In the first episode of India in the Long Nineteenth Century, Arup K. Chatterjee sits down with historian Amit Ranjan to trace how the 1800s still shape India today. They begin by reflecting on why the nineteenth century remains so relevant, not just as a period of British rule but as the era that forged many of India’s modern ideas, institutions, and tensions.
The conversation turns to John Lang, the fiery journalist and rebel who challenged colonial authority through his writing. Amit Ranjan explains how Lang’s fearless reporting and satire sowed the seeds of political activism. From there, they discuss the Pamban Bridge, a marvel of colonial engineering that became a symbol of India’s entry into industrial modernity—and of the ambivalent legacy of infrastructure built under Empire.
Next, Chatterjee and Ranjan explore Dara Shikoh, the Mughal prince whose translations of the Upanishads introduced Vedanta to Europe and influenced thinkers like Schopenhauer. They show how Dara Shikoh’s intercultural spirit helped create a shared philosophical vocabulary across continents. Finally, they widen the lens to consider the development of Indology, the rise of caste debates, and the birth of Indian journalism, arguing that the “long nineteenth century” extends well into the political and cultural battles India faces in the twenty‑first century.
Arup K. Chatterjee 