Asia History News
The Vietnam war made American culture bolder and more varied
The conflict, which ended 50 years ago, precipitated new styles of music and film
6 min read10 Jul 2025Singapore has voted for familiarity and stability in uncertain times
The ruling People’s Action Party (PAP) had been in charge since the city-state’s independence in 1965 and delivered much prosperity. Amid trade worries, it has been re-elected. But the government under Prime Minister Lawrence Wong mustn’t take the electorate for granted.
4 min read6 May 2025The neglect of Asia was the great failure of Yalta, writes Stephen Kotkin
Black grouse and caviar helped Stalin get much of what he wanted, but his Red Army counted for more, says a notable historian of Russia
6 min read13 Apr 2025Aurangzeb's tomb: ‘Correcting’ historical wrongs is a slippery slope
Making sense of Aurangzeb is a complicated affair; we must be wary of simplistic explanations and propositions. Historians can take a step back and analyse the ways in which historical events are remembered, but societies engage with history more emotionally
5 min read12 Apr 2025The British Raj extracted $65 trillion from India: Fact or fiction?
Is there a case for reparations? Oxfam’s huge estimate of the money drained from India by Britain’s colonial rule does not withstand scrutiny, as it makes too many feeble assumptions.
4 min read28 Jan 2025India must flex reason rather than muscle in honour of its republic
Democracy is integral to India’s popular conception of itself, but it’s unclear if the same can be said of republican ideals. We must always be ready to reason with ourselves. It may even shape India’s future in the age of AI.
3 min read27 Jan 2025Following the trail of Darjeeling Sherpas
Over the course of 12 years, Nandini Purandare and Deepa Balsavar have documented the struggles and challenges of Sherpas
4 min read18 Jan 2025Chronicling inherited memories of the Partition
The echoes of the Partition of 1947 can still be heard not just in the lives of the survivors but their descendants as well. The third generation is now chronicling this inherited legacy
3 min read15 Aug 2024‘Indians are b*stards’: When Henry Kissinger passed racist comments against India, abused Indira Gandhi
IFormer Secretary of State Henry Kissinger greatly influenced global affairs under Presidents Nixon and Ford, but had a deep-seated hatred towards India and Indians, as revealed in declassified White House tapes.
1 min read30 Nov 2023Books on the Big Business of the British Empire
Reviews of Philip J. Stern’s ‘Empire, Incorporated,’ Callie Wilkinson’s ‘Empire of Influence’ and David Howarth’s ‘Adventurers.’
7 min read2 Jun 2023