Since Coorg is the biggest grower of coffee in India, I zeroed in on the subject of coffee. During my youth in Coorg, I was fascinated by the legend of Mr Ivor Bull, a pioneer planter and the founder of the Consolidated Coffee Estates Ltd., Pollibetta. Though Mr Bull had returned to England in 1954, he had become part of the local ‘coffee folklore’ and was remembered with affection by the local planters. Rightly so, because it was Mr Bull who had encouraged the Coorg planters to grow oranges, cardamom and pepper along with coffee. The inter-planting vastly improved the economic condition of the small planters. I did not want to focus my writing on the cultivation of coffee because coffee has been grown in India as a commercial crop for nearly two centuries and planters are familiar with it. In this book, I have tried to give the reader, the coffee grower and the coffee lover in particular, an insight into the romance of coffee – it’s fascinating history, many charming facets of coffee culture, its symbiosis with nature and what makes it such a captivating brew. This book was produced with ePustaka - Ink and Weave initiative by Techfiz Inc (hIps://techfiz.com).

In Trade and Romance, Michael Murrin examines the complex relations between the expansion of trade in Asia and the production of heroic romance in Europe from the second half of the thirteenth century through the late seventeenth century. He shows how these tales of romance, ostensibly meant for the aristocracy, were important to the growing mercantile class as a way to gauge their own experiences in traveling to and trading in these exotic locales. Murrin also looks at the role that growing knowledge of geography played in the writing of the creative literature of the period, tracking how accurate, or inaccurate, these writers were in depicting far-flung destinations, from Iran and the Caspian Sea all the way to the Pacific. With reference to an impressive range of major works in several languages—including the works of Marco Polo, Geoffrey Chaucer, Matteo Maria Boiardo, Luís de Camões, Fernão Mendes Pinto, Edmund Spenser, John Milton, and more—Murrin tracks numerous accounts by traders and merchants through the literature, first on the Silk Road, beginning in the mid-thirteenth century; then on the water route to India, Japan, and China via the Cape of Good Hope; and, finally, the overland route through Siberia to Beijing. All of these routes, originally used to exchange commodities, quickly became paths to knowledge as well, enabling information to pass, if sometimes vaguely and intermittently, between Europe and the Far East. These new tales of distant shores fired the imagination of Europe and made their way, with surprising accuracy, as Murrin shows, into the poetry of the period.

August 14/15, 1947, reverberates with meaning for Indian and Pakistani people. The date does more than mark the "independence" of India. This momentous time marks the birth of two nation states, India and Pakistan, and is fixed in the memory of many as Partition and end of the Raj. Bearing Witness attempts to nuance this historical moment by considering contemporary and post-event responses to Partition, which Indians and Pakistanis have inherited as one of uncontested significance. From testimonials and speeches by Jinnah and Nehru to fictional and non-fictional accounts by Indians and the British, and political cartoons that appeared in English newspapers at the time, Kamra offers an inductive study of primary texts that have been ignored until now. The book studies the three groups most affected by the events of 1947: the British, for whom this was the beginning of exile; the Indian elite, for whom the moment was a rite of passage; and the survivors of Partition, for whom the event is inextricably linked with trauma and loss of home, family, and community. Author Sukeshi Kamra asks, "Why do we not consider these valid and contesting readings in the teaching and learning of our history? Not doing so means that testimonials to Partition, such as narratives of trauma, autobiographies as 'personal' statements on a 'public' moment, and political cartoons as a minute-by-minute construction of history have yet to be considered."

In 850 analytical articles, this two-volume set explores the developments that influenced the profound changes in thought and sensibility during the second half of the eighteenth century and the first half of the nineteenth century. The Encyclopedia provides readers with a clear, detailed, and accurate reference source on the literature, thought, music, and art of the period, demonstrating the rich interplay of international influences and cross-currents at work; and to explore the many issues raised by the very concepts of Romantic and Romanticism.

1993 Reports from India of parents killing their children in public because of social shame related to forbidden marriage began coming to world attention. 1993 Admira Ismi (Bosniak) and Boko Brki (Serb) were killed by sniper fire while fleeing the besieged city of Sarejevo on Vrbanja bridge, now known as the ‘Romeo and Juliet Bridge.’ Their bravery ‘became a symbol for the suffering of the people on all sides of the conflict.’ The challenge of young people for rights to options is highlighted by the phenomenon and imperative of romance tragedy within and across cultures. Globalisation brings awareness of other cultures: of their legends and real life heroic stories; of their struggles and sacrifices; and of their social progress. This study focuses on the time period from 1993 to the present time during which romance tragedy in India especially, began attracting world attention through the media. The first pillar of Gandhi’s ‘Satyagraha’ is truth, claiming that openness to, and awareness of the greater community – the world community – is a necessity of peace, both at the family level and for the world community. Nonviolence (the second pillar) is seen as the first step in the path of peace, using the word ‘peace’ here to equate with ‘the enjoyment of good relationships’. Principles for the attainment and maintenance of good relations apply to individuals at the local level and to states and nations at the government level. Martyrdom of romantic lovers choosing Gandhian-like self sacrifice (the third pillar) continues today. Reflecting hugely intense joy and sorrow, storytelling of romance tragedy through the arts and media brings compelling heroism to our attention. It leaves us with a message of hope for the new generation.

Late eighteenth-century Calcutta. The British are well-ensconced in Bengal, but not yet an empire. Indian princes pose a danger to the East India Company's plans of commerce and domination. Warren Hastings, the British governor-general, is attempting to consolidate his power in the Company. Johann Zacharias Kiernander is on a mission to convert heathen souls in a land far from his native Sweden though he is not averse to lining his pockets while doing 'God's work'. Into this steaming cauldron of skullduggery and intrigue walks James Augustus Hicky, a wild Irishman seeking fame and fortune. Sensing an opportunity, he decides to establish a newspaper, the first of its kind in South Asia. In two short years, his endeavour threatens to lay bare the murky underside of the early British empire. Does it succeed? This is the story of the forces Hicky came up against, the corrupt authorities determined to stop him and of his resourcefulness. The product of five years of research by Andrew Otis in the archives of India, UK and Germany, Hicky's Bengal Gazette: The Story of India's First Newspaper is an essential and compelling addition to the history of subcontinental journalism.