First Indian Visitor Describes England and European Life // 1785 'Wonders of Vilayet' Primary Source

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  • čas přidán 24. 06. 2024
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    This extract has been taken from the wonderful book: 'The Wonders of Vilayet: Being the Memoir, Originally in Persian, of a Visit to France and Britain in 1765' by Mirza Sheikh I'tesamuddin and translated by Kaiser Haq. Published by Peepal Tree Press Ltd. (2002)
    www.amazon.com/Wonders-Vilaye...
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    By CMitch - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    By Femtoquake - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.0, commons.wikimedia.org/w/index...
    English: View from the whispering gallery in St Pauls Cathedral in London.
    Deutsch: Blick von der Flüstergalerie in der St. Pauls Kathedrale in London.
    Fecha10 de febrero de 2011FuenteTrabajo propioAutorAiwok

Komentáře • 4,4K

  • @VoicesofthePast
    @VoicesofthePast  Před 3 lety +215

    Check out the playlist for 'The Discovery of India' collaboration: czcams.com/play/PL5Ag9n-o0IZBGFDCZqsHB7NKMR1PyRpQx.html

    • @YuzuruHakushaku
      @YuzuruHakushaku Před 3 lety +2

      I love collaboration, I think it is one of the best things about CZcams.

    • @klyanadkmorr
      @klyanadkmorr Před 3 lety +1

      Whoa how is it spelled the word spoken 'Ferengi'? Because that sounded like the fictional characters in Star Trek!! lol Hope that was a SLEEPING TIGER not harmed!

    • @YuzuruHakushaku
      @YuzuruHakushaku Před 3 lety +2

      @@klyanadkmorr Farang in old Persian means Franc or France but they mean Europe.

    • @patrickrpedrus747
      @patrickrpedrus747 Před 3 lety

      Can you do an account of Prince Lee Boo of Belau? A Pacific Islander whose Dad was a chief, he went to China and Europe. That story would be perfect for the channel. Many thanks! It's just like this one!

    • @YuzuruHakushaku
      @YuzuruHakushaku Před 3 lety +1

      @@talhaariff so he was a Bengali or Persian? he was a noble man? what happened to him? what was his job? is he famous in India?

  • @marvinbecker388
    @marvinbecker388 Před 3 lety +8032

    The first thing the guy does is roast the French

    • @atomic_wait
      @atomic_wait Před 3 lety +1218

      Just trying to fit in with the English.

    • @Eshanas
      @Eshanas Před 3 lety +761

      A proper Brit he’ll be

    • @hazanaimon6458
      @hazanaimon6458 Před 3 lety +500

      Just as a true Englishman would

    • @badrulhussain5545
      @badrulhussain5545 Před 3 lety +81

      They say a dog only pisses with one leg up and no other way. And that's one trick you cannot teach the dog to undo.
      Same goes for the French and their manners.... Zut alors!

    • @sharadowasdr
      @sharadowasdr Před 3 lety +186

      He's obviously trying to please his English masters :P

  • @RJKYEG
    @RJKYEG Před 3 lety +5030

    Imagine the History Channel having content of this quality.

    • @BVargas78
      @BVargas78 Před 3 lety +447

      Nowadays it would be,
      First Indian Visitor Describes England and European Life - But was he actually an ancient extra terrestrial alien? Giorgio Tsoukalos believes he was.

    • @mirzaahmed6589
      @mirzaahmed6589 Před 3 lety +125

      @@BVargas78 Technically he was an alien.

    • @insaneweasel1
      @insaneweasel1 Před 3 lety +38

      They would...but aliens

    • @cyanes
      @cyanes Před 3 lety +22

      Those days are long gone

    • @JoeSmith-sl9bq
      @JoeSmith-sl9bq Před 3 lety +92

      Those days are long gone, it’s Pawn Stars 24 7 now

  • @studiospeets
    @studiospeets Před 3 lety +3930

    Instead of "Dutch", I will now refer to my nationality as "hat wearing fishmonger".

    • @aliA-jz5ms
      @aliA-jz5ms Před 3 lety +106

      Or extended coastline of France where people are slightly different

    • @jan-willemvankaathoven914
      @jan-willemvankaathoven914 Před 3 lety +136

      I heard that the Bengali also have the reputation of fishmongers among the Indians. The Sheikh could probably relate ;)

    • @WhoopsieDayZ
      @WhoopsieDayZ Před 3 lety +38

      @@aliA-jz5ms We are nothing like the French.

    • @Hades-tw4ql
      @Hades-tw4ql Před 3 lety +8

      lmfao 😂😂

    • @abhimanyujha5550
      @abhimanyujha5550 Před 3 lety +34

      @@jan-willemvankaathoven914 yeep there's a stereotype tht bengalis eat fish all the time

  • @scipioafricanus5871
    @scipioafricanus5871 Před 3 lety +1926

    "...and three other countries I can't quite remember"
    *Forgettable European nations of the 18th century felt that.*

    • @verixsmelony7835
      @verixsmelony7835 Před 3 lety +187

      Sad Polish noises

    • @mareksicinski3726
      @mareksicinski3726 Před 2 lety +15

      they weren't inherently forgettable

    • @50shadesofgday64
      @50shadesofgday64 Před rokem +39

      sad prussian noises

    • @gauntlettcf5669
      @gauntlettcf5669 Před rokem +63

      Prussia and Poland were listed, tho, if I'm not mistaken.
      Btw, it's really interesting that he named Italy as if it was already united at the time. Many historical books do the same, even tho Italy wouldn't start trying to unify itself until the 1840s (more or less, I can't recall the exact year) and won't succeed to unify anything until 1861. This doesn't mean that the reports are false, though. The many Italian states that populated Italy at the time often were all grouped up together when people spoke about them. They weren't united (and often times they loathed each other), but the vast majority of them shared the same culture, religion, and root language (with many of them adopting vulgar Italian (florentin) and French as their "Lingua Franca" in order to communicate with each other (especially vulgar Italian, since many italians resented France and preferred to use something more similar to the many languages of our peninsula).

    • @13gan
      @13gan Před rokem +31

      @@gauntlettcf5669 Can't really fault him. I mean, if gou see a group of people who look similar, dress in the same custom and speak similar language, you too would thought that they are from the same country. Also I think at that time, the Italian probably identify themself as "Italian" (as in Italian peninsula rather than country) when meeting with someone who may not be familiar about Italian politics, as oppose to "Papal Statian" which might imply he's a priest of the church.

  • @inisipisTV
    @inisipisTV Před 3 lety +4268

    I'm sure a lot here knew those "poor man's" wooden shoes he saw in France are called 'Sabot' and when disgruntled workers would throw these hard wooden shoes on some factory machinery, wrecking the machines, is where the word 'Sabotage' came from.

    • @tenaciousdfan9
      @tenaciousdfan9 Před 3 lety +306

      i did not know, thanks for the fun fact

    • @louisd.8928
      @louisd.8928 Před 3 lety +78

      Is that actually a fact, parce que si c'est le cas je vais m'en souvenir!

    • @elpasemah
      @elpasemah Před 3 lety +21

      Oh you give new info

    • @sameikichi5716
      @sameikichi5716 Před 3 lety +8

      @@louisd.8928 cest difficille a dire.

    • @OrangeShellGaming
      @OrangeShellGaming Před 3 lety +183

      While it's a nice story, it's not quite correct. What is more likely is that the French verb _saboter_ , from which _sabotage_ comes from and that indeed derives from _sabot_ , originally meant "to bungle, do shoddily" (or even earlier "to do noisily/boisterously", as those with wooden shoes tend to do) and the meaning developed from that.

  • @nerosfreak
    @nerosfreak Před 3 lety +5229

    gotta love how more than 200 years later everyone still thinks the same of the french

    • @xenotypos
      @xenotypos Před 3 lety +297

      It's worse now, probably because of that historical stereotype and because of the influence of the anglo-sphere.
      Back then, they were the real deal, and it's unclear how this guy had a conversation with a french person considering the language barrier since he was there to see the british. His version of the Norman invasion also show how he was influenced by the British version of history of the era (while actually William wasn't loved by the English, he never adopted their costums not even their language etc...).

    • @TaufiqueJoarder
      @TaufiqueJoarder Před 3 lety +9

      😅

    • @theanglo-lithuanian1768
      @theanglo-lithuanian1768 Před 3 lety +55

      16:28 same with Scots and English

    • @theanglo-lithuanian1768
      @theanglo-lithuanian1768 Před 3 lety +2

      @Big Booty Master Its a stereotype that they are all unintelligent drunks.

    • @Alias_Anybody
      @Alias_Anybody Před 3 lety +20

      Franco-Prussian War and WW2 might have been humbling.

  • @CarthagoMike
    @CarthagoMike Před 3 lety +1750

    _"The Spaniards have a reputation of being clever and hardworking."_
    Oh, how times have changed.

    • @CarthagoMike
      @CarthagoMike Před 3 lety +194

      @CommandoDude Castille (=spain) was already one of the wealthiest nations in Europe before the discovery of the America's.

    • @senmafugu
      @senmafugu Před 3 lety +109

      in mexico spaniards still have that reputation

    • @espanadorada7962
      @espanadorada7962 Před 3 lety +135

      @@senmafugu Mexicans need to visit Spain then..

    • @jorgepascualfuentecilla3746
      @jorgepascualfuentecilla3746 Před 3 lety +37

      @CommandoDude
      The wealth that Spain took out of America were taxes. 10% of each economic transaction that was carried out in America (Diezmo Real) and the commercial monopoly. Everything that the colonies imported they had to import from Spain.
      That was the way of colonial exploitation of Spain.

    • @jorgepascualfuentecilla3746
      @jorgepascualfuentecilla3746 Před 3 lety +24

      @@espanadorada7962 Or you need to leave Spain and observe the world around you

  • @nathanlevesque7812
    @nathanlevesque7812 Před 3 lety +423

    These are all monarchies, with the exception of tiny Holland, a land of the dutch people, which is governed by its windmills.

    • @ahuman2070
      @ahuman2070 Před 3 lety +8

      hahahaha

    • @Quzix42
      @Quzix42 Před 2 lety +9

      This explains why they didn't get along with Spain that well -- Spanish knights kept charging at their nobles.

    • @satyakisil9711
      @satyakisil9711 Před 2 lety +4

      @@Quzix42 Spaniards Quixoted the Dutch to no avail.

    • @Nagvanshieus
      @Nagvanshieus Před 2 měsíci

      "The people of Holland have a habit of eating their PM"

  • @BluJean6692
    @BluJean6692 Před 3 lety +2790

    >lands in europe
    >sees wooden shoes
    WHAT ARE THOOOOSEEEE?!

    • @mailio4536
      @mailio4536 Před 3 lety +70

      they're comfy tho

    • @fidelcatsro6948
      @fidelcatsro6948 Před 3 lety +62

      an early Nike of course!

    • @mailio4536
      @mailio4536 Před 3 lety +18

      @Shashou Untrue, if you grew up wearing them they're just fine

    • @mailio4536
      @mailio4536 Před 3 lety +40

      @Shashou not's not true, they're just like dutch clogs. They don't mess up your feet and arent torture lol, whole generations grew up on them and plenty of people still do today

    • @shaiaheyes2c41
      @shaiaheyes2c41 Před 3 lety +29

      @@mailio4536 Yes, we used them in Scandinavia too. My first pair were red with apples painted on them, lol, I loved those clogs.

  • @rogeriopenna9014
    @rogeriopenna9014 Před 3 lety +2733

    "the french are so poor..."
    if he stayed 4 years longer in France, he would see in what that poorness of the lower classes would result.

    •  Před 3 lety +25

      The French Revolution was a Freemason attack on Western Christian Civilization

    • @rogeriopenna9014
      @rogeriopenna9014 Před 3 lety +243

      @ Christianism was a middle east attack on western greco roman values

    • @jordandutchak8238
      @jordandutchak8238 Před 3 lety +91

      Rogério Penna ok pagan

    • @Joao-de9gl
      @Joao-de9gl Před 3 lety +80

      @ First catholic conservative from 1538 describes his thoughts on the internet // 2020 'Wonders of CZcams Comments' Primary Source

    • @ojberrettaberretta5314
      @ojberrettaberretta5314 Před 3 lety +3

      @ can you explain further,because ppl say the same about catolicism so im wondering

  • @vy-canis4957
    @vy-canis4957 Před 3 lety +1053

    Some translation/explanation from the Urdu language.
    0:06 Vilayet = west/abroad.
    0:23 Hijra = islamic year/calendar.
    1:26 Firangi = a foreigner/a person who is unknown to something.
    7:37 Munchi = a secretory.
    11:40 Tamasha = a show.
    11:49 Emir = a king.
    12:13 Habshi = a black person.
    12:32 Shabash = well done.
    15:09 Sahib = a mister.
    15:25 Kadam = step.
    21:43 Hazrat = use to address male with respect.
    21:57 Bibi = use to address females with respect.

    • @ihatemotionblur_3255
      @ihatemotionblur_3255 Před 3 lety +18

      is the last one actually right? Because when the British captured Jean Law de Lauriston, a bengali man asked him, "how is Bibi Law?", and the British took it as offensively.

    • @NathanDudani
      @NathanDudani Před 3 lety +30

      @@ihatemotionblur_3255 maybe bibi as in the female monarch, i.e., the Queen of England

    • @einsaan
      @einsaan Před 2 lety +80

      Bibi in urdu/hindi is similar to how in west you address females with respect as "Lady"... similar to prefixes like sir, madam, master etc. I guess british might've misunderstood as "Baby" as sarcasm.

    • @SlayerRiley
      @SlayerRiley Před 2 lety +5

      Cool, thanks!

    • @dayangmarikit6860
      @dayangmarikit6860 Před 2 lety +11

      @@einsaan - That's interesting, in Filipino the respectful term for a lady is (Binibini), while in Brunei I think the term for lady is (Bini).

  • @Napoleon4778
    @Napoleon4778 Před 3 lety +909

    I am an Indian and I lived in the UK 2017-8 (a year). It is so uncanny that Mirza Sheikh I'tesamuddin's descriptions of English buildings are so very similar to my impressions more than 200 years later! True, the buildings in India usually have large windows and doors and ceilings to allow for free passage of air that helps in keeping the buildings cool naturally.

    • @shamshirhussain8198
      @shamshirhussain8198 Před 3 lety +10

      Now indian and pakistani visitors are laughing stocks. What a shame

    • @LawlTwins
      @LawlTwins Před 3 lety +133

      @@shamshirhussain8198 Are they? Most people's problems seem to be that they aren't 'visitors'. They wish to stay. We have a big problem with migration as it is but I have never heard anyone annoyed that Indians/Pakistani's are simply coming to visit the country. I can't speak to Pakistani's but every Indian I have ever met who lives here has integrated incredibly well and they are lovely people. It's a shame if you know people who think differently.

    • @lavish_1717
      @lavish_1717 Před 3 lety +86

      @@LawlTwins
      Pakistanis try to enforce sharia

    • @vampirethespiderbatgod9740
      @vampirethespiderbatgod9740 Před 3 lety +30

      @@shamshirhussain8198 No. UK is the laughing stock

    • @shamshirhussain8198
      @shamshirhussain8198 Před 3 lety +17

      @@vampirethespiderbatgod9740 theyre not tho. Im talking about how in western societies Pakistanis and indians are deemed undesirbale and made fun of in the media and across all levels of societies. Its unfair. Im pakistani i see it myself

  • @jonathanredacted3245
    @jonathanredacted3245 Před 3 lety +2020

    I love how at the end he's like "England is very nice but *vacation is over* "

    • @RyllenKriel
      @RyllenKriel Před 3 lety +142

      It was the Scottish Winter. After that he had to peace out!

    • @mazumdar1000
      @mazumdar1000 Před 3 lety +44

      @@RyllenKriel
      From scorching hot Bengal to Scotland in the winter, he was ready to die by then. 😂

    • @prashr4075
      @prashr4075 Před 3 lety +19

      Lol i am sure he must have visited n lived in Darjeeling area since it belongs to the same state.

    • @mazumdar1000
      @mazumdar1000 Před 3 lety +11

      @@prashr4075
      Nah, Darjeeling was settled by Brits for its tea obviously. 😂
      Mughals didn’t like cold places anyway.

    • @prashr4075
      @prashr4075 Před 3 lety +28

      @@mazumdar1000 Delhi winter: Am I joke to you??

  • @bigcat5348
    @bigcat5348 Před 3 lety +1741

    "The French are a conceited race" honhonhon oui oui tres accurate

    • @mercster
      @mercster Před 3 lety +8

      Mais oui!

    • @siyabongamngomezulu9743
      @siyabongamngomezulu9743 Před 3 lety +34

      He was writing before 1000s of French Clergymen, Nobles and servants were beheaded.

    • @devicesscience6278
      @devicesscience6278 Před 3 lety +1

      Here the people do yatna .. Fire sacrifice... Hence they know how to create gold from itself dead trees. Too aged tree gives gold.. So there 11000 golden temples... Metric tonn university. Data.. They know how to create water . by varunastra...
      How hijacked . most they are not barbarians to use unathorised way of weapons... War have rules. Look mahabharat

    • @xXxBladeStormxXx
      @xXxBladeStormxXx Před 3 lety

      @b phillip lmao i'm dead

    • @krips22
      @krips22 Před 3 lety +8

      @b phillip That would have been pretty cheeky of him:
      Battle of Adyar - 1746
      _"The battle involved 300 men of the French East India Company + 700 Sepoys, which had recently captured nearby Madras from the British, and a much larger force of 10,000 men belonging to Anwaruddin Muhammed Khan, the Nawab of the Carnatic, who sought to take Madras from the French. In the battle, which took place near the banks of the Adyar River, the French decisively defeated the larger Carnatic force, demonstrating the effectiveness of well-trained European forces in combating poorly trained Indian troops."_

  • @distoriank5314
    @distoriank5314 Před 3 lety +354

    9:29 I just realized they have translated 'Bazaaru Aurat' literally("the ladies of the bazaar''). It is slang for prostitutes.

  • @yamik1385
    @yamik1385 Před 3 lety +651

    The fact that he felt compelled to include a description of ice skating (14:56) goes to show how magical that scene must have felt when he first saw it. Like fairies on a pond, he says. It's like the scene from LotR where the party watches the elves sing and dance and are completely mesmerized.

    • @bethg.5611
      @bethg.5611 Před 3 lety +19

      Like angels.

    • @abhijeetagale
      @abhijeetagale Před 2 lety +11

      Like angles because they were moving without effort not holy.

    • @curiouskid1547
      @curiouskid1547 Před rokem +1

      Right

    • @balashibuyeeter2704
      @balashibuyeeter2704 Před rokem +4

      @@abhijeetagale thanks captain obvious

    • @audhumbla6927
      @audhumbla6927 Před rokem

      He said angels. But youre good cuz the fairies/elfs are the ancient ancestors of northern europeans 👍🏻

  • @Altrantis
    @Altrantis Před 3 lety +1264

    On the poverty of the french lower class: This is not long before the french revolution.

    • @si4632
      @si4632 Před 3 lety +36

      When the satanists took over the masons and wigs 🤣

    • @ProvencaLeGaulois
      @ProvencaLeGaulois Před 3 lety +133

      The french revolution wasn't about the lower classes taking over, it was about the bourgeoisie taking over aristocracy.

    • @htoodoh5770
      @htoodoh5770 Před 3 lety +3

      @@ProvencaLeGaulois oh

    • @JamesTaylor-on9nz
      @JamesTaylor-on9nz Před 3 lety +90

      @@ProvencaLeGaulois Communist revolutions are much the same, overwhelmingly lead by bourgeois doctors, journalists and intellectuals and seldom the workers themselves.

    • @Altrantis
      @Altrantis Před 3 lety +22

      @@ProvencaLeGaulois But it was fueled over the poor people.

  • @dale6947
    @dale6947 Před 3 lety +1122

    This is probably the most glowing report of the English that I've ever heard from an Indian!

    • @60ritikanand69
      @60ritikanand69 Před 3 lety +230

      @Unism Makes you wonder if British paid him to write this report. Lol.

    • @60ritikanand69
      @60ritikanand69 Před 3 lety +14

      @Unism Haha. Lol.

    • @fenrirrising131
      @fenrirrising131 Před 3 lety +79

      Helps that this was pre churchill

    • @Peacemaker-96
      @Peacemaker-96 Před 3 lety +4

      @Unism Amen to that!

    • @ecclesiaxxi6210
      @ecclesiaxxi6210 Před 3 lety +29

      @Unism Not in those days they didn't. It was a Christian society, culture and morality.

  • @musawarkhan873
    @musawarkhan873 Před 3 lety +127

    12:35 "shabash" literally means well done or bravo. "waah waah" is another way of saying wow in amazement.

    • @1wor1d
      @1wor1d Před 3 lety +5

      You missed. It should be 12:32!!

  • @spasjt
    @spasjt Před 3 lety +505

    "All I can leave is a mark on the pages of time by which I may be remembered is this account of a few curious incidents."
    On the contrary sir, your mark on the pages of time are now memorialized forever and are capable of being read by the entire human race. Your humility in describing your experience is most appreciated by all.

  • @MythologywithMike
    @MythologywithMike Před 3 lety +1255

    A whole CZcams channel dedicated to reading primary sources? A historian's dream come true! If you want some help finding Iroquoian sources let me know I'm writing a paper on them for grad school right now

    • @D_6660
      @D_6660 Před 3 lety +4

      You all over the place my dude

    • @D_6660
      @D_6660 Před 3 lety +5

      *Every where I go I find this channel* insert Tom Holland spider man meme

    • @MythologywithMike
      @MythologywithMike Před 3 lety +18

      I am everywhere! Always hiding, waiting, watching /o\

    • @D_6660
      @D_6660 Před 3 lety +1

      @@MythologywithMike 😨🤣🤣

    • @uncleruckus3094
      @uncleruckus3094 Před 3 lety

      @@MythologywithMike ur profile looks like a freemason bag

  • @lewistaylor2858
    @lewistaylor2858 Před 3 lety +1543

    England comes across really well in this...

    • @symmetrymilton4542
      @symmetrymilton4542 Před 3 lety +46

      Give it time...

    • @Altrantis
      @Altrantis Před 3 lety +176

      He spent the whole time with englishmen, he was biased towards them.

    • @leaveme3559
      @leaveme3559 Před 3 lety +139

      @Fahim Hussain indians were not loyal.... serving in the army gave good money...plus the peasants could care less who ruled from delhi.....

    • @leaveme3559
      @leaveme3559 Před 3 lety +120

      @@Nate-uf4xk india despite of being so inexperience managed to pull through they are still a functioning democracy and has managed to stay united with no civilwars....sure poverty is there but its just been 70 years ..it took usa 200 years to be where it is give it time india will rise....if india had remained capitalist it would have been a completely different story socialism fucked over india

    • @si4632
      @si4632 Před 3 lety +37

      @@Nate-uf4xk Churchill's life was just going from one heinous act to another

  • @rampantmutt9119
    @rampantmutt9119 Před 3 lety +319

    The bit where the Englishmen encourage him to dance is great.

    • @martjnmao6808
      @martjnmao6808 Před rokem +10

      Now the perception of danciness turn the other way around

    • @lazycyclone
      @lazycyclone Před rokem

      I think it’s because muslims created their own country in South Asia. Ever heard highly of dancing and music from pakistan pr bangladesh?

    • @johnnybravo1836
      @johnnybravo1836 Před rokem

      @@lazycyclone Yeah they are actually quite fond of dancing and music. Regardless of Islamicization.

    • @sahil5rana
      @sahil5rana Před 4 měsíci +2

      ​@@johnnybravo1836 dancing is haram dancing banned in Pakistan

  • @Squadwin
    @Squadwin Před 3 lety +786

    When the Indian started describing snow, it was so heart warming it painted a big smile across my face.
    It is truly unbelievable hearing this. History is a miracle.

    • @ppsr0
      @ppsr0 Před 3 lety +48

      *Me a garhwali*
      Say what?

    • @barrystevens2699
      @barrystevens2699 Před 3 lety +29

      Yes. But clearly he had never seen snow before. Hence his opinion on it.
      Also they don't have snow in Northern India like Scotland.

    • @ppsr0
      @ppsr0 Před 3 lety +99

      @@barrystevens2699 actually we do.... It's the himalayas.... Places like uttarkashi, and Chamoli have snow like all the time...... Other place in U.K (Uttarakhand) do too...but hey you have bagpipes... We love our bagpipes... (We call them Masubaj)

    • @DurgeshYadav-ip1zr
      @DurgeshYadav-ip1zr Před 3 lety +60

      Bruh, we literally have the Himalayas!

    • @mehra1031
      @mehra1031 Před 3 lety +19

      @@ppsr0 maskbin , masak Baja , thats what we call bagpipes in Ranikhet where the kumaon regimental centre is located . 150 years ago a few local men of garhwal and kumaon regiment were taught to play bagpipes by the british army for the army band and today it's become an integral part of our uttarakhandi folk music .

  • @mrburns1055
    @mrburns1055 Před 3 lety +480

    Honestly fascinating, would love to hear more Indian accounts of Europe or Europeans from the time period as its a perspective ive never seen before.

    • @melody964
      @melody964 Před 3 lety +1

      Yea... That's what I've been wondering

    • @rodhidalgo6789
      @rodhidalgo6789 Před 3 lety +5

      You can read William Danrymple books which contains lots of such accounts. Regards,

    • @ipsygypsy16
      @ipsygypsy16 Před 3 lety +23

      You won't get that, sadly every chronicle was heavily audited before they got published. We have people hanged & jailed for publishing works that depict the English in their real lights. Don't get me wrong, I'm not hating on any race. But the amount of censorship & book banning our history has seen during the British rule is mind blowing. Only vernacular texts exist to this day, not much has been translated to English.

    • @melody964
      @melody964 Před 3 lety +2

      @@ipsygypsy16 well what do u mean? Showing them in bad light was banned?

    • @ipsygypsy16
      @ipsygypsy16 Před 3 lety +28

      @@melody964 yes, totally. Here's an example. There was a short drama written about the indigo plantation in Bengal, commissioned by the East India Company. It's named The Indigo Mirror. The original manuscript was burnt, the author, a journalist, was incarcerated, even the English translator, Revd. Long, was jailed. Much later another author translated Revd. Long's English translation back to Bengali, & other regional languages. That's how we get to know about the book.

  • @cheegum6296
    @cheegum6296 Před 3 lety +808

    Vilayat = foreign land often with more cosmopolitan and non-yokel customs, which in this case was Britain. In BENGALI/hindi/urdu/punjabi vilayat could mean anything from the USA to Australia to anywhere in Europe etc, basically anywhere white people live.
    Edit: Bengali

    • @samuelkatz1124
      @samuelkatz1124 Před 3 lety +76

      I've only heard the term of Vilayat/Vilayet used in the Ottoman term for provinces.

    • @cheegum6296
      @cheegum6296 Před 3 lety +45

      @@samuelkatz1124 interesting then how words moved locations and changed context :)

    • @xotic1052
      @xotic1052 Před 3 lety +60

      He was bengali
      So in bangla "vilayat" or bilat
      Means foreign land also

    • @hazanaimon6458
      @hazanaimon6458 Před 3 lety +27

      Where I'm from Villat is exclusively used for european countrys

    • @rodi8266
      @rodi8266 Před 3 lety +8

      you mean anywhere europeans live, right? Stop using racist terms to describe people. :)

  • @Loreman72
    @Loreman72 Před 3 lety +125

    I love how he spotted the English-Scots rivalry back then, already!

    • @karlmarx1868
      @karlmarx1868 Před 3 lety +22

      Its existed for over 1000 years, The Scots and English have spent a total of almost 800 years at war. Technically the longest running conflict.

    • @gazibizi9504
      @gazibizi9504 Před 3 lety

      @@karlmarx1868 how did they end up in one country?

    • @karlmarx1868
      @karlmarx1868 Před 3 lety +6

      @@gazibizi9504 They are still separate countries to this day they have seperate governments and councils even laws but they have legally joined a union with 2 other countries Wales and Northern Ireland to make the " United Kingdom" the United Kingdom was formed when the Queen of England died with no children and heir only heir was James the 4th King of Scotland. However legally it still doesn't stand the United Kingdom was created illegally against most people wishes in all 3 countries at the time and even passed through Parliament illegally whilst most representatives were absent.

    • @walx274
      @walx274 Před 3 lety +7

      @@karlmarx1868 I wouldn’t say they are still at conflict
      The English Scottish rivalry is similar to the french - English rivavly , it’s more Banter and competition in sports at this point
      The longest running conflict is the Reconquista however if you were interested

  • @dwarasamudra8889
    @dwarasamudra8889 Před 3 lety +288

    You should definitely make videos on some European traveller's experience in ancient and medieval India. For example, the Greek Scholar Megasthenes and his stay during Mauryan Pataliputra, the portugese traveller Eduardo Barbosa and his tour of Imperial Vijayanagara, English Capatin Hawkins during the reign of Emperor Jahangir, Moroccan Scholar Ibn Batutas time in Delhi and Bengal among others.

    • @VoicesofthePast
      @VoicesofthePast  Před 3 lety +92

      Done the first one! Great suggestions for the others. Shall investigate.

    • @VARMOT123
      @VARMOT123 Před 3 lety +20

      @@VoicesofthePast do a short bit about marco polo's account of 11th century indian kakatiya kingdom's queen rani rudrama devi

    • @fymwp9992
      @fymwp9992 Před 2 lety +1

      @@VoicesofthePast Do read Ibn Batuta descriptiom of Madurai Sulnate promise you will her shivers hearing it

    • @EVANSSAMUELBIJU
      @EVANSSAMUELBIJU Před rokem

      ​@@VoicesofthePastI suggest doing one by Cosmas Indeucopleustes,a Greek traveller who visited India in 5th century AD

  • @MrJethroha
    @MrJethroha Před 3 lety +267

    Its very interesting how he causually refers to a legend of Alexander the Great in the beginning, as if all Indians would recognize it, but later on talks about the Roman Empire as if no one has ever heard of it. Really makes you think about how big the Hellenic world really was more than 2000 years ago. Rome was larger geographically and lasted longer, but Alexander's influence was even greater.

    • @kshatrapavan
      @kshatrapavan Před 3 lety +116

      Indians had completely forgotten Alexander up until the Muslim invasion of India. There is no mention of him in any ancient texts. There is mention of Selucid Greeks and Indo-Greeks, but not Alexander himself. The Muslim rulers who invaded India in the middle ages were mostly Persianised Turks/Mongols. Alexander was held in high regard in Persian culture, and Muslims brought those stories with them to India.

    • @m.g.9468
      @m.g.9468 Před 3 lety +49

      Napoleon admired Cesar,
      Cesar Admired Alexander,
      Alexander admired Achilles.
      Achilles admired Achilles.

    • @luxborealis
      @luxborealis Před 3 lety +20

      Pranav Athalye
      I always found it strange how the later Persian dynasties grew so fond of "Iskander" despite him being a conquering enemy. I suppose it has to do with cultural melding with the Greek settlers.

    • @absarius1216
      @absarius1216 Před 3 lety +14

      @@kshatrapavan Yeah, Alexander is actually one of the ancestors in the legendary genealogy of the house of Suren, to which belonged Rostam, one of the Heroes in Shahnama-based narratives.
      The early Ghoris who invaded India were based in an area (Ghor) whose domain included the areas earlier ruled by the house of Suren (Helmand-Zaranj).

    • @meroqero1476
      @meroqero1476 Před 2 lety +10

      @@luxborealis He was not even Greek. He was a Makeonian which spoke a creole of Illyrian, Thracian. Paeonian and Greek. His mother was a Molossian and his soldiers were proven to have been Illyrians, Greeks and Thracians

  • @jevinliu4658
    @jevinliu4658 Před 3 lety +325

    "Our ship anchored at... the French port of Nantes"
    *Oddly cheerful music plays*

    • @SNOUPS4
      @SNOUPS4 Před 3 lety +22

      Well, Nantes, as the capital city of Brittany, is a very beautiful city :)

    • @mathieuleader8601
      @mathieuleader8601 Před 3 lety +1

      take the enemy by suprise

    • @TheSm1thers
      @TheSm1thers Před 3 lety

      @@SNOUPS4 I thought that was Rennes?

    • @DavidsonLoops
      @DavidsonLoops Před 3 lety

      @@TheSm1thers it is Rennes, don't know what the other guys talking about

    • @pierren___
      @pierren___ Před 3 lety

      @@DavidsonLoops no its Nantes actually.

  • @whatlikeitshard1090
    @whatlikeitshard1090 Před rokem +53

    There's something so sentimental about the way he shares these experiences with us. Whatever he may have written, were written solely for the person who would read it. So in a way he's communicating with the readers individually. But then again that's what literature is, it's a connection between the writer and the reader. Almost makes me tear up a bit.

    • @Vigilant69
      @Vigilant69 Před rokem +3

      Right!
      I spent one hour watching the full video and reading through the comments seeing how people liked it and shared their experiences.
      One of the best videos I've seen in a while, an hour well spent.

    • @whatlikeitshard1090
      @whatlikeitshard1090 Před rokem

      @@Vigilant69 absolutely!

  • @Derna1804
    @Derna1804 Před 3 lety +281

    'The Tower of London is built from black stone' ... Coal pollution ahoy.

  • @Lurklen
    @Lurklen Před 3 lety +203

    I love people describing snow to people who've never experienced it. It suggests a world we barely experience now, one where things like the sea, or a northern winter, seem like fairy tales. Also his detailed description of ice skates, and skaters, is sweet.
    His recounting of the opinions of the Scots is a hoot.
    "Hat wearing nations."?
    Interesting how he perceives the religious tolerance of the English.

    • @Lurklen
      @Lurklen Před 3 lety +1

      @Tejas Misra Neat!

    • @chocolatbownie35
      @chocolatbownie35 Před 3 lety +10

      i've never seen real life snow, and from what i gathered on the internet, there are different kinds of snow (i guess?). I wanna see both the soft and the hard one, bcs one seems flufy and the other one must be cool to make things like snowman. I wanna fall in snow with my face. I know it'll be very cold but i KNOW i must do it once before i die. Question to people who have felt snow: does it immediatly start melting when u touch it bcs of body heat or can u grab it for a while without getting wet?

    • @Lurklen
      @Lurklen Před 3 lety +8

      @@chocolatbownie35 Depends on the snow. Yes it always feels wet, but when it's slushier and more melted it has no substance. When you pick up the fluffier snow, it breaks apart, and becomes wet and then compacted. When its more solid it's harder to shape, and closer to ice, so it doesn't melt as fast though if handled enough it becomes slippery.
      It really depends on how cold it is outside. If you live anywhere with mountains, many of them have snow, even in hotter countries.

    • @theturniptress805
      @theturniptress805 Před 3 lety +4

      I also want to see snow. Wouldn't it be amazing

    • @Amigo-wo2ku
      @Amigo-wo2ku Před 3 lety +2

      He had never seen snow before! Just needed to go up north and take a right turn in to Nepal and the Himalayas!

  • @royriley6282
    @royriley6282 Před 3 lety +356

    In case anyone is confused when he says 'mold' he means 'leaf mould' not 'bread mold' as the term commonly means now . Mould in this usage means detritus or worm cast formed mainly from fallen leaves. Darwin uses the same term in his book on worms. This kind of worm compost is commonly used in pot and raised bed gardening to this day.

    • @egregius9314
      @egregius9314 Před 3 lety +7

      I figured he meant compost, as I've heard of pineapples being grown in horse-manure (which gives off heat when decomposing).

    • @chicawhappa
      @chicawhappa Před 3 lety +3

      Learned a lot in this thread!

    • @timothymatthews6458
      @timothymatthews6458 Před 3 lety

      @@chicawhappa You act like you learned a lot, but you brain is so small that you think that this little bit of information is "a lot." It really isn't. You're a dumb millennial.

    • @thewhat531
      @thewhat531 Před 3 lety +1

      Roy Riley another example of how our languages are related. It's "muld" in Danish. We still use the word.

  • @lloydgush
    @lloydgush Před 3 lety +1130

    "the english are so tolerant of other religions" unless it's a different kind of christianism.
    Lol!

    • @ignacio4159
      @ignacio4159 Před 3 lety +29

      Nothing has changed there.

    • @lloydgush
      @lloydgush Před 3 lety +2

      @@theeobamatm5442 Yeah.

    • @spring-heeledjack3340
      @spring-heeledjack3340 Před 3 lety +79

      Are you serious? England is one of the few countries with significant protestant (many denominations) and catholic populations. List of countries to basically exterminate their Christian religious minorities:
      France
      Poland
      Ireland
      Spain
      Italy
      And there were many attempts by the Germans.

    • @lloydgush
      @lloydgush Před 3 lety +15

      @@spring-heeledjack3340 Where's the england catholic population? England, not british.

    • @spring-heeledjack3340
      @spring-heeledjack3340 Před 3 lety +34

      @@lloydgush Lots of English Catholics in the North West in particular, but they are spread out across England. About 5m in total, would be a very large number even without Irish migration.

  • @Alam_Khan521
    @Alam_Khan521 Před rokem +62

    The word Bengal is mentioned several times in this book. if you're wondering , bengal is a geographical place situated in eastern india. it now comprised of the sovereign country Bangladesh and the indian state of west Bengal. Bengal at that time was the richest state of india and presumably richer than most places in Europe.

    • @jagobangalijago5665
      @jagobangalijago5665 Před rokem +1

      Well said

    • @karimmezghiche9921
      @karimmezghiche9921 Před rokem +9

      ​@Ambander
      It's the truth though, that is the reason that made the British start their conquest of India in the Bengal.

    • @davidr7819
      @davidr7819 Před 10 měsíci +2

      William Dalrymple can confirm

  • @kaijukojin4371
    @kaijukojin4371 Před 3 lety +336

    It's amazing how much time and dedication something like this would entail.
    "Honey, I'm going to go on this ship and check out England! See ya whenever, wish me luck and hope I don't die!"
    Man... I can't even get Mrs. Kojin to let me go camping by myself overnight without her worrying.

    • @Stadtpark90
      @Stadtpark90 Před 3 lety +5

      Thanks for making me smile.

    • @mazadancoseben4818
      @mazadancoseben4818 Před 3 lety +4

      Lol. She does worry. Request her to let you.

    • @emperorpenguin448
      @emperorpenguin448 Před 3 lety +2

      lmao

    • @adrianlegendheart9297
      @adrianlegendheart9297 Před 3 lety +1

      You do realize these guys had like 20 wives and didn't care much about any of them?

    • @kaijukojin4371
      @kaijukojin4371 Před 3 lety +3

      @@adrianlegendheart9297 I refuse to believe that any god fearing Christian would ever stray from their devoted... when they're gone for five years, they just stare longingly across the sea... sending out thoughts of home....
      (sorry I'm cackling too hard as I write this)

  • @stanleysmith7551
    @stanleysmith7551 Před 3 lety +143

    That was a surprisingly accurate description of 18# century Europe and England in particular.

    • @MrNeosantana
      @MrNeosantana Před 3 lety +18

      This channel has taught me that the Indians and the Japanese are far more reasonable in their descriptions of places than the Chinese

  • @aresyen5620
    @aresyen5620 Před 3 lety +376

    Why this feels so good, so original and refreshing, As an Indian I wish our people could go outdoors more, acquire more wisdom and appreciation of other cultures and society and contribute further for upliftment and improvement of our society and help it rise above obscurantism and ignorance as it always leads to destruction and doom. I would also love to travel across Europe and write my own account of interactions and cultures of European society someday.

    • @djprojectus
      @djprojectus Před 3 lety +26

      A beautiful goal.

    • @edwardkumarkenway1875
      @edwardkumarkenway1875 Před 3 lety +25

      If you are aware..historically this has been a part of the subcontinent history...not in the "European sense" of Adventurism of course. The outreach of the subcontinent travellers to South East Asia/Far east amd China/Sri Lanka / Afghanistan are well documented.

    • @hassaans6778
      @hassaans6778 Před 3 lety +6

      He is a Mughal citizen better represented today by Pakistan.

    • @aresyen5620
      @aresyen5620 Před 3 lety +83

      @@hassaans6778 Were Mughals Pakistani ?, Pakistan built on basis of an superficial identity like religion itself has no concrete basis as such, out of 1000 of identities we hold the founding fathers of Pakistan chose one which was Islam, suppressing the other identities and ignoring the history of subcontinent itself resulting in the situation which Pakistan is at right now. Only way for Pakistan to stay relevant as a political entity to keep on reinforcing this identity of religion which is already leading it to down the drain posing serious limitations on its development and polity, Would Pakistan be Pakistan as a polity if religion becomes irrelevant which is the trend already across the world. Artificial partition of Indian subcontinent didnt make sense then, dont make much sense now.
      Also except personal bigotry of Aurangzeb Mughal political elites were not much interested in discourse over religion, they followed Yassa and Yarleigh system, that ruling elite did not had to do much to common muslims on streets back in those days and muslims you see now and trying to associate them to.
      Babar defeated Daulat khan and put his head on pike in Lahore, He built a pyramid of Afghans in Attock, Ibrahim Lodi after 1526 Panipat and later Mughals hunted Afghans and crushed them brutally when they expanded into Gangetic plains if you dont know history, for them their Empire came first.

    • @aresyen5620
      @aresyen5620 Před 3 lety +25

      @@edwardkumarkenway1875 I know the trade across SEA and expansion of Indian influence in those regions under Pallava and later Imperial Cholas under RajaRaja and Rajendra Chola which many suggest were behind emergence of SriVijaya Empire, also Khmer Empire, Thai Empire, we can see the Indian influence in SEA region, It was mostly South India and Bengal region involved in trade and exchange but again Post Kushana we see the emergence of feudal forces and growing insularity, Al-Biruni talks about it in his book "Kitab i Hind", so do Satish Chandra points out the growing ignorance of global events and insularity and ignorance, you can see the consequences of it, lack of cities, lack of secular texts in post Kushana period and emergence of Brahmanism and rigid caste system, it is a complex matter and we can discuss but I would suggest that Indian society still has a long way to go overcoming that insularity and ignorance and inward looking attitude.

  • @kamrulhasan3468
    @kamrulhasan3468 Před 3 lety +68

    It’s fascinating how different cultures interact. Well done fellow bengali. The world sure is an amazing place.

  • @caorusso4926
    @caorusso4926 Před 3 lety +423

    Visit europe before europe visit you

    • @adalbertschwafel2587
      @adalbertschwafel2587 Před 3 lety +3

      @adam riddle ?

    • @MattieK09
      @MattieK09 Před 3 lety +20

      Adalbert Schwafel go to London or Paris, you’ll figure it out

    • @Vingul
      @Vingul Před 3 lety +18

      Adalbert Schwafel don’t play dumb mate.

    • @kouron
      @kouron Před 3 lety +4

      @@MattieK09 Or any small to medium sized city in western europe.

    • @MattieK09
      @MattieK09 Před 3 lety +4

      kouron has it gotten that bad, already?

  • @Saiful22
    @Saiful22 Před 3 lety +19

    Nice to hear my native countryman from Bengal. I am from Bengal too. I hope he had a good life later

  • @youisa1
    @youisa1 Před 3 lety +222

    "If a women is both ugly and poor none will have her."
    Based

  • @HikmaHistory
    @HikmaHistory Před 3 lety +181

    In a weird way, this kinda reminds me of my observations when I first came to the UK haha

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety +5

      @Anglus Patria It’s been that way for centuries.

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety +2

      @Anglus Patria It's based of records.

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety +3

      @Anglus Patria I think this guy was trying to score points imo. I've read Chinese ambassadors say London was too dirty. Ever read the book "Dirty old london"?

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety +1

      @Anglus Patria Points with whom?

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety

      @Anglus Patria and what make you say that?

  • @PS3Vids10
    @PS3Vids10 Před 3 lety +113

    'A traveller is dearer to them than their own life, and they will take great pains to make them happy' - how things have changed

    • @jithinjayachandranpk
      @jithinjayachandranpk Před 2 lety +3

      yup

    • @Hammadz-li
      @Hammadz-li Před rokem +5

      He meant the nobility they still are courteous

    • @vgamedude12
      @vgamedude12 Před rokem +5

      What has changed? Europe currently welcomes their own replacement in their own countries. These things would've never occurred traditionally.

    • @samgyeopsal569
      @samgyeopsal569 Před rokem +7

      @@vgamedude12 travellers are not the same as immigrants

    • @vgamedude12
      @vgamedude12 Před rokem +1

      @@samgyeopsal569 yes travelers are acceptable

  • @pteranodon6612
    @pteranodon6612 Před 3 lety +80

    This was during the "Little Ice Age." England was colder with more snow and frozen rivers for people to walk and skate on.

    • @prashr4075
      @prashr4075 Před 3 lety +7

      No its a scientific term.
      Every few hundred years earth is slight tilted away from the sun resulting in drop in termperature.
      It happened in 1400s n 1700s

    • @arushi3762
      @arushi3762 Před rokem

      That doctor who series 10 episode

  • @xenotiic8356
    @xenotiic8356 Před 3 lety +60

    As someone who has never seen snowfall in person (or even ice outside of a freezer or indoor skating rink), his description of snow is quite fascinating and descriptive. It makes me want to go see some!

    • @artoruvidal2793
      @artoruvidal2793 Před 3 lety +2

      Where the hell do you live

    • @stynershiner1854
      @stynershiner1854 Před 3 lety +23

      @@artoruvidal2793 Most people like you forget that snow falling countries are minorities, not majorities.

    • @thrash208
      @thrash208 Před rokem +6

      I live in Canada every snowfall you can tell who the new arivals are because theyre outside with their cameras and have a joyous fascination with it. Its kinda heart warming to see almost childlike blissfullness of the stuff kinda makes you realize we take it for granted.

    • @theotheseaeagle
      @theotheseaeagle Před rokem +3

      @@artoruvidal2793probably somewhere in the Southern Hemisphere. It’s weird to think that some people have never seen ice or snow in person

    • @debasissaha2721
      @debasissaha2721 Před rokem +1

      I'm Indian, I've never seen snow in my life too

  • @BlueBaron3339
    @BlueBaron3339 Před 3 lety +731

    *"The hat-wearing nations of Europe"* Not sure why this phrase signifying what he considered advanced countries made me laugh 😂 🤣

    • @BlueBaron3339
      @BlueBaron3339 Před 3 lety +29

      @Tejas Misra Oh, I'm sure it made perfect sense, not just at the time, but later too. It just struck me as funny because I'd never looked at the world that way. I see both as simply head coverings.

    • @BlueBaron3339
      @BlueBaron3339 Před 3 lety +5

      @Ben Cowin Wow, so lots of folks have seen the world in terms of hats 😂

    • @sparky6086
      @sparky6086 Před 3 lety +52

      @@BlueBaron3339 The natives in North America often identified Europeans as "wears hat". Some people may remember old movies, where a native gestures pulling his hand across his forehead, when describing a European (white man). This movement was meant to outline the brim of a hat, signifying a "white man".

    • @BlueBaron3339
      @BlueBaron3339 Před 3 lety +29

      @@sparky6086 Thanks to an impulsive, offhanded comment, I realized something unexpected. I know *nothing* about the role of hats...in history, in culture, in custom or in anything at all. Sixty-eight years on planet earth, and somehow I failed to notice, much less wear, hats! 😳😲🤔

    • @sparky6086
      @sparky6086 Před 3 lety +11

      @@BlueBaron3339 I'm not too much younger than you, and I never wore hats, until I had to in the Army. I've heard, that the trend of men not wearing hats began w/ JFK. He didn't like wearing hats, and he being President and sustained as a cultural icon over the years, began the slide, where hats became an option, rather than a necessity.
      Hats have bounced back some, but not wearing one is still not like leaving the house without pants or something.

  • @petersherman2187
    @petersherman2187 Před 3 lety +97

    My dream has always been to spend the rest of my life in an library with documents like this, to observe the changes that have happened over time of one nations view of another.

    • @sunnylighting1477
      @sunnylighting1477 Před 2 lety +3

      You can read about India's history. It's divided in three parts- Ancient, Medieval and Modern. Ancient history deals with Indus Valley Civilization, Vedic culture it's trade with Mesopotamia.. Rise of Buddhism and King Ashoka.. Medieval deals with Arab conquest of India. Modern history starts with advent of the Europeans.. You can also read Ramayan and Mahabharat, Vedas, Upanishad.. The topic is vast.

  • @Greksallad
    @Greksallad Před rokem +27

    This was so unexpectedly positive and wholesome :D It seems like he really enjoyed his stay but was still glad to get back home, which is very relatable. Great video as always!

  • @Literarydilettante
    @Literarydilettante Před 3 lety +79

    Vilayat: abroad (outside one's home country)
    Firangi: foreign/foreigner
    Ghat: harbor in this case (also the name of a series of mountain ranges)

    • @luxborealis
      @luxborealis Před 3 lety +5

      The British are pretty Ferengi indeed.

    • @Jasvinder518
      @Jasvinder518 Před 3 lety +10

      Firangi means white people of foreign land whereas Habshi means black people of a foreign land.

    • @erikdalna211
      @erikdalna211 Před 3 lety +1

      @@Jasvinder518 Ferengi means Western Europeans from Frankish.

    • @lavish_1717
      @lavish_1717 Před 3 lety +1

      I love me some ferangis

    • @kaloarepo288
      @kaloarepo288 Před rokem +1

      Habeshi for a black African would come from the word "Habesh" or Abyssinia which is the old name for Ethiopia.The Ottoman empire was also divided up into vilayets.

  • @viliussmproductions
    @viliussmproductions Před 3 lety +45

    It's fascinating hearing descriptions of Europe as this exotic place as described by travelers, much like what we're used to hearing about other regions of the world.

  • @harveybeaver9731
    @harveybeaver9731 Před 3 lety +269

    19:42 "The Spaniards hada reputation for being clever and hard-working. They may in fact be more so than the English."
    That's among the last things you would hear about the Spanish nowadays.

    • @harveybeaver9731
      @harveybeaver9731 Před 3 lety +7

      @@SwayRod836 Maybe you could in the next decade. I was fortunate enough to have visited Spain eight years ago. Some parts were run down, but I saw a lot of beautiful places there. My favorite were the Alhambra building and the Salvador Dali museum as well as the
      Prada museum in Madrid..

    • @belstar1128
      @belstar1128 Před 3 lety +5

      Lmao yea they where never the same after napoleon

    • @_loss_
      @_loss_ Před 3 lety +5

      @plentyness they dont. Italians are also very fond of tax evasion.

    • @REM-gd5zg
      @REM-gd5zg Před 3 lety +14

      This string of replies is a clear example of the divide being created in the E.U. between entitled northern countries and the south. Spaniards do work hard. You think they came out fo the third world after the spanish civil war due to E.U. money? No. they worked their asses of as much as any other country.
      Sure they have their problems, but who doesnt? England certainly is more fucked up that it has ever been.

    • @SpectatorAlius
      @SpectatorAlius Před 3 lety +3

      @plentyness Yes, their governments are more corrupt than in more northern EU countries. But with Boris Johnson in charge, expect Britain to catch up in corruption!
      Besides: northerner prejudice against them, falsely accusing the southerners of being lazy is an even bigger obstacle to progress than their corrupt governments!

  • @TheTabascodragon
    @TheTabascodragon Před 3 lety +34

    Without history our lives have no context. Thank you for making these videos, they are truly a service to humanity by broadening that context.

  • @xiiir838
    @xiiir838 Před rokem +7

    Man, this was lovely. I remember I phrase that has always been with me for ten years already:
    "We are too late to explore the world, and it's too soon to explore space".
    Hearing how this man is describing snow, and frozen lakes warmth my heart. Such novelty, the world was filled with secrets and wonders back then.

  • @Sabrowsky
    @Sabrowsky Před 3 lety +413

    One of the things I realize when reading about indian accounts of history is that Alexander the Great really made a mark on their history.

    • @dheemanrajkhowa2866
      @dheemanrajkhowa2866 Před 3 lety +113

      Yep he did."Sikander" is still considered a badass in India.

    • @ShubhamMishrabro
      @ShubhamMishrabro Před 3 lety +20

      Yes he is seen as great warrior who conquered all the place he went

    • @kshatrapavan
      @kshatrapavan Před 3 lety +266

      Yes and no. Alexander was almost completely forgotten up until the Muslim invasion of India. There is no mention of him in any ancient Indian texts. Indians did vaguely remember Yavanas (Greeks). However, these mentions are of Selucids and later Indo-Greeks, and not of Alexander himself. The Muslims rulers, who were Persianized Turks/Mongols held Sikandar (Alexander) in high regard, and brought that part of their culture with them to India.

    • @nautiyogi8386
      @nautiyogi8386 Před 3 lety +51

      @@kshatrapavan absolutely. Infact, Marshall Zukhov put forward the hypothesis as to why Alexander would have lost in India.

    • @leaveme3559
      @leaveme3559 Před 3 lety +37

      @@kshatrapavan yes isnt sikander persianised name of Alexander

  • @AbrahamLincoln4
    @AbrahamLincoln4 Před 3 lety +72

    Must've been very bizarre for him. Seeing men in powdered wigs, with bright coats in long breeches and stockings with black buckled shoes walking with canes on cobblestone roads, big carriages with drivers in big coats, woman with flat hats wearing big dresses, and if you're lucky, you would see a very tall soldier with a big fur hat and a powdered wig.

    • @OkurkaBinLadin
      @OkurkaBinLadin Před 3 lety +3

      @Pichkalu Pappita Which of hundreds of castes in India are you describing? :)

    • @Joker-yw9hl
      @Joker-yw9hl Před 3 lety +6

      Apparently the big fur hats were only adopted after battling Napoleon and taking the hats of vanquished French grenadiers. Then it became a tradition. Correct me if I'm long. I think Brits in this time period were all about the tricorn *I think*

    • @pesii1452
      @pesii1452 Před 3 lety +7

      @@OkurkaBinLadin I didn't know Bengalis were a caste lol

    • @ArjunYadav-oy8fc
      @ArjunYadav-oy8fc Před 3 lety +2

      @Eren Yeager bengal is not bizarre you would not have even seen that in your life look at what he said in the end
      His native country which he is proud
      Everyone has their own views

    • @lavish_1717
      @lavish_1717 Před 3 lety

      I love that euro fashion on men

  • @theb3654
    @theb3654 Před rokem +10

    His description of the French is very similar to the way my grandma from England talks about the French.

  • @oldtomfool
    @oldtomfool Před 2 lety +26

    What an adventure this guy had, I understand there were terrible things going on in the time period. But also good and great things. The scenery of a changing world and first experiences before even national geographic. Amazing happy I get to hear it.

  • @joshuabanner3675
    @joshuabanner3675 Před 3 lety +204

    1:25. My god, is that where the Ferengi from star trek get their name.

    • @jevinliu4658
      @jevinliu4658 Před 3 lety +47

      It comes from the word "Frank", a similar term was used in the Middle East.

    • @94Newbie
      @94Newbie Před 3 lety +25

      yeah I cant help but loose my shit everytime he calls us europeans that.

    • @sagarchaudhary5260
      @sagarchaudhary5260 Před 3 lety +15

      I doubt that as Vilayat doesn't means Britain, it means foreign.

    • @wenzelplot
      @wenzelplot Před 3 lety

      Could be, could also be coincidence.

    • @antonioscendrategattico2302
      @antonioscendrategattico2302 Před 3 lety +3

      I remember readng that Ferengi came from "foreigner", but I'm not sure if from the word itself in English, or from the Hindi word for it. It could very well be.

  • @AbrahamLincoln4
    @AbrahamLincoln4 Před 3 lety +181

    2:42
    Indian's Simplified reaction to French shoes: *"WHAT ARE THOOOOOSE!!!"*

    • @ankitchandra8372
      @ankitchandra8372 Před 3 lety +8

      He wasn't Indian tho. You can call him Turk from occupied India. Also India was different than what that stupid is saying...

    • @ashrafmb9660
      @ashrafmb9660 Před 3 lety +8

      @@ankitchandra8372 brahmin have uracian and Iranian root why u call them as Indians then.

    • @yanamandrasastry9103
      @yanamandrasastry9103 Před 3 lety +16

      @@ashrafmb9660 lo why Brahmins have Iranian roots madrasa University or what?😂😂

    • @ashrafmb9660
      @ashrafmb9660 Před 3 lety +5

      @@yanamandrasastry9103 just learn a bit about their roots... Ull know.

    • @krapto3467
      @krapto3467 Před 3 lety +11

      @@ankitchandra8372
      Take your delusional religious politics off of History.
      The guy is Indian,Even the Mughal Dynasty had become Indian due to their Queens being of Indian origin if this is the definition that suits you.
      And he Definitely is an Indian.

  • @elvenkind6072
    @elvenkind6072 Před 3 lety +18

    What a wonderful storyteller you are, giving such life to these old stories, and giving great insight into human nature.

  • @GeoffreyBronson
    @GeoffreyBronson Před 3 lety +17

    I absolutely adore this series, you may be my favourite youtuber.

  • @comedyaddict123
    @comedyaddict123 Před 3 lety +502

    The ladies continued to stare at my clothes and countenance, while I gazed at their astonishing... Loveliness. 😉

  • @ReynaSingh
    @ReynaSingh Před 3 lety +120

    Remember that this is only the first recorded account... who knows how many visitors had come before then

    • @Gliese380
      @Gliese380 Před 3 lety +12

      why are you saying this as if it's something wonderous or weird. this is late 18th century, of course there were others before him who visited europe.. from all over the world.

    • @caorusso4926
      @caorusso4926 Před 3 lety +5

      They are too lazy to travel

    • @si4632
      @si4632 Před 3 lety +1

      @@Gliese380 Not many though obviously as it took ages to get there and it was extremely dangerous

    • @priyanshumaikhuri5856
      @priyanshumaikhuri5856 Před 3 lety +23

      @@caorusso4926 Actually not.
      Unlike Europeans, Indians never found any such need to go somewhere else from their homeland as everything which was needed for living or sustainability was grown/found in India only.

    • @belstar1128
      @belstar1128 Před 3 lety +1

      Yea definitely there where Chinese people visiting rome 2000+ years ago Indians could have done that too but never recorded it.

  • @yoshilorak5897
    @yoshilorak5897 Před 3 lety +78

    Ngl, when I visited the UK it was exactly like back home in the US. People spoke the same language, very hospitable, hard working(more so than the Italians when I lived in Italy). The only difference was the food and the people weren't very social. When I said good morning or hello to a stranger they would look at me like I'm crazy.

    • @madMARTYNmarsh1981
      @madMARTYNmarsh1981 Před rokem +8

      Did you go to a city? British cities are much like most American cities (the only exception I experienced was Dallas, still had its nutters but most were warm and interested in my English accent) ; people too busy to have manners. Smaller towns and villages are still welcoming although local pubs can get a bit 'iffy' in some areas if you don't sound like them. It is changing though, as people move from cities into surrounding towns they're bringing their arrogance with them.

    • @gabrieleguerrisi4335
      @gabrieleguerrisi4335 Před rokem +1

      The topic is not about to hard work, but to have good things done. Otherwise, if hard work is an Absolute plus, apart of how you work and what you "gain", you would yet work the land by hands😂😏
      As a discendentend of most influencial civilization of history (Roman one) I might suggest this.

    • @emma7933
      @emma7933 Před rokem +2

      Were you in the South or the North? I'm from the North of England and in general the South, especially London, is very unfriendly.

    • @yusuffabriziobosco9841
      @yusuffabriziobosco9841 Před rokem

      People more hardworking in the UK than in Italy? I honestly would disagree...

  • @MorphingReality
    @MorphingReality Před 3 lety +2

    Fascinating format, going to work through all of your videos, thank you!

  • @cheegum6296
    @cheegum6296 Před 3 lety +21

    Voices of the Past you probably have some idea what an amazing service your channel is to humanity. Your videos have such an astounding ability to educate people about our shared histories and clear up misconceptions propagated by popular media.

  • @warrengday
    @warrengday Před 3 lety +36

    @19:00 "others contemptuously refer to the Dutch as Fishmongers" makes me think of Hamlet "you are a Fishmonger".

  • @Jwb3896
    @Jwb3896 Před 3 lety +2

    This is one of the best, most fascinating channels I’ve ever seen. Thank you so much for your content!

  • @Friddle
    @Friddle Před rokem +7

    I can't put into words how happy hearing this book makes me. Thank you for reading it out and posting it here on youtube. It is so delightful to hear anothers perspective on Europe at the time.

    • @cerveauy8782
      @cerveauy8782 Před rokem

      This person was a British Sepoy who obviously was brainwashed by the Brits for creating a loyal slave to them. He was totally disconnected to the reality.

  • @niccoarcadia4179
    @niccoarcadia4179 Před 3 lety +8

    Thanks VOTP. Another fine historical vid that I thoroughly enjoyed!

  • @OddCompass
    @OddCompass Před 3 lety +7

    Wow, lovely video! I was captivated from beginning to end.

  • @Emporator
    @Emporator Před rokem +3

    This is one of the most beautifully written and narrated accounts I’ve encountered. A joy to listen to.

  • @kobe51
    @kobe51 Před 2 lety +1

    This is a gold mine of a channel! Thank you.

  • @aaronlopez3585
    @aaronlopez3585 Před 3 lety +14

    Gentleman I have very much enjoyed your presentation of such notable and informative semi biographical documentary. The historical texture you lend it with your voice is truly wonderful. Thank you.

  • @jmahal8063
    @jmahal8063 Před 3 lety +7

    This was lovely, thank you.

  • @owellafehr5191
    @owellafehr5191 Před 3 lety +4

    What a fascinating video! I love hearing the thoughts and impressions of these long-ago people; it makes them seem so much more real and lifelike.

  • @kuroazrem5376
    @kuroazrem5376 Před 3 lety

    This collaboration took place during my birthday. Thanks you for the amazing present.

  • @hilotakenaka
    @hilotakenaka Před 3 lety +155

    This is probably the first case I can think of where the guy travelling find the women hot instead of strange
    See the first westerners in Japan talking about the women stomping on babies

    • @ViriatoII
      @ViriatoII Před 3 lety +41

      Portuguese sailors always described females nicely :)

    • @godofthisshit
      @godofthisshit Před 3 lety +4

      @Max Schultz The women are easier.

    • @gazibizi9504
      @gazibizi9504 Před 3 lety +37

      Indians are caucasoid. It's easy for a similar people to tell apart beauty with the features they're well aquainted with.

    • @TheBollywoodCritic
      @TheBollywoodCritic Před 3 lety +7

      @Gazi Bizi Not all Indians, only a small percentage are, like 2-3% of the entire country. The Upper Castes, they call it. They look like Nikki Haley or Shashi Kapoor or Neil Nitin Mukesh, Hrithik Roshan, etc.

    • @ojberrettaberretta5314
      @ojberrettaberretta5314 Před 3 lety +4

      @Ron Lewenberg lighter skin no moustaches no back hair no hairy arms mayn reasons lol

  • @brokenbridge6316
    @brokenbridge6316 Před 3 lety +9

    Great video. I loved it. This guy must have had a really interesting couple of years in these countries. Great job with the video.

  • @nasimulhaque4191
    @nasimulhaque4191 Před 3 lety +105

    "Firingi" refers European
    "Firingidesh" refers european lands or (desh)s.
    Incredible he was a Bengali educated in Farsi. I will visit Europe too inshaAllah 🙂.

    • @Ghurshah
      @Ghurshah Před 3 lety +23

      Bengal was home to a great Persianate culture since the Persianised Muslim rulers first came to India. As a member of the educated elite he would have had to know Persian by definition/ default...his being a secretary and in employment to the EIC means he ought to have known Persian as it was the language of power and trade in India.

    • @luanlopes9415
      @luanlopes9415 Před 3 lety +4

      Haque hahaha in this times a random bengali could have a so diferent name as "Arab'Changhiz Khan Arslan Baba al-Shams Mirza Al-Hakmi" 😅

    • @AshutoshKumar-es8xy
      @AshutoshKumar-es8xy Před 3 lety

      @@Ghurshah you mean *invaded by the persians

    • @Ghurshah
      @Ghurshah Před 3 lety +10

      @@AshutoshKumar-es8xy India is product of invasions. The Persianate culture was localised for nearly 1000years. It was not foreign when the British arrived to overthrow it after first adopting it to better fit in to be accepted.

    • @Ghurshah
      @Ghurshah Před 3 lety +6

      @Nyet Matchbox Persian Islamic rule did not start with Mughals, it started with Ghaznawids and Ghurids.

  • @giovannisantostasi9615
    @giovannisantostasi9615 Před 2 lety +5

    I can listen this stuff all day long, Narrator is amazing and the contents so interesting.

  • @ruanpingshan
    @ruanpingshan Před 3 lety +153

    21:15 "all the hat-wearing nations of Europe"

    • @GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser
      @GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser Před 3 lety +5

      Such a funny description

    • @ruanpingshan
      @ruanpingshan Před 3 lety +5

      @Arigato Cat Oh yeah, I completely forgot about the Ottoman Empire in Europe.

    • @MPHJackson7
      @MPHJackson7 Před 3 lety +3

      @Arigato Cat ah, now that makes sense

    • @k.c7655
      @k.c7655 Před 3 lety +9

      @@ruanpingshan everyone always does 🙃 it’s not like the Balkans were under ottoman slavery for 500 years or whatever

    • @Big-BossX
      @Big-BossX Před 3 lety +2

      @@k.c7655 slavery?

  • @GrandMoffTarkinsTeaDispenser

    How great is it we have access to this? How wonderful would it be for all human knowledge to be digitalized and categorized inside a giant encyclopedia?

    • @ShubhamMishrabro
      @ShubhamMishrabro Před 3 lety

      It would take time but many are doing

    • @laurencefraser
      @laurencefraser Před 3 lety +4

      Observe, if you will, the existence of Wikipedia. For reasons both practical and legal it cannot be perfectly what you desire, but it's certainly making a decent go of it regardless.

    • @dafeels3085
      @dafeels3085 Před 3 lety

      maybe we could call it wikipedia perhaps

    • @goodday2760
      @goodday2760 Před rokem

      @@laurencefraser It's absolutely not making a decent go at it.

  • @PriyabDash
    @PriyabDash Před 3 lety +4

    Thanks for sharing such a great piece of indian literature and history

  • @jasonshade2656
    @jasonshade2656 Před rokem +9

    He started by warning the reader that his writing isn't good.
    This was beautiful. He's actually a blessed storyteller.

  • @phishreaper8126
    @phishreaper8126 Před rokem +2

    What a great idea for a channel! Keep up this fine work

  • @lucabralia5125
    @lucabralia5125 Před 3 lety +24

    19:30
    Italy in 1785 wasn't actually a country, but more of a conglomerate of countries, it got united in 1861

    • @Eshanas
      @Eshanas Před 3 lety +44

      And neither was India, but the lands could be generalized by their similarities.

    • @lucabralia5125
      @lucabralia5125 Před 3 lety +4

      @@Eshanas ok, makes sense

    • @cv4809
      @cv4809 Před 3 lety +2

      Italy united after 1860

    • @lucabralia5125
      @lucabralia5125 Před 3 lety +3

      @Hernando Malinche yeah

    • @zephyrprime
      @zephyrprime Před 3 lety +1

      Holy Roman Empire bro

  • @abadyr_
    @abadyr_ Před 3 lety +150

    As a French, I must question the honesty and objectivity of this ruffian!

    • @POLITICUS-DANICUS
      @POLITICUS-DANICUS Před 3 lety +28

      Sure you do.

    • @shenanigans4177
      @shenanigans4177 Před 3 lety +15

      Well, he primarily went to Britain for protection. No dog would ever bite it's master. So don't bother about it.

    • @abadyr_
      @abadyr_ Před 3 lety +11

      ​@@shenanigans4177 Well, thank you for your concern.
      That said, I had figured it was beneficial for his to butter up the British. If I had been seriously pissed about his biais, I would not have used the term ruffian ^^.

    • @RonaldMcPaul
      @RonaldMcPaul Před 3 lety +1

      MDR

    • @jimmylives
      @jimmylives Před 3 lety +7

      This account is his biased towards his British masters.
      French were the last European power who had helped Indian rulers fight the British. French trained Officers created European style native infantry and started gun factory.
      French Revolution ruined it all.

  • @GEOFERET
    @GEOFERET Před rokem +2

    Excellent! I just discovered this channel. Hope there is more content like this...

  • @steven2212
    @steven2212 Před 2 lety +4

    Many a "history" channel could learn a few things from this excellent work and Dr Mark Felton. They both produce and present history at its most bracing and informative. Well done.

  • @Borissh89
    @Borissh89 Před 3 lety +262

    "The English have always been good soldiers"
    *Hundred Year War flashbacks intensify*

    • @jmiquelmb
      @jmiquelmb Před 3 lety +23

      More than a century for a failed invasion. On the other hand, the british isles have been invaded by romans, saxons, vikings, and french normans. That's why english is a mix of german, latin and french words.

    • @MarkosMiller15
      @MarkosMiller15 Před 3 lety +2

      @Britannia checkmate haha

    • @krips22
      @krips22 Před 3 lety +6

      @Britannia France had several frontiers, all around, with powerful neighbours both from north and south (unlike the UK) and for the last centuries, the UK had its additional layer of security (sea) protected by the best fleet in the world. Two very different situations. Oranges and apples.

    • @krips22
      @krips22 Před 3 lety +2

      @Britannia Ok, fine. The term is not the right one but my point stands.

    • @faithlesshound5621
      @faithlesshound5621 Před 3 lety +8

      @Anglus Patria English historians always gloss over the Dutch army and navy which William of Orange brought with him to overthrow James II, who chose to fight him in Ireland.

  • @alfreddupont1214
    @alfreddupont1214 Před 3 lety +39

    Vilayat comes from the Arabic "wilaya" which means "province" or "governorate" and "firangi" comes from the Arabic "firenja" which mean "the Franks" as Crusaders were referred to by the Arabs during the middle ages.

    • @SlaveSystem8
      @SlaveSystem8 Před rokem

      What does it mean in the context here? I heard him use that word to talk about the pretty ladies there where exactly do you think he was talking about?

    • @SlaveSystem8
      @SlaveSystem8 Před rokem

      Was he talking about Edinburgh?

    • @abidhaque8183
      @abidhaque8183 Před rokem

      In this context,
      "Firang" = "Vilayat" = Europe
      "Firangi" = "Vilayati" = European

  • @davidkglevi
    @davidkglevi Před 3 lety

    This is amazing! Thank you! ❤

  • @strangelitgirl
    @strangelitgirl Před 2 lety

    WOW. Loved it!! Thank you ❤️

  • @borgstod
    @borgstod Před rokem +12

    Intriguingly, despite his many exceptional experiences in other lands, it was his home in Bengal that he most wanted in the end. There's no place like home, not even for a seasoned adventurer.

  • @midshipman8654
    @midshipman8654 Před 2 lety +11

    everyones talking about the comment on the french, but for me, i love the sensation of discovery and novelty and wonder in all of the descriptions! its amazing how normal things to you can be wonderful and dreamlike to someone unfamiliar!

  • @malleableconcrete
    @malleableconcrete Před 3 lety +20

    I always find it really interesting hearing about people react to snow and ice when they come from places where such things would be extremely rare.

    • @phoenixj1299
      @phoenixj1299 Před rokem +1

      It snows a lot in certain North Indian states in India.

    • @Super-verse
      @Super-verse Před rokem

      He was not a traveller, he just went for a vacation. Because less than 700 kms from Calcutta, there are many places where snow falls in winter.

    • @peace163
      @peace163 Před rokem

      He was a Bengali and Bengal never receives any snow.