Goa Inquisition

The Goa Inquisition is the title given to the brutal conversion of Hindus, Jews and Muslims to Catholicism in the Indian South.

It always made sense to me how the Muslims made their way into North India, given that it connects directly to lands occupied by various Muslim rulers and was itself conquered by various Muslim ruling dynasties. But I never understood how Muslims came to exist in India's south.

Many were actually fleeing parts of Africa and Europe in order to avoid Portuguese evangelists. This is actually also why Jews also wound up in India.

This wiki page tells you the story of what happened once the Portuguese finally arrived on Indian shores–brace yourself.

Magna Carta

I started reading about the Magna Carta as well as the First Barons War. I want to learn more about British History.

The Magna Carta is often recognized as being the first ever constitutional document. It was designed to place the monarch under the rule of law.

I definitely want to write a bit more about this going forward. Super cool history.

Back to India

Its a Vox video being played and reacted to by a Youtuber who makes videos where he tries to understand India as a non-Indian–super interesting niche that he carved out for himself.

Sorry, sticking with India

India, unlike other democratic countries has been quite soft on the Russia's actions in Ukraine. Here's why.

Reading the article was super interesting for me. I personally know many Indians who have studied and even settled down in Russia or a former USSR country. Russian culture is very much appreciated there–I experience it every time I go back.

The article above doesn't give the complete picture but at least it is a start–I'll write more on this soon. I am actually thinking about doing a series. Let me know what you think.

Its super interesting to think about the fact that the strategic partnership that India and Russia have dates back to the Cold War era. The alliances formed in this time Russia and India vs. China, Pakistan and USA, still play a major role in foreign policy today.

3 Wiki Links from History

This week, I was learning about the spread of Catholicism in India, Indo-Russian relations, and the history of the Magna Carta. Here is what I was looking at, specifically.