I recently finished my 78th heritage tour and published my tenth history book. What gives me energy? Not the money, but rather the feeling of rediscovering the best memories of my youth: summers spent in a 10,000 square foot house in Palayamkottai that has been in our family for six generations!
The trips were magical, pouring over a 5,000 square foot attic full of relics of all kinds, from old clothes and newspapers to furniture and abandoned lamps, and an ancient pankah wheel on the door lintel. Heritage was made complete with delicious food and Sunday excursions to temples spanning several acres, just the priest and me.
The history I was taught in school was completely different from what I experienced; we were not even taught anything about south India, or even about Madras, where I currently live. I wanted to make this right even as a little child. I have written about how history is relevant to our lives on several occasions during my HR career at TVS, Infosys, Cognizant, and McKinsey. The lessons of history are timeless if we approach it from the perspective that human nature never changes.
I conducted a series of online classes for kids during the lockdown on topics related to south Indian history that they would never learn in school. The overwhelming response I received inspired me to write a book.
Hachette released A History of South India for Children: From Prehistory to Vijayanagara in January 2024. Adults can also benefit from reading this book! The five southern states are covered in brief, fast-paced chapters that begin in prehistoric times. The management of various provinces by various kings is examined in the chapter on kings and queens. The chapter on food discusses the earliest allusions to food and drink as well as how global it was even back then. The focus of Wars and Weapons is on battle reports and the organisation of armies. Crime and punishment is concerned with the numerous laws, rules, and tenets of the previous legal system. The chapter on religion provides a clear, objective explanation of the main religions practiced in south India as well as their historical interactions. The area is well-known for its temples, and the Temple Secrets chapters can assist kids and parents in explaining and comprehending what to look for in any kind of artwork, including temples. Two millennia ago, South India was the world’s leading producer of luxury goods, and ever since, traders from all over the world have travelled along its coasts. This rich history is examined in the chapter on traders and money. The chapters on Language and literature and that on Music, dance and drama focus on the arts and words the region is famous for including those in danger of being forgotten. The Science and Technology chapter describes the prehistoric astronomy, physics, chemistry, biology, maths, and other knowledge systems in this area.
It is my wish that the book gives everyone with ties to South India a greater sense of awareness and pride, inspires them to visit the key locations there, and one day contributes in any way they can to the betterment of the area. Here is an extract from the book –
GEOGRAPHY DETERMINES HISTORY
Our lifestyle is shaped by our surroundings. The economic circumstances and way of life of the inhabitants of a region were influenced by its geography in the past, far more so than they are today. For example, mountains turned into barriers and defences that hindered communication. Rivers influenced a region’s level of food production and, consequently, its level of prosperity. Seaports were reached by rivers, which led to the sea. Kingdoms that fought over scarce food and water were common in unfertile lands, such as rocky regions that could not support much agriculture or areas with less water. As a result, these areas had smaller kingdoms and frequently engaged in conflict. One such group is the Pandyas of Tamil Nadu.
There were only two major rivers in the Pandya kingdom’s domain (modern-day Tamil Nadu), and one of them had little water. Additionally, the land received comparatively less rain because it was located in the Western Ghats’ rain shadow. Even with their excellent rainwater-saving systems, the smaller chiefs resisted being subjugated with more ferocity than most. Since they had to put in more effort to obtain the barest minimum of the limited resources at their disposal, one could assume that this was the case.
More affluent kingdoms were those that controlled a river and could use its water for farming. They were able to afford a larger fleet of soldiers as a result. They may have also been more likely to use warfare to enlarge their empires. Classical examples of this are the Chalukyas, who ruled over the river Malaprabha, and the Cholas, who ruled over the river Kaveri.
But there is no one-size-fits-all formula here! For instance, kingdoms that were located in present-day Kerala had many rivers, over 44 of them. Many tributaries feed larger rivers like the Periyar and Pamba, which are nourished by smaller streams. Fewer smaller kingdoms, like Trippappooru Swaroopam, Perumpadappu Swaroopam, Nediyiruppu Swaroopam, and Kola Swaroopam, were able to conquer substantial portions of Kerala due to the region’s numerous rivers and dense forests, which hindered the movement of large armies.
