The British came to Madras (modern Chennai) in 1639. By the 18th century, they controlled large parts of the South Eastern coast of India. The Carnatic region, though was ruled independently by the Nawab of Arcot, Muhammad Ali Khan Wallajah. He became great friends with the British in the 1750s, after they helped him acquire larger territories by defeating his rivals during the Siege of Arcot in 1751. But everything has a price: the British demanded exorbitant rates for their ‘protection’. £160,000 per year to be exact.

he Marakkars were a community of Muslims that mostly lived in the kingdom of Cochin. They dominated the trade between the Coromandel and Malabar coasts (what would now be the coasts of Tamil Nadu and Kerala). They owned ships and traded in spices and other goods, mostly destined for Europe.

“♬Let’s go fly a kite Up to the highest height! Let’s go fly a kite and send it soaring ♫” This song from Disney’s Mary Poppins, to me, best describes what kite flying can feel like. If you’ve ever flown one, you know. But this euphoric piece of paper wasn’t always a sport. In fact, old records suggest that kites were developed for very serious

A very long time ago, a young Frenchman came to South India to fight an American war and became a British prisoner. He would one day be appointed king of Sweden. Before confusing you any further, let me tell you how it all happened. In 1775 the Thirteen American Colonies, controlled by the British, declared independence, calling themselves for the first time, the United States