particularly the non-Maratha Hindus received him or how they were treated by him. The Hindutva nationalist narrative tells us that he is a pan-India role model for Hindus. But contemporary sources, both of Shivaji's and the later Marathas'- both European and Indian, tell stories that are quite different, from what one reads and hears from not just India's right-wing but also its left leaning historians. Source: Jadunath Sarkar, 'Shivaji and His Times', 1920 The popular Shivaji   I grew in southern India's Karnataka state occasionally coming across stories of Shivaji, a  king who has a ' ji ' added to his name as a mark of respect. I was told...

Research and author: Ameen Ahmed  On 19 October 1781, a British land force led by Charles Cornwallis surrendered to the George Washington, America's Commander in Chief. Nine days later Cornwallis' surrender, along with that of Haidar Ali's victories in India, was celebrated at Trenton, New Jersey.  By John Trumbull - http://www.aoc.gov/cc/photo-gallery/ptgs_rotunda.cfm, Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1379717 Introduction:  Hyder Ally (Anglicised version of Haidar Ali) was a popular exotic name in 1770s when the fledgling United States of America was fighting for its independence from Britain. There were  race horses named after this ruler of Mysore Kingdom  in south Asia as well as his warrior son Tipu Sultan. In early 1780s, Haidar Ali's bravery was invoked in one of the earliest documented recruitment for US Navy. A ship named after him gave USA one of its greatest naval victories during the same time. His name was chant...