Mapping the Diverse Historical Experience of the Horse in India

In her book The Tale of the Horse: A History of India on Horseback, Dr Yashaswini Chandra follows the trail of the animal into and within India until the decline of ‘the age of the horse’ with the onset of colonial rule and mechanisation. It includes both the life of horses in India as well as their role in the history of the subcontinent. She emphasises the diverse experience of the horse towards a total history surrounding it. This is reflected in the diversity of sources that inform the book, encompassing textual and art-historical ones as well as oral traditions.

The different, technical, social and cultural, aspects of the book was discussed in a panel by the author in conversation with equine veterinarian Dr. Hasneyn Mirza, and Anirudh Kanisetti. The discussion was illustrated by telling images, and Chandra examined the multifarious manifestations of the horse across Indian art as well as some examples of historical sites associated with it.

This event is in collaboration with the Bangalore International Centre  and PAN Macmillan India.

The event was hosted at the BIC and relayed live.