In the early 19th century, the Maharaja of Travancore levied an absolutely bizzare tax: Any woman who had come of age and had breasts had to pay a breast tax, and bare her breasts to anyone who was of a higher caste to them. This was one amongst the hundreds of taxes the lower castes had to endure, which put them in a cycle of perpetual debt and poverty. And then came a revolt which led the Maharaja to revoke the tax. This week, in the fifth episode of India's Linguistic Heritage, we explore the bizzare story of the origins of modern Malayalam, which has everything from a breast tax to a religious power struggle. Tune in and discover, what this story means for us as travellers, everytime we encounter a new culture.

Till then Check out the other episodes,

Anne Frank, Lootera and Endless Life of Trees
The Trees that built Venice
Elm Trees, National Revolutions and Modern Paper
European Impressionism, Japanese Nationalism and Cherry Blossom Trees
The tree that built New Zealand
Living Fossils, National Identities and 200 MM year old trees

You can check previous episodes of 'Podcasts from Nowhere' on IVM Podcasts website
https://ivm.today/3xuayw9
You can reach out to our host Utsav on Instagram: @whywetravel42
(https://www.instagram.com/whywetravel42 )
You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: IVM Podcasts - Apps on Google Play or all other major audio platforms.