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  Interviewer: Ladies and Gentlemen! Today, we have with us Genghis Khan, the founder of the largest contiguous empire in human history, yet history remembers him as the most ruthless person. But is that true? So, let’s talk to him and see what he has to say about himself. (Turning to Khan), Welcome Mr Khan. Hope this interview will give our readers a chance to know you better and dispel some myths attributed to you. Genghis Khan: (Adjusts in seat and nods his head) Thank you for inviting me.   Interviewer: So, my first question to you is: was your rise as a warrior and conqueror, or as a Khan, predictable? What was the socio-political situation in your region that paved the way for your rise? Genghis Khan: (Raises an eyebrow) Predictable? No way. If my rise had been predictable, my enemies would have killed me in the cradle. You know, or perhaps you don’t, I was once enslaved by Tayichiud tribe as a boy. If they knew I, Temujin, would one day become a Khan, they wou...

  A Dialogue Between Faith and Power   Maria : Hello Sophia! Today, we're going on an incredible journey into the mind of one of history's most fascinating rulers: Jalal-ud-Din Muhammad Akbar, the Great Mughal Emperor. He ascended the throne in 1556 at just 13 years old, inheriting a nascent kingdom that he would transform into one of the most glorious, richest, and, crucially, religiously tolerant empires globally. His greatest achievement as a ruler was, in the words of Sir Laurence Binyon,   “ to weld this collection of different states, different races, different religions, into a whole.”   Sophia: That sounds interesting. But how did he do that? Maria: Through his policy of Sulh-i-Kul (universal peace, or peace with/for all). He was, no doubt, a brave fighter, an able commander, and a sharp war strategist. But it was this policy that helped him consolidate and sustain the empire. A sword only knows how to pierce hearts. To win hearts, Akbar adopted...

  A Dialogue on Slavery in Medieval South Asia (The characters of Maria and Sophia, a professor and a student, are fictional and are used for educational purposes to facilitate a dialogue on the complex topic of slavery in medieval South Asia.)   Alright Sophia, pull up a chair. Today, we're going to completely re-evaluate what you might think you know about slavery, especially in a historical context far removed from the Atlantic. Forget the common images for a moment. When we talk about slavery in medieval South Asia, we're diving into something far more nuanced, deeply embedded, and, frankly, quite paradoxical. It was not a fringe institution, but a central element of political authority, military strategy, domestic order, and even ritual economy from the eighth to the eighteenth centuries. Are you ready to have some of your assumptions challenged?   Sophia: Professor Maria, that’s quite a start! I'm ready. I guess when I hear "slavery," my mind im...