The prize that European rivals fought for on the Hooghly wasn't gold or spices. It was a thread. In this episode, we journey to the heart of that legend: Shantipur.

Long before "global brands" existed, Bengal's "woven air" was India's unrivalled soft power, shaping global fashion and identity. We explore how this ancient industry wasn't just 'outcompeted' by the British Industrial Revolution—it was systematically dismantled in a geopolitical "mugging." This is a story of colonial exploitation, Gandhi's 'charkha' as a weapon of defiance, and the modern-day struggle against fast fashion. Discover how these threads, still woven today, remain one of India's most potent, untapped geopolitical tools.

Before the British Empire built its monolithic stage in India, a chaotic and ruthless audition took place on the banks of a single river.

In this episode, we travel back to a time when Bengal was a miniature Europe—a geopolitical chessboard where the Portuguese, Dutch, and French fought a shadow war for the riches of the East. This is the forgotten prequel to the Raj; a story of shifting alliances, strategic gambles, and clashing ambitions. Discover how this ‘river of rivals’ not only decided India's fate but also holds surprising lessons for the multipolar world of today.