I was recently going through some older posts on Brownpundits i noticed a lot of older commentators who are missing nowadays.
I will just name a few ; if any of you are reading ; please comment
DaThang, thewarlock, Saurav, Bhimrao, Numinous, Ugra, Violet, Santosh etc.
ever since Razib has stopped actively blogging all the Genomics and History Nerds seem to have moved on to Greener pastures
Razib said something a little while before you took over and they all left.
I enjoyed all their comments even if I disagreed. Learnt new things too.
You missed Vijay (2) and Vijay Van. Many Tamils and South Indians
I think girmit is the only one from the past iteration
i havent taken over; its XTMs blog and he has taken it over; I have barely written anything since 2022. MY inputs will be sporadic at best. Its XTMs blog (and Razibs) – i am occasional editor as XTM cant do it all alone.
GauravL
You are paranoid.
ābefore you took overā was XTM who was the author of this post.
I have been here a long time, since the days of Sepia Mutiny (2007??)
Seems like my first post was in 2018.
Maybe commented before that
Its my post – I am not paranoid.
I am called GauravL not XTM
My mistake as XTM is the moderator of the blog
erm ..
I think that a lot of commenters were drawn to BP by Razib and were interested in genetics and caste etc. Those topics are not so prominent in the new iteration under XTM. Perhaps people are not so interested in geopolitics–especially the endless India vs. Pakistan stuff. It tends to interest mainly people who are here only to troll Pakistan and not really to provide substantive commentary.
Also, blogging is not really as prominent as it was in the past. Many people have moved on to Substack.
I think in general BP needs to think about the author mix (ideally people from varied backgrounds and varied interests). Also people from countries other than India or Pakistan.
I have learnt to write for myself
It wasn’t meant as a criticism. Just as an attempt at an explanation.
Personally, I never cared for the emphasis on genetics and caste. But that did seem to be what drew people. Similarly, endless India-Pakistan stuff probably doesn’t interest a lot of people. Especially now that the “Saffroniate” has left.
More importantly, blogging is kind of over. Substack is where the action is.
I was one of the old commentator. I used to post with the handle of “scorpion eater”. I was active in the time frame roughly between 2017-2020.
I left because Razib blocked me. š We had a few disagreements – mainly over the role of religion in shaping the history and culture of India. (I thought religion explained pretty much everything you see in India. He was dismissive of its importance.) He also frequently accused me suffering from Dunning-Kruger syndrome, which I found very charming and endearing. š
I remember Numinous – he used to make some good insightful comments which aligned with my views. Saurav- with his penchant for seeing everything from a North India vs South India lens. (He used to claim that the farther you move away from the Gangetic heartland, the weaker the Hindu consciousness becomes. A weird theory that I could never make sense of).
Also remember Bhimrao, Kabir and Ugra. Good company.
But yes, ever since Razib left, the blog has lost a lot of its mojo. I learnt a lot on genetics from this blog. But things change and we move on. Life goes on.
>He used to claim that the farther you move away from the Gangetic heartland, the weaker the Hindu consciousness becomes. A weird theory that I could never make sense of
Wonder what he would make of RRR and the Telugu resurgence.
He (Saurav) used to claim that the farther you move away from the Gangetic heartland, the weaker the Hindu consciousness becomes
“Hinduism” as practiced in the South (Tamil Nadu) is different from that in North India. e.g. Suspension, i.e.hanging on hooks is common in TN and even in Malaysia.
I think the term “different” is better than “lesser”
I thought religion explained pretty much everything you see in India.
I too agree with your view.
I prefer this iteration. I used to be a regular and then I left suddenly. Many times, I came across caste/genetics obsessed posters.. which really didn’t seem to tickle my curiosity.
I was not a regular commenter. The number of comments can be counted on probably 3 fingers.
but I was a lurker because I learnt so much about history and genetics. I posted something about how thatās all changed in one of the open threads a few months ago.
I would like to see some of that discussion again. It doesnāt mean you have to stop the politics. Just change it up.
There was a new paper on koruba genetics recently which shed some light on the origins of the Dravidian languages (possibly).
letās discuss that!
letās discuss the latest theories on the language of the IVC! Or the source of the āIranian Neolithicā dna present in ancient Indian source populations.
Iām sure people have ideas they would like to share.
on another note my favourite tv show ever is The Last Kingdom on Netflix (based off the Saxon chronicles books). It would be my dream to write. Novel like this based somewhere in Indias history. Is anyone familiar with the series and want to add to the sentiment? The chola invasions of Bengal, or perhaps the hephthalite invasions of north India or some other ancient event could be ripe for historical fiction.
Hi,
Good idea
have you read Ponniyan Selvan ?
Hi, I have not. I did look it up. Sounds interesting. Honest question, seeing as itās written in the 50s how much does the style and language hold up for a guy like me (early thirties, raised in the west
With only English and would read a translation) and are there others like this?
Will add this to my reading list
With only English and would read a translation) and are there others like this?
I too am mainly read in English (I studied up to A/Ls in Sinhala
I got interested in Sri lankan history and Culture only when I went to US at the age of 28. All;most all knowledge from English and translation into English. I am 67 now
The chola invasions of Bengal,
Invaded Sri Lanka too, Mainly for loot and plunder
Brihadishvara Temple, was built using immense wealth from conquered territories, including significant spoils from their invasions and control over Sri Lanka (Lanka), funding lavish decorations with gold, silver, and jewels, along with vast agricultural endowments, making them economic and religious centers.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola_conquest_of_Anuradhapura
Yep, know and love Chola history and all South Asian history! I’ve spent a lot of time wishing I could go back and change a few things though…
You are Author now!
you are welcome to become an author and share your ideas?
Hi,
Sure would love to. Unsure of my time commitments as Iām a young father to two infants but will love to share. How does it work?
Iāll send you an author invite
[…] few months someone asks whether Brown Pundits is ādying.ā I understand the instinct. The internet is littered with abandoned blogs. Attention is fickle. […]
Greetings, Phyecho1: To Mr Omarali, I just wanted to show gratitude. Thats all, I have evolved politically, When i was young i was a liberal, later on became conservative, this very much coincided with unknown illness(unknown to me),A kind doctor diagnosed me and My illness is done but this has completely changed my politics. I am least bothered by Hindutva crap. I am done with that part, I cant reclaim my liberalism unfortunately due to garbage i fed myself, But I have grown significantly smarter and coincides with an inclination for material prosperity above all crap. I had no idea that politics is downstream of IQ.I disown all that I have commented or written. Thank you for your gratitude.