In the 18th century, doctors were as likely as other men of status to settle quarrels with pistols. Between about 1770 and 1820, at the height of the duelling craze in Britain, professionals such as lawyers, merchants, politicians and doctors, who regarded themselves as gentlemen, used duels to defend their honour. Pistols made duelling easier than swords, which required years of training. Doctors were also called to the field to treat the wounded, so a doctor could end up being a duellist, a second or a surgeon at the same duel.

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.