Indian Battles You've Probably Not Heard Of | #190
+ A tribute to nameless women protagonists 👑
Hello friends,
In Feb 1509, the Battle of Diu took place in.. .Diu. It featured the Portuguese on one side and a joint fleet of the Sultan of Gujarat, the Mamlûk Burji Sultanate of Egypt and the Zamorin of Calicut (with support of the Republic of Venice). At the end of the Battle, Portuguese forces emerged victorious and according to historian William Weir the prospect of Islam dominating the world sank in the Indian Ocean off Diu, culminating one of the most important battles in history.
This week we look at similar battles that have been fought in India, and its profound impact on the Indian sub-continent.
Things we learnt this week 🤓
The legendary battle between Alexander and Porus is named the Battle of Hydaspes or Battle of Jhelum. Alexander, though victorious, was impressed by Porus. When Alexander asked Porus how he would like to be treated, Porus is said to have replied “Treat me as a king would treat another king.” This mic drop moment from Porus is said to have made Alexander return the kingdom back and with a tiring army didn’t proceed further eastwards. One of the most persistent myths of this continues to this day in the mystical city of Malana. Legend has it, some of Alexander's homesick soldiers decided to crash in Malana, and like uninvited guests who never leave, became the ancestors of the Malani folks. Though it can be said that Alexander the Great’s men did a hostile takeover of the town.
In January 1565, the Vijayanagara Empire clashed with a Deccan Sultanate supergroup, near the villages of Rakshasa and Tangadi. This battle known as the Battle of Rakshasa-Tangadi was the ultimate box office flop for the Vijayanagara Empire, leading to its dramatic exit from the South Indian political theater. Legend has it that after Vijayanagar empire lost its last war, the treasury was looted. To carry the wealth back home, the looters made use of elephants. One of these elephants lost its way and strayed off to Bijapur, and as it made its way through the town, coins spilled from the bags, onto the streets, bringing fortune to the poor. This is the origin of the Kannada rhyme - "Aane banthondaane" (An elephant has come). For quizzers, the name Ruckus-Tangadi (which refers to random arrangement of quizzers into teams) comes from this battle.
The Dutch had an increasing presence in India. But in 1741, the flying Dutchmen were stopped in their tracks by the mighty Marthanda Varma in a town called Colachel. The battle was fought because the Dutch wanted to capture the capital of Travancore, but Marthanda Varma and his army stopped them. The victory of Travancore in this battle ended the Dutch colonial ambitions in India forever. This was a very important victory because it was the first time that an Asian power had defeated a European power in a battle. If the Dutch had their way, we might have all been clogged up in India.
From IWTK, with love 💌
Can you think of more nameless women protagonists?
When The Office was remade in India, Dunder Mifflin Paper Company became Wilkins Chawla. More about fictional companies here.
Only In India 🇮🇳
Desperate Times call for Desperate measures. Rohan has probably not heard of ChatGPT.
Even we can scarcely believe we’ve kept this newsletter up for 190 editions. If you have suggestions for our very special 200th edition, do drop us a note. We’d <3 to hear from you.
Stay hydrated,
❤️ IWTK