POWER, PEOPLE, & THE PULSE OF HISTORY

A dynasty that introduced the sengol – a sceptre symbolising power that was recently in the spotlight – established international trade relations with Sri Lanka and China.

- SONU M KOTHARI

dynasty that introduced the sengol – a sceptre symbolising power that was recently in the spotlight – established international trade relations with Sri Lanka and China. It was this empire that brought in makara-shaped earrings, began building temples with stones rather than brick and mortar, and started worshipping Nataraja, changing and reshaping Southern India's landscape post 13th century.

Quoting these evidences from history, Anirudh Kanisetti in his latest book The Lord of the Earth and the Sea: A History of the Chola Empire infused life in the colourful and lost world of Chola Empire. "I want to bring together all the diverse threads of evidence that have been expounded upon by various scholars and weave them into this engaging, accessible narrative tapestry," says the historian at his book launch by the Prakriti Foundation at Alliance Française of Madras on Monday.

With a career goal to talk about south India's regions and integrate them into the national imagining of history, Anirudh took his work to center stage at the 13th edition of The New Indian Express' ThinkEdu Conclave, presented by SASTRA University, hosted at the ITC Grand Chola on Tuesday.

In an interview with TNIE, Anirudh addresses the emotions of the Chola retinues, soldiers fighting and dying on the battlefield, the global contacts developed, and the thoughts of the general public, architects, and sculptors.

EXCERPTS:

What drew you to this particular period of history?

In medieval Deccan sources, the Cholas often appear as conquerors. I asked myself why was it for the first time in our history such a sustained Tamil presence in the Deccan (was established), which had not been to the same extent before that. As I began to explore this curiosity, I came across some of the most astonishing stories in human history. The Kaveri floodplain became the seat of an extraordinary empire, which constantly displayed the ability to innovate.