Don’t skip India’s Deccan rulers -Anirudh Kanisetti talks to William Dalrymple on new book

In this episode of ThePrint PageTurner, Anirudh Kanisetti talks to William Dalrymple about his new book ‘Lords of the Deccan’, published by Juggernaut. Deccan history is not just dry, boring successions of kings whose mission was to go to battle, build a temple and die, says Kanisetti about a chapter of Indian history most skip.
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[@user-ie3qx1vo6y]

Kadamba,Chalukya, Rashrakuta,Hoysala, Vijayanagara and Mysuru. Prides of Karnataka,we have never forgotten them and we never will. Whole India should know about their greatness.

[@prajwalshetty9809]

Vijaynagara is my favourite, to think what would have have happened if they continued to prevail over the Deccan sultanates!

[@user-ie3qx1vo6y]

@@tejadarkar True,but they are of Kannada origin which is why I said so. These dynasties contributed a lot to Indian culture and we should teach our future generations that these were our heroes not foreign invaders 🙏

[@roro4787]

@@user-ie3qx1vo6y how do u define foreign in medival India? I mean any king coming into your territory is your history. We should be told stories of everyone!!

[@user-ie3qx1vo6y]

@@roro4787 Agreed, but how many people in India know Immadi pulakeshi or Amoghavarsha nrupathunga or Raja Raja chola and how many know Babur or Alexander or Vasco da Gama. We talk about Shakespeare how much do we know about Kalidasa, we talk about Beethoven what about Bismillah Khan. Think about it, we were never taught about our own people.

[@debodatta7398]

Anirudh is heavily biased toward the Kannada dynasties and it’s sad to see him come up with malicious lies about Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam kingdoms to praise the Kannadas

[@sudhirc9179]

An earlier battle at Kuppam between Cholas and Chalukyas is documented on an inscription in Bengaluru where the Chalukyas were defeated. This incidentally is the only Chola inscription in Bengaluru and found in the vicinity of Kengeri.

[@vashisthegde2169]

I recently realised that CBSE education focused mainly on northern India. This book was much needed ❤️. And I can't praise the cover page design enough.

[@yj9032]

Stop blaming schools for your ignorance. Take some personal responsibility.

[@saifanrahman7052]

​@@yj9032 why not center only focus on North and especially criminals of up

[@a.k5431]

Gratitude to a young author. It seems very sound that the youngster of India is critical in knowing the history.

[@optimusguy2011]

Good that someone has shed light on to Deccan history. Peninsular Indian history needs more accessible scholarship. Kudos to Anirudh and The Print for bringing mediveal history into spotlight.

[@strangedays82]

What a happy personal coincidence that literally yesterday I went into a rabbit hole of research into the Rashtrakutas and their obsession with the heart of the North, Kannauj and was lamenting the fact that all pre-Mughal history was so poorly written!! Next challenge is to get a copy of what must surely be a gripping book shipped to Canada! Great job by a remarkably young man. To add to this coincidence, I’m literally reading ‘in Xanadu’ a book Dalrymple wrote when he himself was quite young! Good job, Print - sometimes I wonder if you’re watching over my shoulders sometimes!!

[@Ladisingh9]

We sikhs don’t need book to read the history.we knew very well that Mughals never ruled while India. They were limited in Delhi Gujarat,bangal .here in Punjab we gave them very hard time .even we sikhs defeated barbaric Mughal rule in India 1857

[@dwaipayanmoitra4651]

They most didn't have Direct rule of Bengal too, Being the Richest province/ Subah of The Subcontinent, The Bengal Nawabs and Other Hindu Zamindars had more grip on the polity of Bengal.

[@joewilder]

I have some Indian friends in their 60's and 70's. Middle class people. I was surprised to learn they don't know much about their ancestors. They say it's not common to try to preserve memories of past relatives.

[@SPmis]

The Print is certainly raising the bar of excellence. First bringing Praveen Swami on board and now these type of conversation. It's nice to see these upgrades. Respect and love 🙏🙏🙏🙏

[@sage.rivendell]

#ImmadiPulakeshi - mighty and unparalleled Chalukyan Emperor from #Karnataka. 💛❤️

[@govindagorty5710]

The great kakatiya dynasty is always ignored by CBSE their contribution to indian culture is as good as Gupta's and cholas it is shame nobody talks about them outside tg/ap

[@ab6124]

Finally a book on South Indian history! About time.

[@anamikayadav6366]

Finally we can see more books beyond the Mughal & British era . More about our Indian Raja & their dynasty

[@Roy-jz2ok]

The guy is just amazing and glad someone focused more on Deccan

[@gndag9281]

Dear will. In 2008 I flew all the way from Bombay to Delhi to be at one of your book launches. So happy for you to be associated with the Print- an entity I deeply respect.

[@kpmurali1]

Wow ! Great work by The Print ! Firstly on bringing William online and secondly introducing the new book

[@nigelhatch6606]

Fascinating! Had to order the book through a friend in India as Amazon apparently does not deliver to Sri Lanka. Awaiting its arrival.

[@chinmayoak4398]

I did order immediately. And already am waiting to get a translation in maharashtrian language before i have got my hands on the English version

[@Shahi-bangalah_1352]

I love when he mentions emperor Aurelian. The most underrated roman emperor.(Restituror orbitus)

[@genovayork2468]

He's overrated and you highly butchered "Restitutor orbis".

[@NitiShekhar]

Great to see a young historian

[@cyberfan1]

wonderful interview. A delight to see two such articulate individuals discuss a period of Indian history that is not widely known. Have always been a HUGE fan of Dalrymple (I don't think there is a book he has written that I have not read). And thanks to WD, I have my introduction to possibly another absorbing writer. Can't wait to order this book.

[@AjaySingh-tu9sp]

Wonderful a very articulate young man who tells history based on facts

[@mailtorajrao]

Always a joy to listen to Mr. Dalrymple and Anirudh sounds quite interesting. Will pick up the book.

[@ssarkar2996]

Can't wait to read it!

[@amarkhanna6518]

wow, what a treasure trove references in this one interview. thank you for hiliting this important work. i found his podcast:echoes of india.

[@MrPoornakumar]

A new star rising, in the Southern horizon !

[@vinayakkapatral4246]

Impressive work… cannot wait to own and read. Kudos!!!!

[@MrSudhir61]

I am getting my copy after this interview ! Just stopped to say this. Carry on William 👍

[@praveenbhat5207]

One Of The Great Conversation

[@divyanshsingh2661]

Its the 1st book which I pre-ordered.A well researched with lucid details of subcontinent past and its history in the right spirit. it was more than expected

[@vemmanr]

Nice to see another author NOT making black & white history... Has Manu S Pillai been on the channel? He has some good works on Southern India THE IVORY THRONE: CHRONICLES OF THE HOUSE OF TRAVANCORE REBEL SULTANS: THE DECCAN FROM KHILJI TO SHIVAJI THE COURTESAN, THE MAHATMA, AND THE ITALIAN BRAHMIN: TALES FROM INDIAN HISTORY FALSE ALLIES: INDIA’S MAHARAJAHS IN THE AGE OF RAVI VARMA

[@adarshkumar-ln1hm]

he has

[@ab6124]

Thanks for sharing this list knew of only one of these books - intend to read them

[@meret99]

We did study about these dynasties but can’t wait to read this book now❤

[@ratnadeepsharma964]

Anirudhha, what a madlad! Amazing Author!

[@prajwalshetty9809]

Very interesting! Intend to pick this up

[@govindagorty5710]

Rani rudrama devi was one of the earliest female rulers of india

[@raviii5053]

Eager bright kid seems excited to be talking to William. Will read the book

[@projectmanager6423]

Looking forward in Amazon

[@roro4787]

Awesome ❤️❤️❤️

[@arunvb87]

Both Chalukya and Rashtrakuta kingdoms are the Pride of Kannadigas. But very less people even in Karnataka know about great kings Krishna or Dhruva. Amoghavarsha at least is mentioned often for his literary work

[@arunvb87]

@@tejadarkar I said Kannadigas because their scriptures and literary works are either in Sanskrit or in Kannada. Most of the inscriptions found in Maharashtra that belong to them are in these languages.

[@arunvb87]

@@tejadarkar I agree

[@AsKarmalkar]

There were no linguistic identities in medieval India.

[@sage.rivendell]

@@tejadarkar lol! 😂 There were kannadiga's first; and they belong to subcontinent later.

[@sage.rivendell]

@@tejadarkar Reduced the great #Kannada EMPIRE to mere "Dynasties"? *Ignorance at its best!* -- Open some books and papers on the #Chalukyan and #Rastrakuta's court accounts and, you will know their true great linguistic nature. Can't even credit where its due eh? Pathetic! 😂

[@shirishgarde4748]

Nice job Willie!

[@leoa3256]

Read the book after watching this video! Unlike other commentators my school history book had the chalukyas & rasthrakutas - however like he said it was mainly about which temples they had built & what wars they fought. The book kind of adds flesh to these bare bone accounts - sad that only so little information is available. Overall a much needed book about these important kingdoms - gets a bit unwieldy towards the end.

[@josephkelly6681]

Love this book!

[@SudarshanKannadiga]

Amazing book.

[@amithbk12man]

I will buy this book. So much to learn from our history. Our politicians and some bad people in power only made us learn the history of Mughals and we Indians being slave. But we Hindus have a great heritage

[@bhargavadk]

tx will buy the book and read

[@sps6]

Something from William d ...look forward to read the book from anirrudh

[@JS-zc2jr]

#theprint #journalism 👍

[@pattersonclement5619]

it is funny how he imagines chalukya generals talking to the Rajadhichola in Sanskrit and not in Kannada...

[@iamDamaaldumeel]

Hale kannada which is very close to Tamil.

[@genovayork2468]

All Indian nobles understood Sanskrit. Not Kannada.

[@iamDamaaldumeel]

@@genovayork2468 There is no India before 1947!

[@genovayork2468]

@@iamDamaaldumeel I was talking about the subcontinent not the country. 😂🤣🤣🤦‍♂️

[@iamDamaaldumeel]

@@genovayork2468 Notion of subcontinent is a further recent identity... 😛

[@sps6]

Rastrakutas got together to stop arab invasion from sindh in middle ages this defense of indian subcontinent led to arab expansion moving towards north of Africa aprofound affect on world history...how many of our text books teach this?

[@amithpallavoor]

Sandalwood should make a movie on Amoghavarsha instead of pandering to the Extreme Left and Right Ideologies.

[@adarshkumar-ln1hm]

I have to stop in the middle i m buying this book no more spoilers.

[@dpashokk]

While I am eagerly waiting to reading Anirudh's book, I cant help but note the hypocrisy of some of the commenters. People mocked history in school books as boring and now in their adult life have discovered history as a proxy for today's politics. All these kingdoms were covered in school books and Nilakanta Sastri's book has been around for almost a hundred years. Though Sastri is partial to the Tamil Pallavas & Cholas and treats the Chalukyas & Rashtrakutas as brave losers. Yes fresh perspectives and research are needed but not for the usual Anti-Mughal reasons.

[@dpashokk]

And as an aside, the "Tamil" vs "Kannada" battles of that day were so vicious that today's stone throwing over river water seem like a mosquito bite by comparison.

[@sage.rivendell]

@@dpashokk *Brilliant point, I was about to say* .Book by Sastri is through a "typical" Tamilian's lens.

[@ujwalmokashi6702]

This guy was spamming my Twitter timeline about how only Muslim were victims during Delhi riots and obvious propagandaon caa nrc and others. His face looks like quintessential British villain in indian movies.

[@prashantchachadi6896]

irony is the British have written history of many countries which they had colonized but back in England they don teach true history of colonialism in schools, they teach how gr8 Chuchill was but they wont tell he was a mass murderer n a racist bigot

[@rohitigc]

I really wonder when anyone says that we only read about Mughal history in school. I read about all these dynasties in school and they all were equally interesting and boring for me. In fact my complain is about lack of international history curriculum. I knew nothing about World War I and II or American civil war.

[@genovayork2468]

All three are nothing compared to this. Especially the American Civil War lmao.

[@dsbdsb6637]

Indian history was used by Indian left to grind it's political axes which pushed away alternative ways of perceiving & interpreting history resulting in current contestations regarding history so i find William Dalrymple's question where he termed alternative histories as myths & author responded to it by calling it simplistic as 'pedantic' & 'peace-meal' institutional response to avoid & discredit alternative interpretations & narratives of history.

[@sanjayk9988]

badly moderated to stop the interview abruptly especially when Anirudh was getting warmed up!!

[@kaceobrwa7039]

its not deccan , its dakshin, why are we still using colonial terms ? why are we calling first war of independence in 1857 as sepoy mutiny ? why are we calling ganga as ganges ?. we need to decolonise our mind, and its not deccan its dakshin

[@adarshkumar-ln1hm]

dakshin is the hindi term, are u branding southern india with hindi name. Maybe u need to cleanse your mind as well.

[@vikki0932]

@@adarshkumar-ln1hm no dakshin is sanskrit term . we call south as dakshinam in telugu.

[@Alamgir-ri6px]

Dakkan was the term used by north Indians for south India which was derived from Dakshin

[@SreekanthYerram]

@@adarshkumar-ln1hm perhaps u need to bake your half knowledge.. deccan is nothing but dakshin, that has been badly pronounced by the islamists..

[@kuntalgoswami8563]

In which school or Board u have studied? I have studied all of them. In the mediaval Indian History. Ofcourse it was school. So studies not so details. Not studied History after school. I AM FROM WEST BENGAL. I KNOW ALL. NOW A DAYS IT BECAME A FASHION TO SAY I NEVER STUDIED. I AM FROM WB BOARD

[@TheSujanroy]

Hi Kuntal, nice to see you here. The state of the syllabus is quite patchy in state boards. I'm a product of Maharashtra Board and the syllabus heavily emphasized Maratha history. What else I know of history I learnt from Amar Chitra Katha and lately from William Dalrymple's writings.

[@kushal4956]

they just got fleeting mentions. no in depth study on the empires

[@harishkumardatla6839]

How do you know that he must have studied ? he is author of a book and you are a random youtube troll, i believe him more than an arrogant online troll

[@Yashasish]

Not Sanskrit. They would've been shouting in Kannada😁

[@SreekanthYerram]

Hmm.. kanisetty is a Telugu name.. and this chap has urdu and and kannada on his twitter!! Lost any respect?? Yes..

[@SudarshanKannadiga]

He born and raised in Bengaluru. Basically I belong to Telugu family but I use Kannada everywhere and even I don't know to speak Telugu because I have grown in Bengaluru. This is called respect to our beloved and lovely Kannada language but not disrespect to any other languages. Hope you understand. Thank you

[@SreekanthYerram]

@@SudarshanKannadiga care less... that chap was raised in andhra... there are many kannadigas in AP and TN who speak the regional languages because of their upbringing in that state. You are not unique.

[@vinodpillai]

Dear Mr William Dalrymple Having read both your books on the romanticisation of the Mughal and British rule in India, I must say that you do have the gumption to question Mr Kanisetti on the possible backlash that he may likely face on the incidents of rape of 'Hindu Brahmins' by Deccan Hindu rulers. It's a surprise that you do have such sensibilities, calloused as much as they are, to 'feel' such emotions. Well Mr Kanisetti responded to it in a dignified manner and in keeping with that let me add. We the Hindus are aware of the failings of humans and have been over centuries in our philosophy been trying to address that. So yes the brutality of medieval times are well understood by the 'Hindu' and we have it in us to read about such brutality and learn from it. I am proud of Mr Kanisetti that he can write about it and i am proud of the fact that i can read about it objectively. However, Mr Dalrymple, you in the other hand are just in awe of his capability to write much better than you are ever capable. The books ( If can take the liberty of calling them that) you have written are just a rose eyed white sentimentalisation of colonial ennui. So it would be better that you stick to your rose tinted versions of Mughal history where no violence ever took place. Maybe it suits your weak mind. Leave the heavy lifting to Indian writers and an even more informed Indian public to decide, instead of seeking cheap responses to lurid questions that your white washed thinking permits. Regards

[@mcboomslang9022]

Don't want to read any masala story out of history. Have some respect for historians.

[@subhampriyadarshi1645]

William dalyrmple😂😂