Guest Info
Alex Beeching is the newly appointed content head of the Global Indian Series. He is also an in-house resident and a History buff who excavates into the past to reveal specific stories.
About the Show
Join us on the third voyage of the History of Indianness season! In this episode, we delve into two captivating subjects chosen by our audience vote.
Firstly, Chief Explorer Rajan Nazran and Alex Beeching explore the intriguing Indian Caste system, a legacy dating back 3000 years and outlawed in 1950, yet still impacting our sense of identity. They delve into its origins, its growing influence, and modern societal impact.
In their discussion, they explore the origins of the caste system, which dates back to the Indo-Aryan period and later evolved into the four-rank system within Hinduism. The Dalits, in particular, faced a lower status within this system, leading to discrimination and violence that continue to impact society.
Shifting focus, they also dig into the historical significance of Urdu, Pakistan’s official language, which is closely related to Hindi. Despite linguistic similarities, efforts have arisen in the last 70 years to create distinctions between the two. They address the complexities of Urdu’s status as Pakistan’s national language, despite being spoken by only 7% of the population, and its relation to Hindi.
Tune in to this enlightening podcast as we uncover the untold stories behind the Indian Caste system and the enigma of Urdu’s place in Pakistan’s linguistic landscape.
Produced by Global Indian Series for the Global Indian Network.
Script by Rajan Nazran
original idea: Rajan Nazran
Introduction music: (credit: https://freesound.org/people/N0IZ)
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