Lords of the Deccan by Anirudh Kanisetti

This book has been laying in the Amazon wish list for months till i decided to purchase it during one of the random visits to Bookworm Bookshop on Church Street. And i decided to dig into it, abandoning the books i was reading then. This back and forth between books, reading multiple books at the same time is not very useful for maintaining continuity or retaining context. But it has helped me read more books. So i cant complain. In fact, i would recommend this strategy if you want to read more books. And when you come across a book which you don't feel like abandoning for any other book, you know you got a good one and i finished this decently big book within a week.   

This book is very good because it is a well researched history, but reads like a fiction. I was invested in the characters, their story arch and their fate. And i am from Deccan! So this incredible story unfolds in places i have heard about, that are closer to home than most other historical places i have read about. 

I love a book which inspires you to go on tangents, exploring on Google, and discovering wonderful stories. And this books does that so often. Once again, i was personally invested in learning more because these places are geographically so close to me, so that helped. But also the fact that, i knew so less about these places and these kingdoms - the Chalukyas, the Rashtrakutas, the the Cholas, the Pallavs and the Pandyas. I gathered so much context around ancient cities like Thanjavur , Badami & Pattadakal, Devagiri, the Ajanta & Ellora sites, Vengi in Andhra Pradesh etc. As that happens, you create a richer map of where you are from and your context, which in turns enables you to create a better map of yourself, i believe. 

One of the standout insights for me from the book was how medieval kings used religion, temple building and grand ceremonies (both religious and political) towards a single goal of legitimising their rule and ensuring its sustenance (if not in reality, at least in narratives and history). This hasn't changed a bit now. Modern politicians almost use a carbon copy strategy to win elections and ensure their 'rule' sustains. We are a democratic country, but the power plays are still medieval. 

I liked how this book also ends pretty much at the approximate point in history where Rebel Sultans by Manu Pillai begins. For someone who hasnt read both, i would highly recommend starting with this book followed by Rebel Sultans, and completing a trifecta with any of the decent histories on Shivaji. 

Let me also recommend this Youtube series called 'Thinking Medieval' hosted by the author of this book. 

Looking forward to the next book by Anirudh Kanisetti!