August 27
On 27th August 2006 celebrated Hindi film maker Hrishikesh Mukherjee passed away in Mumbai. Mukherjee directed 42 films throughout his career spanning forty years and is remembered for establishing what is now known as the “middle cinema” of India. Mukherjee’s films focused on the Indian middle class and its changing dynamics over the years. Hrishikesh Mukherjee was born... Read More →
August 26
On 26th August 1303, Alauddin Khilji of the Khilji Dynasty attacked and captured Chittorgarh in a historic battle. With Alauddin Khilji began what is known as the Imperial Period of the Sultanate of Delhi. Alauddin Khilji came to power after murdering his uncle Jalaluddin Khilji, after which he came to Delhi and declared himself the new ruler amidst... Read More →
August 25
On 25th August 1917 the first concrete step towards the Indianisation of the Army was initiated when seven selected Indians, serving the Army, were granted King’s Commission in the Infantry and the Cavalry. Before the World War ended, two more Indians, who previously held temporary commissions, were granted King’s Commission. The British Indian Army (also known as the Indian... Read More →
August 24
On 24th August 1608, the first representative of the East India landed in Surat for purposes of trade. The East India Company was a British joint stock company founded in 1600 to carry out trade with the East Indies (a term used to refer to South and South East Asia), but primarily ended up carrying out trade with... Read More →
August 23
On 23rd August 2004 the Lok Sabha passed the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA), which ensures a livelihood for millions of poor living in rural areas. The MGNREGA was launched in Anantapur in Andhra Pradesh on 2nd February 2006 and initially covered 200 of the most impoverished districts across India. The Act was then carried... Read More →
August 22
On 22nd August 1639 Madras (now Chennai) was founded by the East India Company who bought it as a piece of land from the local Nayak rulers. In ancient times, the city of Chennai was known as Madraspatnam and was located in Tondaimandalam, an area flanked by the Pennar River of Nellore and the Pennar river of Cuddalore... Read More →
August 21
On 21st August 1972, the Wildlife Protection Act was passed. This act was later implemented on 9th September 1972. Laws related to wildlife have been a part of our history, long before the Wildlife Protection Act was passed. The need to protect our wildlife has come from the awareness to restore the crucial ecological balance in nature, least it... Read More →
August 20
On 20th August 1828, the first session of Raja Ram Mohan Roy’s Brahmo Samaj was held in Kolkata. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was a popular social and educational reformer in India who paved the way for progress in India under British rule. Roy is known for his efforts to abolish sati and child marriage. Because of his forward... Read More →
August 19
On 19th August 1757 the first rupee coin of the East India Company was minted in Kolkata (then Calcutta). The East India Company was a British joint stock company created to carry out trade with the East Indies (a term used to describe South and South East Asia), but which mainly traded with the Indian subcontinent. The East India... Read More →
August 18
On 18th August 1945 it was reported that Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose was seriously injured and badly burned in a plane crash in Taihoku airport, Taiwan and is believed to have passed away in a nearby Japanese military hospital. Subhas Chandra Bose, fondly known as Netaji, was an important Indian Nationalist leader who fought for Indian Independence from the British during... Read More →
