Forgotten History


Two portraits of Jahanara Begum side by side.
Two portraits of Jahanara Begum side by side.

Jahanara Begum was the princess we should aspire to be

Neha Merchant
Black and white photo of actress Nadira in the film Shree 420. Nadira is wearing a black dress and long necklace with her hair up, holding a cigarette holder, surrounded by people.
Black and white photo of actress Nadira in the film Shree 420. Nadira is wearing a black dress and long necklace with her hair up, holding a cigarette holder, surrounded by people.

The forgotten tale of Indian Jewish actresses who dominated Bollywood

Rebecca Azad
[Image description: Black and white photographs of Minnette de Silva, and the only available photograph of her mother, Agnes de Silva] via pulse.lk and architectural-review.com
[Image description: Black and white photographs of Minnette de Silva, and the only available photograph of her mother, Agnes de Silva] via pulse.lk and architectural-review.com

An ode to two forgotten generations of Sri Lanka’s history makers

Amandi Fernando

Seated woman looking into a mirror by Crispijn the Passe the Elder. To her right is a jester; a devil ruffles her hair, and another devil is seated to her left, starting a fire. via Wikimedia Commons
Seated woman looking into a mirror by Crispijn the Passe the Elder. To her right is a jester; a devil ruffles her hair, and another devil is seated to her left, starting a fire. via Wikimedia Commons

Laughter as weapon, the subversive power of fools and jesters

Thira Mohamad

Before Rumi there was Rabia Basri, the first female Muslim Saint

Safa Shoaib
Portrait of Fatima Al-Fihri
Portrait of Fatima Al-Fihri

Fatima al-Fihri: Founder of the world’s first university

Rebecca Azad

The jazz you listen to today is actually full of sexism – here’s the history

Aliza Schuler
Andrea Camassei, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons
Andrea Camassei, Public Domain, Wikimedia Commons

The real history of Valentine’s Day is pretty gory

Paulina Rowe
[Image description: A Black women in the 20th century getting dressed for a Harlem fashion show.] Via New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images
[Image description: A Black women in the 20th century getting dressed for a Harlem fashion show.] Via New York Daily News Archive/Getty Images

Black women were at the core of the Harlem Renaissance

Bashirat Oladele

A collation of images of Noor Inayat Khan
A collation of images of Noor Inayat Khan

Noor Inayat Khan: the Muslim princess and British spy who fought against the Nazis

Rebecca Azad
Burnes Road
Burnes Road

Burnes Road: A food legacy that lives on in the heart of Karachi

Haddiqua Siddiqui

Voodoo dolls aren’t what you think they are.

Aliza Schuler