Age of the Empires

The Lure of Lost Kingdoms

/ read / June 21, 2021 / Spotlight

The thrill of serendipity, the awakening of the imagination, the inevitability of being devoured heart and soul by a world you didn’t even know existed until this moment. In a way, being a student of history is like being an astronomer. Especially if the subject of study is an ancient or forgotten kingdom. Click to read more

The Lure of Lost Kingdoms

We hope this Spotlight will leave you feeling intrigued and wanting to know more about the glorious, ambitious, farsighted, but ultimately, fallible personalities who once ruled India

Empire of Faith: Into the realm of the Buddha & the Mauryas

Most Indians are familiar with the great emperors and exploits of the Mauryan empire. But until a few hundred years ago, their legacies lay buried in ruins, their faith forgotten by time. This is the story of a remarkable resurrection

Of Silk and Spice: A Tale of Two Empires

Sometimes rulers are remembered in song, sometimes in the clinking of coins. Let’s explore the empires of the Cheras and Kushans, whose greatness is echoed in the trade routes they forged

Brick by Brick: The Built Legacies of the Gujarat Sultanate

The Sultans of Gujarat built a lasting cultural legacy that lives on through the incredible mosques, tombs, palaces and shrines they left behind in Ahmedabad, Cambay, Patan and Champaner. Let's go on a tour of the Sultanate through rare photographs from the Sarmaya collection

“You can’t visit Hampi in a day”

Respected art historian of the Vijayanagara empire, Dr (Sr) Anila Verghese illustrates what makes the art and architecture of the era unique. Through objects from the Sarmaya collection, she points us in the direction of secrets and stories hidden in plain sight at Hampi

Rock & Ruler: Golconda’s Trail of Diamonds

What the chain of diamonds trickling from the marketplaces of Golconda tells us about the dynasties that branded and traded, and won and lost them

Forgotten City of Joy

In a collaboration between Sarmaya and India Lost & Found, we admire the fading beauty of Mandu, home to the delicate Malwa style of architecture

Hindu Temple Architecture

A Sarmaya guide to Hindu temple architecture through our collection of rare photographs

Age of Empires – Reading List

Understand Indian empires through their temples, art and even hairstyles in this reading list drawn from the Sarmaya library

Assam’s Mighty Ahom Dynasty

The Ahoms outlasted most other medieval Indian dynasties and gave their name to the state of Assam, but an account of their empire barely finds mention in mainstream culture. Here's 10 facts that will get you curious to learn more about this northeastern empire