Often called Arabic numerals, the modern number system we use today actually originates in India. Whilst in the west they were using Roman numerals, in India they were using numbers 1-9. Then, the great Brahmagupta in the 7th century made one of the most monumental developments in human history. He invented zero in its modern form. Therefore, these basic rul ... Show More
Feb 3
330. The Iranian Revolution: 1979 vs. 2026 (Ep 1)
In recent weeks, protestors have swarmed the streets in Iran in defiance of the regime, and it feels as if the country is on the precipice of a transformative change. Yet these scenes feel familiar. In the 1970s, mass protests led to a religious revolution which replaced a monarc ... Show More
33m 11s
Mar 2022
International, part 1: The Disabled Woman Who Ruled Ancient Kashmir
Welcome to season 5 of Vulgar History, where things are taking an internationàle flair, starting with this story from 10th century Kashmir! The saga of Rani Didda contains THREE coin minting moments, NUMEROUS mysterious deaths, and a new inductee to the Lady Jane Grey Memorial Aw ... Show More
1h 12m
Jan 2025
Ancient Mesopotamia: everything you wanted to know
Do you know your Sumerians from your Babylonians and your Akkadians? All these civilisations formed part of the story of ancient Mesopotamia, where city states were formed, writing flourished, the wheel was possibly invented, mathematics was practiced, and dogs were gods, pets an ... Show More
47m 6s
Sep 2024
Ancient India and China: from golden to silk roads
The best-selling historian William Dalrymple presents India as the great superpower of ancient times in The Golden Road: How Ancient India Transformed the World. He argues that for more than a millennium India art, religions, technology, astronomy, music and mathematics spread fa ... Show More
42m 10s
Oct 2025
Alexander the Great, with Mary Beard
No one was like him, terrible were his crimes… Where was Alexander the Great born, and who were his parents? What drove him to go beyond the Aegean empire he had already carved out for himself, and conquer lands beyond the limits of the Greek world? Why did Alexander eventually t ... Show More
10m 52s
Sep 2025
The Mughal empire: everything you wanted to know
The Mughal empire was one of the most powerful and influential dynasties in South Asian history, blending together a mix of cultural traditions to create a legacy of dazzling architecture, innovative governance, and turbulent politics. Speaking to Emily Briffett, historian Nandin ... Show More
49m 50s