Stories written by
Margaret Makepeace
-
How colonial rule could mean spinsterhood for the women of the East India Company
Young women of married sisters and orphan daughters of resident men – legitimate and illegitimate – struggled in different ways, writes Emma Roberts.
Margaret Makepeace
-
Give dogs a cup of tea every day: Travel advice from a ‘celebrated’ 19th-century writer
India became a major focus of Emma Roberts’s writing after her visit to the country in 1828.
Margaret Makepeace
-
Avoid ‘injudicious indulgence’: What a British handbook advised women headed to the tropics
Leafing through the pages of ‘Tropical Trials’.
Margaret Makepeace
Trending
-
The real reason why Modi says what he does – Hindu India accepts it
-
The Assam voter who no longer supports the BJP because of the CAA
-
‘My son lost his job during demonetisation but at least it removed black money’
-
For better or for worse? Shifts in gender norms in India – in 12 charts
-
Is apple cider vinegar as good for health as it sounds?
-
The history of Chaund Bebee from British Calcutta
She was the mother of the India-born ‘natural’ children of John Shore, who became Governor General of Bengal and later Baron Teignmouth.
Margaret Makepeace
-
When East India Company fed its India-bound troops dried potatoes
In 1841, the East India Company put a small quantity of Edwards’s Patent Preserved Potato on board three ships named Seringapatam, Northumberland and Reliance.
Margaret Makepeace
-
‘Don’t dance like men’: Exercise tips for women from a 19th-century manual
Donald Walker, author of ‘Exercises for Ladies’, claimed that few young women were exempt from some degree of deformity, which always worsened with age.
Margaret Makepeace
Video
-
Watch: K-Pop singer Aoora sings in Assamese as he collaborates with Nilotpal Bora in a new folk song
-
Watch Anu Malik and Sonu Nigam’s impromptu performance of ‘Main Hoon Na’ at Farah Khan’s home
-
Watch: Doordarshan newsreader faints on live TV in Kolkata owing to severe heat
-
Watch: Spice Girls sing ‘Stop’ as bandmates reunite to celebrate Victoria Beckham’s 50th birthday
-
Watch: Over 350 ballerinas come together to break the world record for standing on tip toes
-
Indian Railway’s plan to protect women passengers in the 19th century didn’t work out as it expected
Special carriages were constructed for ‘respectable native women’ in the 1800s. But by 1910, these carriages had fallen out of favour.
Margaret Makepeace
-
A ‘curious’ gold mask, four rings: When the UK’s India Office sold jewels and silver in 1862
The ornaments had transferred to the India Office from the East India Company.
Margaret Makepeace
-
The story of Henry Coxwell, who invented the ‘concrete lemon’ crystals supplied to British sailors
The soluble crystals were used to make fresh lemons or lemon juice and helped prevent scurvy.
Margaret Makepeace
The Reel
-
Watch: In ‘The Big Cigar’, the Black Panther founder flees America through a fake movie
-
‘Dil Dosti Dilemma’ review: A feelgood entertainer about young love and old ties
-
In ‘Tahader Katha’, the many partitions endured by a freedom fighter
-
Watch: Ryan Reynolds and Hugh Jackman in ‘Deadpool & Wolverine’ trailer
-
Start the week with a film: A legend returns in ‘Bob Marley: One Love’
-
When a British widow petitioned the India Office for financial help in 1868
Charlotte Francis Laing’s request was turned down as an official noted that she received an annual pension of £225 from the Bengal Military Fund.
Margaret Makepeace
-
For the British Indian army, maintaining soldiers’ gardens was serious business
When new troops moved into the barracks, regimental and company gardens were inspected and the cost of any necessary repairs was paid from the garden fund.
Margaret Makepeace
-
Mutton chops and sherry: Luncheons at the India Office in London in 1867
A contractor engaged to supply lunch left within two years because of losses and stagnant compensation.
Margaret Makepeace
The Field
-
Archery, World Cup Stage I: Men’s recurve team reach final; Priyansh, Vennam in compound semis
-
Watch, highlights ISL 2023-24: Mumbai City win dramatic semi-final first leg against FC Goa
-
Athletics, Asian U20 C’ships: India clinch medals in men’s javelin, discus and 1500m on opening day
-
Boundaries and impact: The imbalance in IPL 2024 shows it is not a good time to be a bowler
-
IPL 2024: Delhi Capitals hold their nerve to beat Gujarat Titans in a high-scoring thriller