Why Bollywood Glorifies Akbar and Ignores Ch. Shivaji Maharaj | Medha Bhaskaran

In this hard-hitting follow-up, author Medha ji dismantles pop-culture myths around the Mughals and revisits why Ch. Shivaji Maharaj’s revolution mattered. She challenges romanticized screen portrayals (Salim the “hero,” Akbar the “liberal”) with court chronicles and references, then contrasts them with Ch. Shivaji’s governance—protecting civilians, punishing molestation, and easing agrarian burdens. We also examine the human cost of imperial monuments—extraction from farmers, enslavement, famine—and ecological shifts like poppy displacing native crops, alongside Jahangir’s own tally of mass hunts. Finally, we address textbook narratives that blur the Maratha handover to the British—and why remembering accurately matters now. Chapters- 00:00 – Intro 01:07 – Why History, Not Religion, Matters in This Discussion 03:12 – Bollywood Myths: Salim the Drunkard, Akbar’s Scouts & Harems 10:18 – Babur’s Atrocities & Guru Nanak’s Testimony 17:26 – The Massacre at Chittorgarh: 40,000 Killed 22:12 – Jahangir’s Hunts, Addictions & Obsessions 28:25 – Slavery, Eunuchs & Exploitation under the Mughals 34:47 – Ch. Shivaji Maharaj's Moral Code: Protecting Women & Civilians 35:14 – The Tax Burden: 50% vs 10% Under Shivaji 39:50 – What Did the Mughals Really Give India? 41:05 – Monuments, Temples & the Cost of Glory 43:15 – Distorted History: Who Really Ruled Before the British? 48:20 – Broken Temples, Opium Cultivation & Ecological Collapse 50:18 – Skull Mounds, Famines & Forgotten Horrors 52:30 – Final Message: Reclaiming India’s Story 👉 If you enjoyed this conversation, don’t forget to subscribe to Bharatvaarta! We bring you deep, thoughtful discussions on politics, policy, and culture every week. 📢 Follow us on Twitter for updates: twitter.com/Bharatvaarta 📸 Follow us on Instagram: instagram.com/Bharatvaarta