Dr Vikram Sampath is an author and historian known for his books on V.D. Savarkar, Tipu Sultan and Gauhar Jaan, among others. He is the founder of the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research and the co-founder and director of Naav AI, which uses artificial intelligence to bridge language barriers.
In this edition of the ANI Podcast with Smita Prakash, Dr Sampath questions why India’s history remains centred around Delhi and discusses how NCERT textbooks have shaped our understanding of the past. He speaks about Mahatma Gandhi, Veer Savarkar and Tipu Sultan, and challenges the influence of Leftist historians on India’s historical narrative.
This episode explores how India can reclaim and rewrite its history.
00:00 – Introduction
1:15 – History Textbooks in India
4:51 – Cholas, Ahoms and Marathas
10:09 – Narrative of Indian History
14:36 – India’s Cultural Geography
18:18 – Historical Research Projects
23:24 – Bias in Historical Writing
29:37 – Mahatma Gandhi’s Legacy
35:23 – Ancient Texts & Language Barriers
40:36 – History of Buddhism
52:21 – Religious Conversion
58:00 – Forgotten Women in Indian History
1:04:12 – Kashmir’s Historical Documentation
1:10:51 – Portrayal of History in Movies
1:16:10 – Future of History Education
1:25:19 – India’s Musical Heritage
