Threads
Languages are learnt for only economic upward mobility or cultural influence. When I was in school, Hindi was compoulsory. Till 2000s, PSUs were the only good jobs, with Union gor...
Most states in the Indian subcontinent ended the same way they began. Mauryas: Rebellion against Nandas engineered by Chanakya. Ended by their minister, Pushyamitra Shunga rebelli...
Random find from 1700s- the word चकमक means flint. In persian, घिलमान-इ-चकमक meant elite guards armed with flintlock muskets. So marathi letters of battles which report "चकमकी" a...
On 16 March 1527 was a very interesting battle in Indian history. Battle of Khanwa (Rajasthan), between Rana Sanga and Babur. Babur won but it was quite close. Short 🧵 on the camp...
this has been a persistent failure, but each of the other comparisons has unique advantages. Vietnam close to CN. Turkey to EU. BD specializes in textiles due to slave-wage from ex...
This is a good read about a specific issue - local rent seeking. But its important because it is applicable more broadly across India. Its full of local rent seekers who operate on...
A record of taxes collected from the Bengal, Bihar and Orissa subahs in Shah Jahan's time gives a total of 2cr Rupees in ~1630s. After East India Co seized the rights to tax, they...
I've often described it as a successor state of Mughals- extreme wealth concentration, no middle class, rent seeking military that consumes most of the resources. But in modern ti...
Would be redundant to repeat, but gormint has given up on growth. With elections next year, rent seeking will peak in the informal economy. At best we'll do 6-7% for next few yea...
Is population decline really going to do any major damage to the countries affected? We had the Black Death destroy something like 25-35% of the population. It led to end of serfd...
Good thread on Panipat 3, 1748-1761 was a major turning point for the subcontinent. 🧵 In 1747, Abdali became king in Afghanistan after Nadir Shah's death, and invaded Punjab in 17...
Amazing long piece- Lebanon apparently has the equivalent of "caste" based quotas for each sub sub caste in everything. Nothing in gormint works, theres no $ to pay, no one compet...