
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. 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 CE, 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.
For example, the use of camphor after the Cholas showed up, expanding connections to the world, and the innovations unleashed in temples — worshipping nayanar with bronzes is a Chola period innovation. The construction of temples with vast hallways and courtyards, capable of feeding thousands of people is a Chola invention. They popularised the singing of Bhakti songs. The Nataraja himself is a Chola symbol. So, in all these profound ways, they impacted not just Tamil Nadu, but the history of South Karnataka, northern Lanka, Indian Ocean, in short, they changed the history of the world.
How does your book examine the medieval power dynamics, and how does historical literacy help people understand them?
The political power remains or behaves in similar ways. It has the ability to be many things to many people. Depending on who the audience is, it will offer different things and present a different image of itself. As citizens of a democracy, it is important for us to have this ability, not just for our present-day politicians and rulers, but also to understand how medieval power worked. To do this, we need to be equipped with historical literacy. What I try to do in the book is showing you, here’s what the inscription of the king is saying, the context and how the king is operating it and this is why he is saying this particular thing to a certain audience. Not only does it allow a deeper insight into the powerful, but offers an insight into the people — the powerless — who are receiving these messages.
Can you shed light on the role of queens and the contributions of women to the workforce?
Loka Mahadevi, the chief queen of Raja Raja and Tyagavalli, the second chief queen of the emperor Kulothunga. I have talked a lot about the kind of gifts that these queens made. If you look at Loka’s gifts to the temple, she gave this spectacular bronze with tens of thousands of pearls and pearls are not available on the shore of the delta. They develop on the Pandiya and Lankan shore. There is a military regiment that is recruited from Thondai, the area in now-Kancheepuram who are not native to the Chola Nadu, which is the Kaveri belt. These guys have been integrated into the structure of the empire and it is a win-win situation for them because they get to be present in the royal temple and the queen gets a powerful group of supporters. The queens have this ability to do politics, which very often we do not give them credit for.
By the 12th century, women were forced to do ornamental roles, like holding the lamps. Often, women also had to do the cooking, cleaning the palace, mending, and gardening. There are interesting temple records that suggest that female cooks were not paid as much as male cooks. So, the gender wage gap is an old concept. Just like today, there was a considerable amount of inequality.
What does the Chola dynasty’s political strategies reveal about the interplay between rulers, landowners, and the broader society?
The wealthier landowners, merchants, and Brahmins had a sharp understanding of how politics affected them. At a certain level of society, there was awareness to understand what was happening in the court and what needed to be done at the local level to manage the consequences. In the 1060s, during political turmoil in the court among the sons of Rajendra Chola, the assembly of landowners declared that they would pay this (collectively agreed upon) rate on wetlands, drylands, etc. Why were they saying this in that particular year? Because they are aware of the turmoil and collectively decided to stabilise revenue.
Beyond that, about the average cultivator, we do not have the kind of records needed to come to conclusions about literacy. But the very fact that it was important for the kings to be understood by some segment of their subjects shows us that these states are not absolute units, where the king has something and everybody follows.
On the ruling front, since the Pallavas, who ruled almost 200 years prior, Raja Raja Chola was the first Tamil king to send an embassy to China. So, the dynasty was well-educated, not just the men, but even women. If you look at the political claims they are making, they have an understanding of the world and have a hunger and curiosity for it.
What can today’s governments learn from the period’s governance and collective action practices?
The remarkable thing about the Chola period is that they arose from a land of village assemblies. As the dynasty began to decline, the village assemblies emerged into the fore. They formed associations like the Chitrameli Periyanadu, a collective of cultivators. Similarly, the left hand of the Chola, the Idangai, the hunters, artisans and so on, began to work together and make decisions, as the central authority started declining. This shows us that if a state is not sufficiently responsible for the needs of its people, then collective action will be taken. Our ancestors saw this as a way of dealing with their political superiors. It is important for the states to invest in being able to govern. They need to be able to respond to an average person’s needs. It is a very reassuring idea that democracy has had such deep traditions in south India.
Is there a figure who significantly impacted civilisation but has been overlooked in today’s world?
Sembiyan Mahadevi is well known in Tamil Nadu, though she could be known better. She was one of the most formidable figures in Indian history, yet barely known outside Tamil Nadu. Nobody has an understanding of the deep role she played in popularising Nataraja. She suffered many personal tragedies — her husband died very young and she had to raise her son by herself. Briefly, she was queen, but for years, she disappeared from the historical record. She must have been a lady of extraordinary grit, resilience. She is a clear example of a royal who does not get her due.
What can we learn about the lives and resilience of the common people then?
To me, the important thing is for us to understand that we are the descendants of the 99% (1% being the royals). Our ancestors, being ruled, engaged with political power in creative and humane ways. It emphasises how human impulses don’t change. They have different embellishments at different times, but it is the same beautiful, heartbreaking, thrilling story that you see again and again in different cultures.