I have finally caught up with the current season of Kit Patrick’s “History of India” podcast. This podcast is a treat for anyone who is interested in India’s history.
A confession is in order. I almost gave up listening after its 1st episode. Kit fumbled a lot. There were lots of pauses. The Indian names got mangled & each episode was 40-45 minutes long. But I decided to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Kit’s presentation improved significantly right from the 2nd episode. No fumbling. No pauses. The narrative became crisper. The length stayed the same, the names were still mispronounced but by then I was hooked.
Kit makes it clear that the focus will mostly be on the city of Patliputra as it moves through the ages - the Mauryas (S1), the Kushanas (S2), the Guptas (S3) & King Harsha (S4). But we also hear about the Huns, the Chinese & Persian empires, the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Shilaharas & Pratiharas. There are bonus episodes on topics like the Southern kings (e.g. the Cholas), life in ancient India, literature, music, architecture & food. He reads from ancient sources at the end of each episode. And all this is delivered with a healthy dose of humor.
Now I am learning about the kingdoms of Nepal, Tibet & Kashmir (S5). My History teacher would be so proud :-)
A confession is in order. I almost gave up listening after its 1st episode. Kit fumbled a lot. There were lots of pauses. The Indian names got mangled & each episode was 40-45 minutes long. But I decided to eat the elephant one bite at a time. Kit’s presentation improved significantly right from the 2nd episode. No fumbling. No pauses. The narrative became crisper. The length stayed the same, the names were still mispronounced but by then I was hooked.
Kit makes it clear that the focus will mostly be on the city of Patliputra as it moves through the ages - the Mauryas (S1), the Kushanas (S2), the Guptas (S3) & King Harsha (S4). But we also hear about the Huns, the Chinese & Persian empires, the Chalukyas, Rashtrakutas, Shilaharas & Pratiharas. There are bonus episodes on topics like the Southern kings (e.g. the Cholas), life in ancient India, literature, music, architecture & food. He reads from ancient sources at the end of each episode. And all this is delivered with a healthy dose of humor.
Now I am learning about the kingdoms of Nepal, Tibet & Kashmir (S5). My History teacher would be so proud :-)
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