Indian History: 1600-1947

In Part 1, we saw how the Rashtrakutas decided to teach the upstart Parantaka Chola a lesson. They defeated the Cholas in battle and plundered Tamil Nadu. The Cholas retreated to the Kaveri Delta and remained quiet for the next 25 years. The Rashtrakutas had been the most dangerous gang in India for the preceding 200 years. However, right around this time, a warlord from their northern frontier defeated the Rashtrakuta King and ransacked their capital. This severely weakened the dynasty and created a power vacuum south of the Vindhyas. The Cholas had nothing to do with the fall of the Rashtrakutas; they simply took advantage of it. The period following the fall of the Rashtrakutas—covering the reigns of Uttama, Rajaraja, and Rajendra Chola—marks the peak of Chola Inc. This era was characterized by the accumulation of immense wealth through two primary revenue streams: Plunder: Without the Rashtrakutas, there was nobody to stop them. They plundered in all directions. They moved north ...

[Draft was edited by Gemini for clarity] Everything I know about the Cholas comes from Anirudh Kanisetti's excellent book,  Lords of the Deccan  (and his work on the Chola Empire). This article is my understanding of that book. Who were the "Modern" Cholas?  To understand who they were, we must first understand who they were not : No Sangam Connection: They had no direct link to the ancient Sangam-era Cholas. They essentially co-opted the "Chola" brand name for legitimacy. A Lost Identity: They have not been a permanent fixture of Tamil consciousness for the last 1,000 years. Even as recently as 1940, the Cholas were rarely discussed; the common view was that the Thanjavur temple had been built by the Pallavas. They only rose in popularity with the rise of the Dravidian movement and the modern revival of Tamil identity. So, why are they special now? Bullying the Deccan: They are the only known dynasty from Tamil Nadu that successfully bullied and harassed the...

Rajputana Agency (Missing coins) Bharatpur – Eastern Rajputana States Agency Dholpur – Eastern Rajputana States Agency Dungarpur – Mewar Residency (subordinate to Mewar) Jaisalmer – Western Rajputana States Residency Jhalawar – Kotah-Jhalawar Agency Karauli – Eastern Rajputana States Agency (Coinwalla) Kota (Kotah) – Kotah-Jhalawar Agency Partabgarh (Rajputana) – Different from Pratapgarh in Central India Shahpura – Haraoti-Tonk Agency Sirohi – Western Rajputana States Residency Central India Agency (Missing States) Datia – Central India Agency Dewas Senior Branch – Central India Agency Orchha – Bundelkhand Agency (part of Central India) Panna – Bundelkhand Agency Nagod – Bundelkhand Agency Punjab States Agency (Missing States) Patiala – Punjab States Agency Kapurthala – Punjab States Agency Nabha – Punjab States Agency Jind – Punjab States Agency Faridkot – Punjab States Agency Mandi – Punjab Hills States Agency Western India States Agency (Missing States...

Our collection focuses on coins issued and circulated during 1600–1947. The coins are organized into 4 primary categories:  1. European Trading Companies: Coins issued by French, Dutch, Danes and Portugese that circulated in India  2. British India Presidencies: Coins issues by the British East India Company prior to 1835 and the Uniform Coinage Act.  3. British India: Coins issued after 1835  4. Indian Kingdoms: Coins issued by kingdoms that were vassals of British India or eventually annexed by them Finally, a bit about us.  It all started when my son, Dhruvan, showed interest in collecting coins; I ended up running with it. This website has been a collaborative effort between Claude, Dhruvan, and me. Dhruvan has actively contributed by shipping different features to this website. All the write-ups are original (not AI-generated) and synthesized from books on the subject and the excellent Empire podcast!

The ideas in the book are largely from William Darlymple's Anarchy. In fact, one can think of this as a summary of his primary thesis written by me.  This amazing talk also covers the same ground. 1750 to 1850 was a fascinating period in Indian history. A European company directly annexed large parts of India and indirectly administered the rest through puppet rulers. This was done with an army that was made up of 90% Indians funded by Indian bankers. How did this happen? These companies were not new to the neighborhood; since the 1500s, they had profitably imported spices and textiles from India. However, they were non-entities in the political landscape. So, what changed in the latter half of the 18th century?  Chance set the stage, but the profit motive wrote the script for India's future. Even the very presence of these companies in India is a tale of capitalism. For centuries prior, Europe had imported silks and textiles from India through the Silk Road. This meant pr...