MISREPRESENTED
A podcast about how and why misleading stories about the past become “history.”
MISREPRESENTED tells stories that challenge the way we think about South Asia’s role in world history.
Each episode is about a person, place, or thing that isn’t remembered fully or accurately today. But we don’t just unravel the true story - we also tell the story of how the history got twisted in the first place.
So meta! So fun! Subscribe? Sublime!
MISREPRESENTED is a HIT!
“It’s really excellent.”
— MANU BHAGAVAN, Professor of History and author of The Peacemakers and Sovereign Spheres.
“Solid story gold. Rich in atmosphere and urgent in its delivery, this podcast is...a timely reminder that history itself is a tale, whose twists, tragedies and starring characters so often depends on who does the telling.”
— ROSHANI CHOKSHI, author of New York Times bestseller Aru Shah and The End of Time
“Amazing storytelling with just enough political anti-colonial snark and context.”
— SANJENA SATHIAN, author of Gold Diggers, one of The Washington Post’s 10 best books of 2021
EPISODES
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The weirdest international scandal of 1911 (that is also v relevant today!)
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A story about how fiction becomes fact involving scheming poets, an enterprising beauty queen, and a Guinness World Record
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How did a wealthy, cosmopolitan empire go from thriving to collapsing in a matter of days?
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In the season finale of MISREPRESENTED, host Niki Aggarwal takes listeners through the British East India Company’s centuries-long quest for control over tea — which involved drug wars, slavery, and corporate espionage — and the conversion of South Asia into a subcontinent of chai-drinkers.
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Niki speaks with historian Manu Bhagavan about Sayajirao Gaekwar III and the Durbar Incident. (This is an addendum to episode one, so be sure to listen to that first.)
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Niki speaks with author John Zubrzycki about the Jaipur royal family and Jai Singh’s penchant for astronomy. We also share a cut scene detailing a Maharaja’s secret affair with the British.
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A conversation with writer Manu Pillai about Episode 3, The Last* Hindu Empire. Topics covered include the similarities between Ukraine, Russia, and the Deccan Sultanates.
MISREPRESENTED is available on most podcast players, including Amazon Music | Apple Podcasts | Audible | Castbox | Gaana | Google Podcasts | iHeart | JioSaavn | Overcast | Pandora | Pocket Casts | Spotify | Stitcher | YouTube
BEYOND the POD
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Under the guidance of a teacher advisory board, Kahaani is developing a corresponding teachers’ guide for each podcast episode.
These guides are aimed at high school history teachers, but are flexible enough to be used to teach classes like human geography, economics, and race & ethnicity.
To get the (free!) guides, simply email us at education@kahaani.io
What’s included:
Episode summary
Discussion questions with guided answers based on C3 Framework
Content summary quiz pre-built on Pear Deck with answer key
Jigsaw Lesson based on AP World objectives
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Here is a link to our press kit, should you want to feature or review the show.
For media inquires, or to book Niki as a guest on a podcast, please contact Kahaani’s Communications Lead Priya Phagu.
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If you love this podcast and want to help widen the historical narrative, here's how you can help:
Can you text two friends who might enjoy the podcast? We’ll make it super easy for ya, just copy & paste this script written by one of our fans:
Nafisah, you have to listen to this podcast. It’s amazing storytelling with just enough political anticolonial snark and context: www.kahaani.io/misrepresented