ISSUE 1
ISSUE 1
table of contents Editor's note Devna Aggarwal
i 1
The Struggle for Women's Suffrage Vaishnavi Bansal The Salem Witch Trials and the Entangled Forces of Patriarchy and Superstition Mahika Pai Mizar
3
A Tale of Two Cities Rohan Doddavaram
5
Mobilisation of Social Media Devna Aggarwal
7 9
Rise of Saddam Hussein Shinjon Sana Political Cartoon Urshita Anchalia
10
Lessons from 1918 Avi Konduri
11
Crossword Manya Gupta
12
Recommendations
13
Letter from Mr. Vijaykumar
14
Credits
15
HISTORACLE
ISSUE 1
Editor's Note Dear Reader, Welcome to the first issue of Historacle! Whether it was a heated debate on the ethics of World War Two at our weekly History club meeting or a conversation with my friends at breakfast about the rule of Indira Gandhi, my interest in History was unwavering and constantly left me seeking more. I wanted to provide others with a similar opportunity, to facilitate them to look at the world- in all its prominence and subtleties- via a lens of the past. By actively participating at our school’s History Club and attempting to expand this room full of intellectual and ideologically-driven history geeks, I felt the need to start a magazine that would cater to a considerably larger audience and aid them with a platform to voice their opinions on anything in the realm of history and politics. In my pursuit to name this publication, I found ‘Historacle’ to be fitting as in my mind, it would encapsulate a plethora of viewpoints which would create predicaments of the future as an amalgamation of our current present (or rather our perceptions) of it coupled with traces of the past. Therefore, this magazine was born and could be made possible with the incredible support of Mr. Vijayakumar, who constantly motivated me in my endeavours. I would also like to thank all members of the History Club for their contribution and for dedicating their time to the various tasks at hand. From our view of the on-going Russia-Ukraine conflict, to the status of women through the years, we bring this issue to walk you through the events that took place in the month of March. We hope you enjoy testing your knowledge of the past by solving some crosswords and letting out a laugh at the sight of our political cartoons and by the time you turn to the last page of the magazine, the notion of history being a rather boring subject has been debunked. Happy Reading! Regards, Devna Aggarwal Editor-in-Chief
HISTORACLE
i
ISSUE 1
The Struggle for Women's Suffrage by Vaishnavi Bansal
Celebrating International Women’s Day in March, let’s take a look at how the fight for equal rights progressed. The movement begins: It was when Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucretia Mott were denied entry at World Anti-Slavery convention that the women’s suffrage took shape. In 1848, at Seneca Falls, New York, the first convention regarding women rights was held. The main aim for these women was to be treated as equals to men. To address women’s grievances and demands, The Declaration of Sentiments and Grievances was signed.
Small steps: Many suffragists were abolitionists as well, which meant that they wanted to end slavery. Even though African American men were allowed to vote after 1869’s 15th amendment, women were not. Therefore, Stanton and a few other suffragists formed the National Woman's Suffrage Association. About 90 women sent a letter to congress to urge them to include women to the amendment. After Congress’s refusal, they took another approach where Lucy Stone and her husband decided to go to each state asking them to change their constitution, which would make the federal government change its law if enough states could change theirs.
The struggle: Although women's suffrage was starting to gain popularity, black women faced many other challenges. While white people believed that the African Americans did not deserve equal rights as them, men believed that women did not deserve the same rights as them. Thus, the African American women were fighting for both racial rights and gender equality. This led to the formation of the American Woman Suffrage Association.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 1
ISSUE 1 Stronger together: In 1890, the two different groups (the white and black suffragists) merged and formed the National Woman Suffrage Association. However, black women were often excluded and had to march separately. This separation and informal segregation led to the formation of another group consisting only of black women, the National League of Coloured Women.
Not-so-peaceful protests: Alice Paul, a suffragist was yelled at, struck and arrested by those who viewed equal voting rights as a nuisance. She was served worm infested food and was given dirty beds in prison, which made her go on a hunger strike. In addition to that, about 218 women were arrested from 26 different states for picketing outside the White House.
Votes for women: During World War 1 as men were mostly fighting overseas, women had the chance to prove themselves. They took up jobs in factories and also worked as nurses. This led to the government changing its mindset towards the role of women and encouraged president Woodrow Wilson to support women's suffrage. Thus in 1920, the 19th amendment, which granted women equal voting rights, was officially ratified and gave women in the United States of America the right to vote.
The movement continues: Inspired by these events, women around the world continue to fight for equal rights- pushing for equal pay and political representation. The ideals which the suffragists installed in women continue to this day, with women speaking up against injustice and mistreatment in all walks of life.
Food for thought: During the women’s right convention in Akron Ohio, white men tried to take over the meeting. It was then that Sojourner Truth, a black women’s activist and a former slave gave the famous “Ain't I A Woman” speech- one of the first speeches to address both gender and racial discrimination.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 2
The Salem Witch Trials and the Entangled Forces of Patriarchy and Superstition by Mahika Pai Mizar 1692, Massachusetts. Over 300 years after the Salem Witch Trials, there remain a few memoirs of this blood-curdling event. As one winds down the roads of this New England town, they are likely to find an array of shops selling mystical herbs, potions and pendulums complete with a large Bewitched statue serving as a reminder of the iconic 1960s show. But this does not bear even the slightest resemblance with the gruesome realities of the Salem Witch Trials. Forever emblazoned in the dark past of the coastal city, the Salem Witch Trials stands as a mark of the extent to which paranoia coupled with forces of the patriarchy can cause the loss of so much more than simply sanity. Let's head all the way back to the 1630s: a Salem filled with Puritan refugees which hailed as a reflection of utmost Christian values- a haven for harmony and piousness.
HISTORACLE
The Puritans had already faced resistance for years together in England and Holland among many other places, and had come to America mainly to seek religious freedom and practise their faith as they saw fit. It was this very fanaticism that set the stage for the Salem Witch Trials: in the aftermath of their own persecution, this God-fearing, patriarchal society was hell-bent on preserving its way of life and belief system at any costs. On a cold January morning of 1692, Betty Parris and her cousin Abigail began to twitch and twist their bodies into odd shapes as sleet and snow piled higher outside their door, all whilst speaking in a bizarre language. The Reverend Parris, Betty's frightened father, quickly summoned a doctor to examine the girls, who declared the girls bewitched. This diagnosis set into motion what would lead to over 200 individuals accused of witchcraft in this one small town. Bridget Bishop was the first to stand trial, in which she was found guilty and consequently executed on June 10th. Before the court dismissed in October of that year, thirteen women and five men from all walks of life followed her to the gallows on three consecutive hanging days.
PAGE 3
ISSUE 1 It is worth noting that 70 to 80% of the accused were women, the majority of whom were past their child-bearing years. Even when men were accused of witchcraft, it was usually because they were in some way connected to the accused women. What is even more interesting is that the first 3 women who were accused did not fit into society’s conventions of what a ‘proper woman’ really was- the Bishop had been accused of witchcraft well before the trails even started, Tituba was a coloured slave, Osborn was an elderly widow who remarried a farmhand, and Good was a homeless beggar. But has much changed today? We live in a world where the ideal standard for women is so impossible that almost any digression from it results in backlash. In the West, powerful elder women who lead and speak up, such as House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, are nevertheless referred to as witches on a regular basis. In Australia, the term "dump the witch" was used to mock Julia Gillard, the country's first female Prime Minister, while in the United Kingdom, a Christmas card depicting former Prime Minister Theresa May as the Wicked Witch of Westminster was created by a member of Parliament.
Similar to the Salem Witch Trials, we have a legal system which simply doesn’t seem to offer victims of such blatant violence and injustice the ideal protection needed, resulting in systemic discrimination. We also face a system of internalized misogyny where rape culture reinforces the themes of women against women- in fact, one glance at some of the comments made by certain female politicians in India will be sufficient in shedding light on the severity of the situation at hand. This is simply a graze on a larger problem- there is much to be said, but how much pain can be fitted into one argument? Today, we look back at the Salem Witch Trials as a matter of history- but I hold the opinion that we must view it as a historical superimposition of the present. The incredibly rigid forces of the patriarchy have resulted in a frighteningly similar modern situation of the oppression of women on a worldwide scale. In this dark chapter of American history, women were both the victims and the perpetrators, victims of a society built and ruled by powerful males- How different is this situation compared to today?
We still see Indian women, particularly older women, getting accused of witchcraft. Men often take advantage of India’s caste system, patriarchy and deeply ingrained superstitious belief to blame women. Sociologists say that accusations of sorcery are used to evict women from valuable property that their male counterparts seek.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 4
ISSUE 1
A Tale of Two Cities by Rohan Doddavaram
Russia is big. Like, really big. From the steppes of Europe to the vast wilderness of the Russian Far East, modern Russia, despite its diminished size, covers a landmass that is larger than the surface of Pluto. Now, needless to say, things haven’t always been this way. In fact, the history of a recognizably “Russian” entity begins far more recently than you might think – the beginnings of the Russian state are to be found in the tumultuous times of the 9th Century CE. And these beginnings do not occur in Moscow, as one might initially think. No, interestingly, the earliest history of Russia begins, in fact, from the city of Kiev. Almost deliciously ironic, if you think about it.
Although ethnically Swedish, the Varangians rapidly assimilated to the nuances of Slavic culture, establishing a polity that at its apotheosis spanned from the White Sea in the north to the Black Sea in the south; from the Vistula in the west to the Caucasus in the East. This state, known as the Kievan Rus by virtue of its imperial capital of Kiev, was the common ancestor of modern-day Russia, Ukraine and Belarus, all of whom claim this – ironically, foreign – dynasty, the Rurikids, as part of their national myths. So seminal were the Rus to the history of the region that two out of the three nations descended from them continue to incorporate their tribal demonym into their names – Russia and Belarus.
Our story begins with a tribe of Swedish Norsemen, the Varangians, under their rather dashing leader Prince Rurik. The peripatetic “Viking” tribes of the Early Mediaeval Period colonised vast tracts of land in and around their homeland of Scandinavia, including Eastern Europe. The general consensus is that the Varangians were invited to the region at the request of a number of East Slavic tribal chiefs who sought protection from the depredations of the Khazars and other nomadic raiders from the vast steppe to the east.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 5
ISSUE 1 The Kingdom of the Rus fell in the 13th Century (like so many of its neighbours) to the westward expansion of the Mongol Khans – but not before giving rise to a sense of RussoUkrainian identity (and a number of fascinating leaders) that laid the groundwork for subsequent centuries of the history of these two peoples. It is important to note therefore that for almost as long as there have been ideas of Russia or Ukraine, these two ideas have been very closely linked. Yet you’d be making a serious mistake in conflating this link with the two cultures being identical. Throughout history, Ukrainians have been fiercely protective of both their national and sociocultural identity from their much larger neighbour to the east. And they’ve had good reason to feel this need to be protective – Russian states have made efforts over the last 600 years to completely assimilate Ukraine into the Russian mainstream. Russian governments in the past have leveraged national myths and stylized versions of the history of the Kievan Rus as a rallying point to imbue their government with legitimacy. The Romanov Tsars, for instance, labelled themselves “Emperor of All the Russias” – reducing Ukraine to “Malorossiya” or “Lesser Russia” and stripping it of the distinguishing factors so characteristic of Ukrainian identity. This at its essence is the source of the conflict between these cultures: Russia’s affinity with Ukraine is often used as a pretext for westward expansion.
HISTORACLE
Ukrainians are thus habituated to having to defend their culture from homogenization, something that was particularly prevalent in the Russian Empire and Soviet Union. Ukrainian Cossacks had an awkward relationship with Moscow, both serving as the hired guns of the Tsar and consequently being subject to genocide and pogroms that threatened to erase their cultures under the USSR’s policies of erasing all remnants of Tsarist society, including the Cossack estates and their culture, through a practice cynically termed “normalization”. This label sums up quite well the Russo-Ukrainian pathos, wherein in spite of Kiev’s own conception of its distinct identity, Moscow simply considers them to be “misguided” Russians; Russians who have simply ‘strayed from the norm’. Putin’s Russia also views Ukraine as an alarming source of Western influence. Grounded in reactionary conservatism and an appeal to bygone Russian glory, the Kremlin views democracy and liberalism as dangerous gateway drugs: exposing Russia to these values would mean putting an inarguable sell-by date on Putin’s regime. Since 1991, Moscow has endeavoured to ensure that Ukraine falls within its sway, and Viktor Yanukovych is perhaps the best example of this. The former Ukrainian President was very pro-Russia in his administration and ready to defer to Moscow rather than seek consensus and accommodation with Washington or Brussels.
PAGE 6
ISSUE 1
The Mobilisation of Social Media by Devna Aggarwal
Economic sanctions, reparations, and blockades are some ways by which countries have suffered as a result of war. The Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay reparations of over 7 billion dollars; Saudi Arabia imposed a blockade on Yemen following the Yemeni Civil War and The United States of America inflicted economic sanctions on Vietnam during the Vietnamese War. However, with the on-going RussoUkrainian war, the consequences are different. Governments and companies have distanced themselves from Russia and “The West is not just trying to surround Russia with a new Iron Curtain” but trying to ‘cancel’ it by isolating the country and attempting an unorganised boycott of private sectors. The world holds contrasting views towards the first geopolitical cancellation of the 21st century; Wendy Rogers, Arizona State Senator believing that “this is just as wrong as invading Ukraine.”
His intolerance towards the LGBTQIA+ community, warnings about a ‘genderless and infertile’ Europe, and ‘anti-woke’ ideas have also been praised by the Right Wing in America, including Steve Banon, Trump’s former advisor. However, in a real war your twitter update matters far less than whether you can maintain your supply lines or air superiority. Moreover, are these informal sanctions really justifiable and ethical?
The actual war is being overtaken by a cultural war, mobilised by social media. Is it okay to directly punish the citizens of a country when it isn’t even beneficial for the victim?
This brings us to question this ‘policy’s’ effectiveness. Will this cancellation both as a rhetorical cliche and a mass phenomenon help alter the course of the conflict? Formula 1 has withdrawn the Russian Grand Prix, studios have suspended the release of movies such as Batman in Russia, Nike and H&M have suspended all their orders. The actual war is being overtaken by a cultural war, mobilised by social media.
Ancient Greeks used ostracism to punish an offender, with the population using “ostracas” which were broken pieces of pottery to write the name of the candidate the voter wanted to see exiled from the city. Realising the importance of creating outcasts, this was considered as a serious punishment that resulted in chronic mental conditions such as depression and suicidal ideation. This mass cultural boycott is no different and it invokes sentiments that cannot be escaped using any amount of influence, privilege or money.
The West’s decadent, snowflake attitude juxtaposes Mother Russia’s old and conservative principles, which have been a crucial part of Putin’s propaganda as well.
If Russians are no longer able to enjoy the activities they love, their tolerance for the government’s policies will diminish.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 7
ISSUE 1 No longer being able to participate in major sports events will reduce Russia’s influence in the global sphere, thus causing a blow to their aggressive nationalism. On the other hand, this cultural war might not reduce the life span of the war by even a day, while also leading to unnecessary consequences. Russians in other countries, such as the USA have started to experience discrimination and refusal of services from businesses. Even if Putin does lose public support, there is no guarantee of a better government coming to power. In the past, the imposition of sanctions have often led to a change in power amidst social instability but
HISTORACLE
has also led to the rise of dictators such as Hitler and Mussolini- which has not had very appealing consequences. Therefore, this approach isn’t the best way to punish an aggressor as it is unlike anything that has ever been done before. It is the 21st century where social media is one of the most powerful weapons- be it against an individual, a government or a country. It allows people to voice their opinions and free speech is rebellious- it can incite revolution. Today, economic and social isolation can have the same effect as any other weapon would have had a few decades back.
PAGE 8
ISSUE 1
The Rise of Saddam Hussein by Shinjon Sana
Saddam Hussein is arguably the most famous, or rather infamous Iraqi president to exist. His oppressive and authoritative regime was highlighted by human rights abuse and invasions of neighbouring countries. Saddam Hussein’s political origination stemmed from his close affiliation to the Ba’ath party who were interestingly included in General Abd Al-Karim Qasim’s cabinet. At this point in time, the Ba’ath party was an ideological vessel rather than an antigovernment organisation; their ranks were filled with educated professionals and students. The General, who had come to power following a military coup d’état, dethroned Faisal II of Iraq. However, after Qasim refused to join the United Arab Republic, the Ba’ath party turned against him, forcing him to ally with the Iraqi Communist party. As a result, the Ba’ath party began considering an assassination in order to regain control. Despite Saddam's heavy involvement in the assassination of Qasim, it was heavily flawed and consequentially, failed to carry out its objective. The assassin hit team incorrectly believed that they had succeeded and retreated before killing Qasim. Following the publication of the failed attempt, the schemers fled to Syria: the birthplace of Ba’athism. Michel Aflaq, then leader of the Ba’ath party, gave Saddam superintendence over Iraqi Ba’athists. Saddam then travelled to Egypt to complete his high school education and acquire a law degree, though to no avail.
HISTORACLE
Qasim was overthrown by army officers of the Ba’ath party during the Ramadan Revolution Coup of 1963, assisting Saddam's rise to power. Abdul Salam Arif was appointed president, who promptly dismissed and arrested various Ba’athist leaders. Saddam returned to Iraq to plot the assassination of Arif. Shortly after, he was arrested and served two years in prison before his flee in 1966. Following his escape, he was appointed Deputy Secretary of the Regional Command. Saddam was highly successful in his attempts to revitalise the party which saw his election to Regional command with the assistance of Michel Aflaq. In September 1966, Saddam was responsible for the containment of Syrian domination of the Ba’ath party which was a result of the Marxist takeover of Syrian Ba’athists. This led to the creation of a Ba’athist security service, which was directly under his control. In July 1968, Saddam was directly involved in a bloodless coup led by Ahmed Hassan Al-Bakr. Saddam’s role in this coup was restricted to the elimination of any non-Ba’athist factions such as the one led by the Prime Minister, Abd arRazzaq an-Naif. Inevitably, Al Bakr was named President and Saddam became his Deputy. Although Saddam was not at the helm of the government, he utilised this time to become a strong politician. Saddam spent his time securing the government against coups as well as modernising the economy, which was evident by the seizure of international oil interests. With the help of revenue from the nationalised oil industry, he diversified Iraq's economy. His early reforms were comparable to Hitler’s policies that ended mass unemployment. He earned respect internationally for his good deeds.
PAGE 9
ISSUE 1 In 1972, Saddam signed a 15-year Treaty of Friendship and Cooperation with the Soviet Union which heavily displeased the US as they felt that their security in the Middle East would be compromised. As a response, the US covertly funded Kurdish rebels during the Second Kurdish-Iraqi war, which resulted in defeat for the Kurds. Saddam now decided to establish support in rural areas for the Ba’ath party and modernised the countryside by mechanising agriculture as well as distributing land to peasant farmers. His welfare programs were more of a “carrot and stick” tactic rather than genuine compassion for his countrymen. Nonetheless, rapid development was witnessed, resulting in an increased demand for labour from numerous Arab Nations and even Yugoslavia.
In 1976, Saddam became General of the Iraqi Armed forces and established himself as the true leader of Iraq. He was responsible for the development of Iraqi foreign policy and represented the country at various occasions. In 1979, he succeeded Al-Bakr due to his ailing health and diminishing capacity to lead the country. Almost as soon as Saddam took over, he organised an event that would later be known as his speciality. Yep, it was a purge of Ba’ath members in the government. What else would you expect from such a dignified and esteemed Human rights violator?
political cartoon
By Urshita Anchalia
HISTORACLE
PAGE 10
ISSUE 1
Lessons from 1918 by Avi Konduri
The 1918 influenza pandemic, commonly known as the Spanish flu, quite ironically, did not originate in Spain but rather in Kansas, in the US. The only reason it was called the Spanish Flu is that other countries, due to the wartime situation, suppressed stories about it. It was only reported on freely in Spain, which was neutral at the time and hence not involved in World War 1. Sources vary, but it is generally thought that the pandemic killed upwards of 17 million people, with some estimates as high as 100 million. It was the deadliest pandemic the world has seen since the black plague. Unfortunately, it is not very clear where this pandemic started or its causes, so pinpointing an exact geographic location or reason is nearly impossible. This current pandemic, in spite of the CCP's desperate attempts to obfuscate the truth, clearly originates in China, possibly of natural origin, possibly not. When the 1918 influenza pandemic hit the world and the US, there was no waiting till a vaccine was developed or any of the other tools of modern medicine to limit the spread of the virus. The only two tools that could be used by the government to counter the spread of the virus were masking, quarantining, and social distancing, all of which are still the most effective ways to counter the virus without the use of vaccines or other tools of modern medicine. The business of education was also being briefed transferred at the time using radio, a relatively new technology at the time, to transmit school assignments. That clearly fell out of fashion soon after the pandemic ended. We will soon see if schools making extensive use of online or virtual education will also fall out of fashion or become the form.
HISTORACLE
The most notable thing, however, about today’s pandemic in the US is the extent to which it has become a political affair. This could be seen as part of a much larger trend of general political polarization occurring in America for a variety of reasons. However, the damage this has done to American public health is undeniable. Covid-19, in spite of all the advances in modern medicine we have achieved, has ended up killing more Americans than the Spanish Flu did. This would have likely not been the case had this issue not become politicized and more Americans followed COVID-19 safety norms and took the vaccine when it became available. While there were definitely those who opposed these rules, like the anti-mask league of San Francisco, their numbers were limited and they had no real political backing. As opposed to today, where antimasking and opposition to other COVID-19 safety policies have reached the mass media and are supported by many powerful groups to further their own political ends.
In conclusion, it is clear that pandemics have some distinct similarities and differences between them. The important point remains, however, that today, the United States, from both a logistical, medical, and economic perspective, is better able to handle the current pandemic than the one in 1918. However, due to the politicization of the issue, a lot of these benefits were nullified.
PAGE 11
ISSUE 1
ACROSS 2. The treaty that brought an end to the second Anglo-Mysore War 7. Major naval battle of WW1 8. On 4th August, 1789 the National Constituent Assembly of France abolished ____ 11. Treaty which ended WWI but which sowed the seeds for WWII 12. 4th ruler of the Mughal Empire
DOWN 1. Leader of China's Long March 3. She played a leading role in organising and participating in National Women’s Rights Convention and was the first woman from Massachusetts to earn a college degree 4. First black U.S. delegate appointed to the United Nations who was also a lawyer and judge 5. Temujin took the name ____ after conquering most of Mongolia 6. 11th century Italian maritime power city in Tuscany 9. Indian movement which arose in 1919 in an effort to salvage the Ottoman Caliph as a symbol of unity among the Muslim community in India during the British Raj 10. French military harbour which was heavily damaged during WW2 in 1631 Crossword by Manya Gupta
HISTORACLE
PAGE 12
ISSUE 1
recommendations
Operation Finale
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World
In 1960, Israeli spies undertake a dark mission to capture notorious Nazi ar criminal Adolf Eichmann and bring him to justice.
The Imitation Game
In this book Jack Weatherford tracks the astonishing story of Genghis Khan and his descendants, and their conquest and transformation of the world.
Virtual History
Wind of Change This song symbolises the fall of the Berlin Wall, the end of the Soviet Union and heralded a new chapter in world history.
American Idiot
Niall Ferguson’s brilliant It speaks of a nation During World War II, a 90-page introduction controlled by the new, biased mathematician leads a team doubles as a manifesto on media, and how the singer is of cryptanalysts as they work the methodology of not part of a "Redneck feverishly to break the counter-factual history. Agenda" discontent with how Germans’ Enigma code. things are going.
HISTORACLE
PAGE 13
ISSUE 1
letter from mr. vijaykumar Many thanks and congratulations to Devna Aggarwal, Editor – in – Chief, Historacle and her incredible team – Vaishnavi Bansal, Mahika Pai Mizar, Rohan Doddavaram, Avi Konduri, Shinjon Sana, Urshita Anchalia, Srijanee Basu, Meeli Bharti, Manya Gupta and Sushmit Kishore for bringing out the first ever History magazine in the history of TISB. History is used for guidance. As a record of man’s work, his achievements, gains, and glories as well as follies and failures; it reflects the thought over centuries. Therefore, the great Spanish American philosopher George Santayana said, “Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it”. History tells us that fanaticism, extreme nationalism, and authoritarianism do not confer any good upon humanity. Persecution carried out in the name of religion, caste, language, and colour fills the pages, but history warns of sheer futility. Hitler failed to understand the implications of Napolean’s campaign to Moscow. India suffered humiliation at the hands of China in 1962 because our leaders being guided by idealism, ignored the errors of Mughals in their Central Asian policy and the strategy of the British in relation to the powers beyond the Himalayas. History today is not a chronicle of events, but a wreath with events strung on the thread of ideas. History promotes internationalism and suggests a remedy to present day ills. It has been realised that history is a scientific study and faithful record of the past. It offers individual to widen intellectual horizon, self-awareness, and impart moral principles to develop responsible citizenship. I am so impressed that the above points have been reflected in the writings of the Columnists in the first issue itself. Every year a batch of History students leave having left an indelible mark in the annals of the department of History. But the Batch of 2023 (history) created a new milestone that deserves highest appreciation. I was amazed by the contributions of different students dealing with a variety of issues from the past to present in an objective manner. Keep up the excellent work! Best wishes, Vijayakumar C
HISTORACLE
PAGE 14
ISSUE 1
credits Editor-in-Chief Devna Aggarwal Columnists Vaishnavi Bansal Mahika Pai Mizar Rohan Doddavaram Avi Konduri Shinjon Sana Head of Design Urshita Anchalia Srijanee Basu Editor Meeli Bharti Special Thanks Manya Gupta Artist Sushmit Kishore Teacher-in-charge Mr. Vijaykumar
HISTORACLE
PAGE 15