The Deccan Plateau is the massive, elevated tableland that occupies the vast majority of the interior of the Indian peninsula. The word "Deccan" is an anglicized version of the Prakrit word dakkhin, which derives from the Sanskrit dakshina, meaning "south." Geologically, it is a staggering formation - a huge shield of ancient volcanic rock.Geologists call this region the Deccan Traps. It is one of the largest volcanic features on planet Earth.

Imagine a crisp, golden-fried pastry crescent, similar to a Karanji  or Gujiya , filled with a decadent mixture of crushed nuts, sugar, and rare perfumes like musk, served hot from the Sultan's kitchen. Maybe I am just hungry today - we will eventually get to a coin. The Dough:  Made from Rice flour and Ghee (for a melt-in-the-mouth texture). The Filling:  A blend of Almond flour, Charoli nuts, roasted Chickpea flour, Sugar, and spices (Cardamom, Fennel, Musk). Then deep fri

Ahilyabai Holkar (1725–1795) is a luminous figure in Indian history, a "Philosopher Queen" who ruled the Maratha state of Indore with a rare blend of piety and administrative genius. Born in a village in Ahmednagar, she married into the powerful Holkar dynasty but faced early tragedy, losing her husband Khanderao in battle in 1754. Khanderao Holkar was inspecting his troops in an open palanquin when he was struck and killed by a cannonball fired from the Jat artillery during

In " A Journey Through the Kingdom of Oude, in 1849-1850 ", Sir William Henry Sleeman, describes the violent scene of July 8, 1837, in which the British put Muhammad Ali Shah on the throne in Awadh (Oudh). The previous King, Nasir-ud-Din Haidar, died just before midnight. The Queen Mother, Padshah Begum, immediately launched an attempt to put her ward or grandson, Munna Jan, on the throne, whom she claimed was the rightful heir.  Colonel Low and British troops stormed the p

2nd/3rd Century CE relief showing a Kushan King (probably Huvishka) making a donation to Buddha (a Bodhisattva). Museo d'Arte Orientale, in the historic 18th-century seat of Palazzo Mazzonis, Torino, Italy Huvishka, the documented successor of Kanishka I, ruled for more than three decades. His reign is best reconstructed from inscriptions and an exceptionally rich coinage. What stands out from his reign is an imperial mint that deployed a broad pantheon on coins, a shift of m

Yazid I was the son of Mu'awiya , the second caliph of the Umayyads, and the sixth caliph overall. (Note: for a coin of Yazid's father...

For many years I have admired the gold coins of the Kushan kings and finally decided it was time to move from admiring to owning. This...

British Trade Deficit and Opium Smuggling In the 18th century, British demand for Chinese tea, silk, and porcelain soared, but China...

Tipu's Tiger, an 18th-century automata with its keyboard visible. Victoria and Albert Museum, London . Public Domain image via Wikimedia...

Pigeon on a Peach Branch by Emperor Huizong Chinese coins are not an area where I have many coins to offer. Today's coin is from an...

In the late 15th century, the Timurid Empire was fragmenting, and Qunduz (modern Kunduz in northern Afghanistan) became the seat of an...

This coin struck me as curious - copying 4th century Roman style portraits in the 12th century.  Al-Malik al-Ṣāliḥ, was the Zengid emir...

Saturnalia in Red: an AI generated abstract image evoking the spirit of Saturnalia. Saturnalia is December 17th. I was excited to open...

Gur-e-Amir - a mausoleum of the Asian conqueror Timur (also known as Tamerlane) in Samarkand, Uzbekistan ( Copyright: under license from...

By the mid-14th century, the Chaghatai Khanate, originally established by Chaghatai, the second son of Genghis Khan, had begun to fracture.

The arabic word مملوك or mamlūk means "owned" or "possessed". In the context of 13th century Islamic society, Mamlūks were usually ...

2024 has had ups and downs - it seems that every year I start with same thought. This has been an unusual year with and earth quake,...

This is the Kwarazmian Empire in 1215.....it was one of the most powerful and affluent states of its time. The Khwarezmian Empire, at the...

The Seljuks of Rum, who ruled over much of Anatolia from the late 11th century, faced increasing pressure from the Mongol invasions...

The Coronation of Ardashir-e Babakan, a Sasanian rock relief, carved circa CE 235, located in the east corner of Naqsh-e Rostam, in the modern Fars Province of Iran. Ardashir I receives his kingship ring from Ahura Mazda who appoints him Shahanshah (King of Kings) of Ērānshahr (Iran). Photo taken in 2018 by Wojciech Kocot, image used under CC BY-SA 4.0 , via Wikimedia Commons . Zoroastrianism In Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda (also known as Ohrmazd in Middle Persian) is the supr