Why are things the way they are today? Why can't they be different?
Join me, Agastya Mohanty, as we explore the long and winding road of history - tangled stories of revolution, war, empire, and figures who changed the world - for better or worse, and how their actions still reverberate in our lives today.
Because the road can never arrive on its own; the present doesn't just appear - its always accompanied by the past.
For longer written essays and deeper historical analysis, you can find my work on Substack:
https://substack.com/@agastyamohanty
The abolition of the British slave trade in 1807 was one of the strangest decisions an empire ever made: a nation voluntarily shutting down an industry that had built much of its fortune.
But was it really conscience that ended it, or had Britain simply stopped needing the trade at all?
Join us as we trace the economics behind abolition: the insurance murder aboard the slave ship Zong, the cotton boom that rebuilt Liverpool's docks, and the Haitian Revolution that brought Napoleon's army to its knees.
23 Feb 2026
5. Catherine The Great & The Age of Enlightenment
Why does Russia insist that Crimea is theirs? Why did they annex it in 2014?
And how does it all relate to an Empress who ruled for 36 years during Europe's brightest ages?
Join us, as we venture through the Russian Empire at its peak - the 18th Century.
1 Feb 2026
4. The Great Northern War and The Fall of the Cossacks
The dawn of the 18th century brought forth dire consequences for the Cossacks and Ukraine: The Great Northern War.
But why did an ambitious Swedish King and a cunning Russian Empire spell disaster for the Cossack regime as we know it?
Join us as we journey through the events of the Great Northern War, and the epic Battle of Poltava
10 Jan 2026
3. The Cossacks
After years of exploitation and slavery emerged the Cossacks: A people of the Steppes who answered to no one but themselves, valuing freedom over all.
But how did a nomadic society reshape power on Eastern Europe's frontier?
Join us as we journey through the rise of the Cossacks - some of the fiercest and boldest warriors Europe has ever seen.
2 Jan 2026
2. The Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth
In the wake of the death of the Rus, Mongol overlords, Polish kings, and Lithuanian dukes all sought to claim the region for themselves. Yet none could fully assert control.
But why?
Join us as we journey through one of Ukraine and Eastern Europe’s most chaotic periods, uncovering epic battles and devious schemes.
For longer written essays and deeper historical analysis, you can find my work on Substack: https://substack.com/@agastyamohanty?
20 Dec 2025
1. The Rise and Fall of The Kievan Rus
Vikings, empire, religion and power - how do they connect to the first Slavic state?
And why does the answer lie in a Viking trading hub established in Kyiv that grew into a forgotten empire?
Join us as we journey back to the birth of the Kievan Rus - the first Slavic state, its rise, its collapse and the formation of Slavic identities as we know them today.
24 Oct 2025
Trailer: The Introduction to War: Russia Ukraine
Why is the world the way it is today? Why can't it be different? Join me, Agastya Mohanty as we scrutinize history, question the established status quo, and offer fresh perspectives on age - old stories.
Our first series: Why are Russia and Ukraine at war?
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