The Story Isn’t Over: History from the Margins

★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★00:00 - 5 Minute History: What is the Kissan Protest?04:48 - How did the book come about?06:55 - What was it like visiting and experiencing the protest site first hand?08:51 - In the age of social media, why make a physical photo book?10:12 - How many photos did you take and how did you decide which ones to include?11:12 - Once you’ve taken these photos, how long and what happens  between then, writing the introduction and getting the finished photo  book to sale?13:16 - What has the reception been like since you released the photo book?14:52 - Why did the Guardian not want to use the photos?16:29 - What went into getting the postcards produced?17:56 - Where can people buy the postcards and photo book?18:12 - What are you working on next?21:54 - What is Ramblings favourite photo from the book?27:32 - How I think Hark1karan is respectfully showcasing the community to the world.29:37 - Conclusion

★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★We talk about how Oupkar, in the footsteps of other women before her,  picked her mother to take the traditional role of the father during her  Palla ceremony. We talk about what went behind the decision, family  reaction, Oupkar’s relationship with her mother, growing up in a  single-parent household Oupkar’s advice to others and a whole lot more.00:00 - What is the Palla ceremony?02:35 - Finding out about Oupkar's mother03:38 - What role did your mother play during your Palla ceremony?03:59 - What was the reaction from your family and wider community like?05:04 - Was askign your mum to do the Palla ceremony a way of saying thank you?05:55 - What was your upbringing like?09:56 - How did your change your mums mind and did she have any concerns?  13:14 - What would your advice be to those thinking of doing something similar?  17:09 - Conclusion

★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★00:00 - Teaser00:56 - Introduction01:45 - Early life & upbringing03:46 - Family Background04:47 - Becoming a police officer?05:56 - From collector to collecting?08:35 - Why are antique swords (usually) far superior?10:39 - What do you do as an antique arms and armour collector?14:10 - The restoration of antique arms and armour?17:45 - Origins of the full body armour?20:07 - Indian laws and antique arms and armour22:30 - Dealer or collector?26:23 - Experience on BBC Antiques Roadshow29:57 - Role on BBC Antiques Roadshow31:14 - A general perspective of south asian arms and armour33:17 - Similarities and differences of south asian arms and armour38:57 - Sikh Weapons?42:01 - Dealing with antique guns47:03 - Museums, artifacts and where to draw the line?49:54 - Antique arms and armour fairs51:50 - Funniest experience57:29 - European influence on south asian arms and armour?01:01:58 - Favourite Item: The Articulated Bagh Nakh01:12:19 - History of the articulated Bagh Nakh01:14:58 - Origins of articulated the Bagh Nakh01:16:11 - Made to measure?01:17:31 - Deciphering what’s legitimate?01:20:31 - Pointers for collectors who are just starting?01:22:58 - Social media & how to get in touch01:25:06 - Damascus steel01:29:13 - Anything we missed out?01:29:30 - Conclusion

00:00 - Intro 01:02 - The origins of this project 02:01 - Why was the decision made to make the calendar entirely about women? 02:53 - Idol worship and paintings of Gurus? 06:34 - An artist's perspective of depicting Gurus and other figures from Sikh history? 08:22- Where are the stories coming from? What do the sources tell us about Sikh women in history? 12:19 - Why is it important that the sources are pre-colonial? What has colonialism done to our current understanding of women in Sikh history? 14:01 - What is the mentality behind revising historical narratives? 16:00 - Who has been included in the calendar? 21:23 - What do pre-colonial texts say about the Gurus marrying more than one wife? 24:08 - What do pre-colonial texts say about the marriage rites of the Gurus? 27:25 - Other examples of source material disagreeing with the modern narrative? 33:00 - How do you bring the research to life as accurately as possible? 35:27 - Understanding the ‘soul bride’ metaphor 39:21 - How has the reformation of Sikh philosophy influenced the modern day Sikh community's understanding of itself - including tales of men & women from Sri Dasam Granth? 47:29 - Would it be fair to say that the Divine, beyond duality, is conveyed through duality? 51:55 - What has been the greatest difficulty in creating these pieces of art? 54:31 - Is there anything that has not been included due to modern sensibilities? 55:53 - Which other artists are involved? 56:46 - Can we undo the impact of the Singh Sabha movement or are we heading into a ‘Neo-Pre Colonial’ period? 01:00:27 - Why are certain depictions of Sikh history more accepted than others? 01:04:22 - Perception of the divine and artist Sobha Singh? 01:08:43 - How will art from today impact the community in generations to come? 01:15:23 - Which one is your favourite art piece from the calendar? 01:20:28 - Conclusion 01:20:41 - Bloopers★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★

Featuring Neymar's mascot, Josh Singh. Prince Ripudaman Singh, his Swan Rolls-Royce & matching Roll Royce Cygnett. The Koutoubia Mosque replica in Kapurthala. The first Indian languages school in England. General Allard, Napoleon's wife & cashmere shawls. The Sikh Peanut Prince of Argentina and a Portuguese eye-witness to Guru Arjun Dev Ji’s shaheedi.

★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ You can see a full time stamped breakdown of the conversation below. 00:00 - Teaser 00:20 - Introduction 01:26 - Family history and background 04:59 - What do you remember from October 31st 1984? 08:15 - Would the genocide have taken place even if Indira Gandhi was not assassinated? 14:36 - How did your research help bring to the front a bigger picture? 18:34 - To what extent are the police and the army involved & how did Sikhs who were in these forces act? 21:53 - How and why do things come to a stop towards November 3rd? 23:58 - Was the genocide just targetted to Delhi? 24:09 - What role does the media play in the immediate decade or two in supporting a particular narrative? 29:11 - Do you expect we’ll ever know the true extent of what actually took place? 32:54 - Which high ranking officials were involved? What did they do? Was Sajjan Kumar essentially a sacrificial lamb from the perspective of the state? 39:03 - What role did Gyani Zail Singh  play? 43:28 - Are the British involved? What do arms deals have  to do with 1984?   46:36 - Any idea what documents were removed by the FCO from the National Archives in 2016, could it possibly include the British reconnaissance report from Sri Harmandir Sahib? 48:30 - Has anything new come to light that changes the narrative since you published your book? 53:09 - Truth, Justice & Reconciliation: what do you think should happen? 58:32 - How did the research impact you? 01:03:43 - Conclusion 01:04:36 - Outro 01:04:54 - Next Month’s Podcast Trailer

This is the full podcast 'The Rise & Fall of the Sikh Empire' with Dr. Priya Atwal.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★⁠⁠ You can find the full video podcast on my YouTube channel and you can see a full time stamped breakdown of the conversation below. 00:00 - Teaser 01:14 - Introduction 03:07 - What is the Punjabi/Sikh relationship with political ideologies such as monarchy, republicanism and democracy? 11:38 - How would you define the socio-political system of the Misl period? 16:43 - You challenge the assumption that Punjabi Queens are un-martial, could you tell us more about this? 31:20 - Relics of Muhammad in the treasury of Maharaja Runjeet Singh? 33:05 - How else is the martial imagery deployed and developed? 44:10 - Would it be fair to say some of the misunderstandings around topics like women is due to a male dominated perspective? 44:28 - What is the socio-economic and cultural landscape like during  Ranjit Singh's reign & does he do anything that drastically changes  things? 46:09 - How big is Punjab during Runjeet Singh's reign? 52:01 - How would you define the way Ranjit Singh engages with the  British EIC, as well as the larger political landscape externally and  internally?   58:10 - How does the Sarvaisddhantattvacudamani (The Crest-Jewel of the  Essence of all Systems of Astronomy) play such a central role in  redefining the Kharak Singh, Sher Singh, Tara Singh and Duleep Singh? 01:14:28 - Previous episode 01:15:27 - In a nutshell, why did the Sukerchakia dynasty fall apart?

Today I’m joined once again by Gurinder Singh Mann and we’re discussing  his latest book - Rise of the Sikh Soldier - as well as a whole host of  other topics.    ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★⁠⁠ You can find a time stamped breakdown of the full podcast below:   00:00 - Teaser 00:55 - Introduction 01:27 - What made you write the book? 04:01 - How did you go about your research for this book? 05:54 - Out of the 4 pages of illustrations listed in the book, which are worth mentioning? 08:30 - How did you go about picking who to include? 11:17 - Could you tell us a little bit about the upbringing of Jassa Singh Ahluwalia? 14:50 - Why did you not include Nawab Kapur Singh? 16:25 - What could you tell us about Jassa Singh Ahluwalia’s reading of the political landscape? 22:32 - What could you tell us about the communications between the Misls and the British? 26:23 - In the letters between the Misls and the British - besides military matters - what else do they discuss? 29:24 - What is the political system of the time? 32:07 - How did the rakhi system work? Was it akin to racketeering? 38:10 - In a nutshell, who is Charat Singh Sukerchakia? 43:34 - What leads to the Sukerchakia’s rise to power? 46:19 - Who is Lehna Singh Majithia? 50:19 - Is there a particular reason why the artillery was predominantly composed of Muslims? 52:58 - Although not included in the book, what could you say about Akali Phula Singh and Hari Singh Nalwa? 59:06 - Who is Sada Kaur & why is she important? 01:05:32 - What could you tell us about the military system of Ranjit Singh’s Empire & the influence of European generals? 01:09:12 - Who are the elite troops of the Sikh Empire? 01:13:21 - Did the Sikhs ever conquer Afghanistan? 01:19:03 - Anything you wanted to mention or we’ve missed out? 01:21:27 - Where can I get a copy of ‘Rise of the Sikh Soldier’? 01:22:11 - Conclusion

Today I have the pleasure to talk to Kavita Puri, she is an award-winning BBC journalist, oral historian, executive producer and broadcaster about her book - Partition Voices - which is now in its 2nd edition.★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ You can find a full time stamped breakdown of the conversation below:00:00 - Introduction00:44 - Why you do the work you do07:57 - Who is Kavita Puri?11:32 - Difference between a journalist an a historian?14:49 - When did you become aware of your own family history?19:06 - What are the causes of silence?25:35 - How did you go about putting the book - Partition Voices - together?28:46 - How did recording these stories impact you?32:30 - Did people ever share how they felt after talking with you?35:38 - What was it that helped cause the social cohesion to evaporate?40:11 - How does masculinity and manhood impact the events that unfold?45:56 - What led people to believe that Partition would not be how it turned out?50:33 - What is the understanding behind the respect for the land?53:53 - Did you come across anything unexpected?56:16 - Why do you think the history of the British Empire should be taught within Britian?58:45 - Precautions and tips01:01:32 - Conclusion

Today I have the chance to talk to Rav Singh from 'A Little History of the Sikhs'. We explore all the fascinating and obscure parts of Sikh history that are scattered across the UK, Europe and further afield.  ★ Join the Ramblings of a Sikh YouTube Channel ★ ★ Support this podcast on Patreon ★ ★ Buy this podcast a coffee ★ 00:00 - Teaser 00:37: - Intro 01:55 - Who Is Rav Singh? 04:00 - Work & A Little History - How Do You Balance Them? 06:33 - What Spurned You To Start A Little History Of The Sikhs? 09:46 - Trafalgar Square - The Governor Of Punjab & The Ferozepore Sikhs 13:35 - The 1999 Exhibition 15:09 - Allegience To Whom? 22:22 - The Kohinoor 25:12 - Accessing Archives 25:24 - Maidstone Museum & The Sikh Cannon 26:10 - The Blood Soaked Jacket 27:12 - How Durham University Archives Have Got It Wrong 28:41 - The Secrets Of The Antiques Road Show 29:25 - Maharaj Singh 30:35 - Growing Up In East London 36:57 - Bhangra Day Timers & Sikh History 37:55 - Memorialising Anglo-sikh History - Generals, A Cherry & A Mosquito 40:06 - History Of Empire 41:42 - From University To A Little History Of The Sikhs 46:27 - Sikh History In London And Monopoly 46:44 - Sikhopoly & The Singh Twins 47:23 - Further Development Of A Little History Of The Sikhs 51:46 - Quotes, Meanings & Why They're Important To You 54:07 - Christy Campbell & Maharajah Duleep Singh 54:54 - 2nd Hand Book Shops In London & Online 55:31 - Finding Out More About Duleep Singh 01:01:49 - The Quote For Me 01:03:42 - The Most Obscure Bit Of Sikh History In London? 01:04:06 - The Mice, The Cheese & Other Obscurities 01:07:02 - The Team Behind A Little History 01:14:41 - Sikh History In 32 Boroughs Of London 01:16:09 - Sikh Cannons In London 01:22:27 - The Silent Painting From Amritsar 01:24:25 - Sikhs & Hampton Court Palace 01:40:31 - Interesting Pit Stops On Your Tours Related To Sikh History 01:41:00 - The Sikh Chapel 01:49:14 - Psychology of Recruiting 01:52:23 - From A Church On Old Kent Road To The Guru Ka Bagh Morcha In Punjab 01:57:53 - What Are Your Plans For 2022? - Malaga To Madrid 01:59:40 - Sikh History In Malta 02:02:31 - Sikh History In Spain? A Princess, An Argument And Jinnah 02:04:37 - Sikh History In Madrid 02:07:02 - The Little History Of The Sikhs Museum 02:09:31 - Tours In Europe & The Uk 02:14:09 - How To Get Involved? 02:21:45 - Bhangra Daytimers Walking Tour 02:26:27 - The Udham Singh Experience 02:28:06 - Things You Haven't Seen Before 02:29:54 - Controversy? 02:33:37 - Random Messages - Guru Nanak Dev Ji In Europe 02:36:12 - History & Emotions, Guru, Gurbani & Life 02:40:51 - Conclusion