Judgement of King Uchchala

Sham S. Misri

King Harsha Dev’s reign in Kashmir lasted from 1089 – 1101 A.D. (He is not the emperor Harsha who ruled in India from 606-647 A.D.) King Harsha Dev had two cousins, Uchchala and Sussala. The year 1099 A.D. witnessed plague, plunder, flood and famine. Uchchala and Sussala fled in 1100 A.D. to Rajapuri. Uchchala, a cousin of Harsha Dev became a rebel and defeated Harsha Dev. He then took the possession of the capital. Harsha’s queens burnt themselves in the palace, while he himself took refuge in a Matha.     

Uchchala (1101-1111 A, D.) was a very energetic man. There is an interesting story told by Kalhana about this ruler in Rajatarangini.

In Uchchala’s rule there was a man who had accumulated a large sum of money. He wanted to keep some money safe against the rainy day. After much thought, he decided to keep the money with a merchant, with whom he had acquaintance.  The merchant was happy at the proposal.

“You are a very wise man,” the merchant said to the man.

“One should always keep some money safe for some unexpected trouble. How much do you want to deposit with me?”

“I will deposit a lakh of dinars (currency coins) with you.” Said the man.

“A lakh. That is fine.” replied the merchant.

“I will take good care of it. You can take small amounts of money whenever you want.”

The man trusted the merchant and went his home and told his wife about this plan.”

“But can he be trusted,” asked his wife.

“Of course, he is trustworthy!” exclaimed the man.

“I have no doubts about him. He is well known in the city. Our money is safe with him.”

As days passed, the man would take small amounts of money from him to meet his petty expenses.

Nearly twenty five years passed in this manner. The man had a son who had grown by now.

One day as usual the man went to the merchant and asked for some money. The merchant refused to pay. The merchant’s face was red with anger.

“What money do you want now?” the merchant said.

He showed the man his account book.

“There is hardly any money left from the original amount. You have almost spent the whole money.”

The man was shocked to hear all about this. He did not utter a word. The merchant then showed him the account book.

“See here. Three hundred dinars for repairs of house. Six hundred for land purchase. Five hundred for   religious function. Etc.etc.” The list was unending.

The man had not taken so much of money from the merchant.

“And you must pay me the interest,” concluded the merchant.

So, there was a law suit between the merchant and the man which the court could not decide.

This case came to the notice of king Uccala. He demanded that the account books of the merchant be shown to him. The merchant had fraudulently recorded the entries in the account book. 

Uccala ordered the merchant that if any portion of the money was still with him and that he should produce before the king prior to his judgement.

The money was brought. Among the coins, he found coins of his own reign. But the deposit had been kept with the merchant when (Kalsha 1091-99 A.D.) was ruling; it was twenty years before Uccala’s reign had commenced.  So it was evident that the deposit had been used for other purposes by the merchant. The king then declared his judgement, stating that the man must pay to the merchant interest on what he had taken from him from time to time up to date, and, the merchant too must pay the man interest on the full one lakh of dinars from the time of its being deposited together with the amount of the deposit.

The Story Of Chocolate

Sham S. Misri

It's hard to tell when exactly chocolate was born. Chocolate history starts out in Latin America, where cacao trees grow wild. The first people to use chocolate were probably from the present day southeast Mexico. They lived in the area around 1000 BC, and their word, “kakawa,” gave the word “cacao.

When the Maya Indians moved from their home in Guatemala to the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico, they brought with them cacao from the rain forest. In Guatemala the Maya established large plantations to grow cacao. The Mayan’s used chocolate a lot. It is with the Maya that chocolate history really begins.

The origin of the word "chocolate” traces back to the Aztec word "xocoatl," which means a bitter drink brewed from cacao beans. This drink was used to treat coughs and fever.

 "food of the gods."

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For further reading and more exciting stories please see this book

Niels Bohr (1885-1962)

Sham S. Misri

Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist. He was one of the foremost scientists in modern physics. He was professor of theoretical physics at the University of Copenhagen. He was awarded the Nobel Prize in 1922 for his work on atomic structure and the hydrogen atom. Bohr explained that electrons move in restricted orbits around the atom's nucleus. He explained how the atom emits and absorbs energy. He combined the quantum theory with this concept of atomic structure. He was also known for his humorous arguments with Albert Einstein.

The Bohr–Einstein debates were a series of public disputes about quantum mechanics between Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr. They were two of its founders.

An account of them has been written by Bohr in an article titled "Discussions with Einstein on Problems in Atomic Physics".

Despite their differences of opinion regarding quantum mechanics, Bohr and Einstein had a mutual admiration that was to last the rest of their lives. Einstein and Bohr, always led by merciless war on the nature of quantum theory based on probability.

This anecdote, best describes their relationship:

Albert Einstein and Niels Bohr were out hiking one day when they came across a bear. Immediately, Niels Borh began to change from his boots to his running shoes.

“What are you doing Niels?” Exclaimed the surprised Einstein. “Certainly you cannot outrun a bear!”

Niels Borh replied “No, Albert, I only need to outrun you...”

Those who accept Einstein settings, talking to Einstein’s are dressing running shoes. But modern science accepts that the Borh still ran faster.

Horseshoe Logic

Sham S. Misri

Niels Henrik David Bohr (1885-1962)

Niels Bohr was a Danish physicist and one of the foremost scientists in modern physics. He was renowned for modelling the internal structure of atom. He never believed in superstitions. But one day an American scientist visited the offices of the great Nobel Prize-winning physicist, Niels Bohr, in Copenhagen, and was amazed to find a horseshoe was nailed to the wall over his desk.

The American said with a nervous laugh, "Surely you don't believe that horseshoe will bring you good luck, do you, Professor Bohr?"

“No, no!” replied Bohr, shunning the subject, “Who said I believe in this nonsense? Not at all. However, I am told that a horseshoe will bring you good luck whether you believe in it or not!  How can one argue with such logic?"

‘But, then, why have you …? ‘   Asked the American scientist.

‘Well, it still works, even if you don’t believe in it!’ replied Bohr smiling.