Vol 18, No 1 (2026)

The relevance of the research topic is due to the increasing attention of Indian society to the problems of the development of Buddhism in South Asia. The study examines the problems related to the search for an answer to the question of the reasons for the growing interest in Buddhist values both at the level of mass perception and in the politics of India’s leading political parties: both those currently in power (Bharatiya Janata Party) and those aspiring to it (Indian National Congress). The purpose of this study is to identify the peculiarities of the appeal of politicians, philosophers, and members of the Indian public to the Buddhist ideological complex, to show its evolution as a religious teaching and the development of concepts important from the point of view of state building. Forces of different ideological positions find in Buddhism those starting points that contribute to the formation of unified ideas about Indian civilization, which are traditionally associated with the ideas of religious tolerance and social consensus. The study analyzes the role of Buddhism in India’s international activities and its peacemaking orientation. The article shows the importance of pilgrimage practice to places of Buddhist heritage as a factor in the development of national traditions, strengthening the unity of the multi-confessional Indian society, and increasing India’s prestige in the Buddhist world.

The perception of key leaders in Indian modern history and its transformation within the contemporary political landscape constitutes a significant element of the political struggle between the country’s two major parties - the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Since coming to power, the BJP has consistently pursued a strategy of historical revisionism aimed at reassessing established narratives about INC leaders. This study focuses on examining the transformation of Indira Gandhi’s public image using digital big data analysis methods, including sentiment analysis of texts from major Indian English-language media sources from 2014 to 2019. The research hypothesis states that critical discourse concerning Indira Gandhi intensified following the BJP’s rise to power, with a particular surge in criticism during election periods, when historical figures are instrumentalized as tools of political contention. The application of sentiment analysis enabled the identification of periods of peak criticism of Indira Gandhi, which correlated with anniversary dates and election campaigns. The findings revealed an almost symmetrical distribution of positive and negative sentiment, indicating a polarization of views among Indian intellectual elites, who constitute the primary readership of the analyzed English-language media. The results of the media discourse analysis aligned with the outcomes of the 2024 parliamentary elections when BJP encountered substantial opposition resistance and got fewer Lok Sabha seats than expected. This study confirms the efficacy of digital methods for analyzing political processes and demonstrates that historical politics has become a key arena of contemporary political contestation in India.

The modern world order has been largely shaped by the outcomes of World War II. Its events, which affected the lives of millions, became the foundation of national memory in many countries, particularly in Central and Eastern Europe. Historical past is often referenced in international discussions, as it remains a key element of collective identity. In this context, the question of the USSR’s role in the defeat of Nazism and the liberation of Europe, including Poland, takes on a special significance. This study examines how Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance interprets the Soviet Union’s participation in liberating Poland from German occupation. Despite the USSR’s undeniable contribution to the victory over the Third Reich, its role in Poland’s fate remains a subject of intense historical and political debate. Using an integrated approach, the author examined the main narratives and assessments presented in the modern materials of the Institute of National Memory of Poland, which allow reconstructing the point of view of the Polish authorities on the past. The researcher concludes that the current historical narrative promoted by Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance is driven by the need to shape national identity.

The author examines the history of the emergence of a network of banking institutions in Persia belonging to rival powers - the Russian Empire, Great Britain, and Germany. An analysis of documents on the project to open agencies of the Tiflis Commercial Bank in Persia by Russian entrepreneurs revealed the significant risks inherent in the Persian market, which deterred Transcaucasian merchants from implementing their plan. It is shown that the Discount and Loan Bank of Persia, operating under the control of the Russian government, had to face all of these risks. The author concludes that the Russian banking institution’s work in Tehran was fruitful - thanks to its efforts, by the early 20th century, a third of the Tehran market was represented by Russian goods, whereas traditionally it was closed to Russian exporters. However, the bank’s chosen strategy of competing with Russian entrepreneurs in Persia negatively impacted Russian trade in that country as a whole. The bank demonstrated insufficient effectiveness in supporting private merchants, and during the First World War, for objective reasons, this function ceased to exist altogether.

The study is devoted to the analysis of the parliamentary debates in Great Britain in the mid-1760s, caused by the crisis of the colonial system after the Seven Years’ War. The focus is on two key aspects: the repeal of the Stamp Act (1765-1766) and the controversy surrounding the regulation of the East India Company (1766-1767). Based on the analysis of parliamentary speeches and the alignment of political forces, the author demonstrates that the traditional two-party scheme (Tory - Whig) inadequately describes the real political dynamics of the era. Instead of a clear ideological confrontation, situational coalitions are observed: for example, Rockinghamite Whigs (E. Burke) and John Grenville’s pro-royal supporters united to defend the principle of private property and the “sanctity” of the royal charters against radicals (W. Beckford) and the government coalition of W. Pitt the Elder, who advocated strengthening state control over the company. It is concluded that parliamentary discussions on colonial issues were determined not so much by party affiliation as by pragmatic interests, rhetorical strategies, and personal connections. The study highlights the need for further revision of the established interpretations of British political life of the 18th century through the prism of political language research.

The study discusses the issue of the date and prerequisites for Hades to acquire the legal status of a Roman municipality. Based on information from ancient authors and urban inscriptions, an assumption has been made about the period of the emergence of the Roman system of self-government in the city and the granting of municipal status to it. Some researchers are inclined to recognize that Hades received the status of a municipality from Caesar, while others attribute this act to the era of Augustus, seeing Caesar’s activity as an intermediate stage in the formation of the legal status of the city. In the course of the study, the author came to the conclusion that Hades received the status of a municipality in 49 BC under Caesar both as a result of the city’s previous position as an ally of the Roman people, and as part of Caesar’s civil law policy aimed at spreading Roman citizenship in the provinces and integrating local communities into the Roman system of public relations.