Ms. Malini...that was very interesting. I came to the same conclusion too.:-) Its great, isn't it, to be able to know so much history from one novel, PS?
One more question for us to crack our heads over...I was going through Madhan's 'Vandhaargal Vendraargal' for the umpteenth time.
Now here's something interesting: Ghazini Muhammed ransacked India 17 times- that we know. he came right down to Somnathpur- we know that too. Now, apparently during those years(1000-1025), who was reigning down south? Raja raja and Rajendra, the heroes of Thamizh history. Rajendra had even won the title 'Gangaiyum Kadaaramum kondaan', with all his conquests towards the north. Judging by the timing, each must surely have known what the other was doing.(I refuse to believe that Rajendra's or Ghazini's spy system was all that faulty). Why, then, didn't they intercept each other? Why didn't Raja raja or Rajendra try to stop Hindu temples from being ransacked, when they could march armies into the sea?
That's an interesting question which brings to mind another question that I'd been wanting to ask this group. I recently got L. P. Sharma's History of India series (ancient, medieval and modern) and looked in the section that talks about Ghazini's invasions. The general opinion seems to be that Hindus had gone to the mindset of being satisfied with everything they had - military- and otherwise and were generally weak in defending themselves. This made it easier (per the author) for invaders like Ghazini to penetrate deep into India and plunder her wealth. Nothing is mentioned about the South in this context.
Which brings me to my question:
Which is not related to Ponniyin Selvan but about South Indian history, or rather the lack of it in the text books. When I was in high school in the late 70s, (that makes me sound really old :-() I remember studying all about the Mauryas, Guptas, the Moghuls but can barely remember anything about the regional history. Is this how it is now? The text books I got to imbibe some Indian history to my kids has 3 volumes but 1 chapter on South Indian history - cholas and pandiyas, cheras are barely even mentioned. If you 20-somethings don't mind, would you please email me if you got anything of S.I. history from the text books? If so, could you tell me the authors to buy? I would really appreciate any answers.
Ram, I took the liberty of asking this question here even though it's not related to Ponniyin Selvan - hope you don't mind - thought this would be a great forum to ask and would love to hear everyone's opinions 'off-the-air' (email me at [email protected]).
Thanks again, I am learning so much from this group.
On the issue of choodamani viharam, it may be true that Arulmozi rebuit the structre once again since it was washed out by the floods that is mentioned inth e 3rd part of PS.
As regards to Cholas not stoping the invasions of Gazini the follwoing article was on the net.
Towards this end the Muslim invaders undertook the desecration of places of worship, destruction of universities like Nalanda, the wholesale slaughter of the monks and priests to wipe out the intellectual bedrock of the people they overran. Such tyrannical polices which the Muslim rulers folllowed since their rule was established in 1194 C.E. they left a trail of bitterness in the regions which passed under their domination. Hindu tradition survived only in remote corners of the country like in Orissa, Assam and parts of South India
Further i also remebering reading somewhere that Sun temple at Konark was built to commemorate the victory of ruler of Oriss over Gazini. which will be roughly around 1015
Thanks for ur valuble information poonguzhali. This was a real "puriyadha pudir" for many i hope !!!. The chzoha empire gradually started loosing its military might after this period it seems. But what about others ???
Who was the most powerfull king during that period here? (if not chozhas ).!!!!.
Well you got me hooked on this - this is what Stanley Wolpert says in "A new History of India": (page 112)
"Under Rajaraja's son Rajendra I (r. 1016-44), Chola armies even marched north of the Tungabhadra to wreck havoc upon the western Chalukyas of Kalyani. The Chola navy was by this time the mightiest in the Indian Ocean; not only did it conquer the Maldives, but in 1025 it defeated the fleet of Sri Vijaya, the great maritime empire of Southeast Asia that spanned Malaysia and modern Indonesia"
That year was the final attack of Ghazni and our hero was busy fighting his own battles. The other interesting fact this book mentions is, again quoting,
"in 1025, for example, the Hindu inhabitants of Somnath were reported to have stood calmly watching the advance of Mahmud's fierce army toward their temple city's walls, confident that Shiva, whose "miraculous" iron lingam hung suspended with a magnetic field inside Somnath's "womb-house", would surely protect his worshippers from harm. "
(Were any of the temples in S India affected or did he stop at Somnath?)
Pretty sad, isn't it?
Thanks to everyone who responded to my question about S I history.