Museum of Lost Objects

It’s been a year since Brazil’s National Museum burned down in a fire. Not only was its collection one of the most extraordinary in the world, but Brazil’s entire history ran through the museum. On the second floor you could meet the prehistoric skeleton that was the ‘mother’ of all Brazilians; on the third, listen to Amazonian folklore about exploding jaguars; and downstairs, slide into the slippers of a slave king. Now, the only intact artefact on site is a huge iron rock from outer space – the Bendego meteorite. The National Museum and its precious archive of Brazil’s past may be in ruins, but amongst the ashes there’s a battle to revive it. Presenter: Kanishk Tharoor Producer: Maryam Maruf With thanks to Roberta Fortuna Contributors: Cahe Rodrigues, carnival director; Dom João, photographer and descendent of Brazil’s last emperor; Laurentino Gomes, journalist and author; Monica Lima, historian; Mariza Carvalho Soares, historian and museum curator; Aparecida Vilaça, anthropologist and author of Paletó and Me; Bernabau Tikuna, linguist; Tonico Benetiz, anthropologist; Murilo Bastos, bio-archaeologist; Luciana Carvalho, paleontologist and deputy director of rescue Museu Nacional; Sergio Azevedo, paleontologist and director of Museu Nacional’s 3D printing lab Voice over performances by: Fernando Duarte, Marco Silva, Silvia Salek; Thomas Pappon Picture: Brazil’s National Museum – or Museu Nacional – on fire September, 2018 Credit: Getty Images This edition of Museum of Lost Objects is broadcast on BBC World Service.

Rabindranath Tagore, the celebrated Bengali writer, is one of the greatest figures in modern South Asian history. In 1913, Tagore became the first non-westerner to win a Nobel Prize, but just over a decade ago, his Nobel medal was stolen – and still hasn’t been found. This episode looks at Tagore’s legacy, how his songs and poems are ubiquitous in Bengali life, how he inspired revolutionaries and reformers in South Asia, and how his suspicion of all nationalisms - even anti-colonial nationalism - makes his work feel thoroughly contemporary and relevant today. Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf Contributors: Arunava Sinha; Rahul Tandon; and Saroj Mukherji With thanks to Minu Tharoor; CS Mukherji; and Sudeshna Guha Image: An unseen vendor picks up a cut out photo of Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore Credit: Getty Images

Ziarat Residency was a former sanatorium in the hills of Balochistan, and it’s where Muhammad Ali Jinnah - the founder of Pakistan – spent the last three months of his life. The building acquired great significance after his death – it was even on the 100 rupee note, and was eventually turned into a museum. But just four years ago, Ziarat residency was fire-bombed and burnt to the ground by Balochi separatists. Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf Contributors: Nayyar Ali Dada; Saher Baloch; Ayesha Jalal, Tufts University; Pasha Haroon; With thanks to Fifi Haroon Image: Rebuilt Ziarat Residency after 2013 Credit: Nayyar Ali Dada Associates

In March 1739, the Persian warlord Nader Shah laid siege to Delhi. He destroyed and plundered the city. Among his ‘Delhi loot’ was the famous Jeweled or Peacock Throne of the Mughal Empire. It took seven years to make, and seven elephants to cart it away forever - and it's been lost ever since. This episode stretches back to stories of empire well before British rule, and looks at how narratives of conquest and loss still have a powerful hold over South Asians. Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf Contributors: Yuthika Sharma, University of Edinburgh; and Manan Ahmed, Columbia University With thanks to Sussan Babaie, Courtauld Institute of Art Image: Persian ruler Nadir Shah on the Peacock Throne after his victory over the Mughals Credit: Alamy

The mystery of the 2,000 year old little bronze box, the Kanishka casket, that was said to hold the remains of the Buddha himself. Presented by Kanishk Tharoor Produced by Maryam Maruf Contributor: Vazira Fazila-Yacoubali Zamindar, Brown University Picture: Replica of the Kanishka casket at the British Museum Credit: BBC