This talk will focus on the demonization of India in western media and Francois Gautier’s latest book ‘An Entirely New History of India’ which rewrites Indian History based on new evidence including new scientific, linguistic and genetic discoveries. It seeks to dismantle the cliches, to clarify the controversies, and to retrace, as accurately as possible, the most significant periods of Indian history—history much older than previously thought. François Gautier was South-Asia correspondent for Le Figaro and a columnist in leading Indian...

Aurangzeb was a monster who killed not only Hindus, but his own family. Why this fascination then of western Indologists, like Audrey Truschke for him? One needs to forward to today and analyse what motivates these ‘India specialists’. First, nothing has changed: Islamic fundamentalism is still excused in the 21st century – and sometimes even, condoned, in the name of Palestine, Chechnya, Kashmir etc. Secondly, Aurangzeb was a very meticulous and through killer, who had every of his orders written and signed by the emperor’s seal – this pleases the western...