A kingdom is a kingdom is a kingdom
It occurs to me that before the advent of the gun, in the era of swords and sandals, a kingdom was a kingdom was a kingdom.
There were kings (mostly) who ruled and tried to defend and expand their territories. They created wealth through "empire." Some built monuments. Others razed them. And there was a constant jockeying for who's next in line.
Within that context, across various continents there are several dynasties of note including the Chola Dynasty that peaked in the 1000 AD time frame.
In terms of length of time, the Cholas lasted approximately 450 years. This rivals the major ones we are familiar with, including: Western Roman (500 years), the Caliphate (600 years), Ottomans (400 years), Ming (300 years) and the more known Guptas in India (250 years).
At their peak the Cholas ruled India from the south all the way up the the Ganges and Sri Lanka across the Palk straits and into south east Asia. (If you ever wonder why Cambodia has an Indian influence, look no further).
The final season is here
The final season of Game of Thrones on HBO is just a week away, and I have done my best to stay away from the hype. I confess I am hyped enough and don't need more of it!
Thus while in the mood for swords and sandals, and having enjoyed Roman history and the popular culture works associated with it in the past years (I Claudius, Cicero etc), I was ready for something new, and something to keep me occupied till Jon Snow and the Night King took on each other.
The Son of Ponni
Upon the recommendation of my friends, I took up the translation of a 5-volume epic of historical fiction by Tamil author Kalki titled Son of Ponni (Ponniyin Selvan in the original Tamil). The Fifth volume was broken up into two parts - so it was six volumes really.
Reading a book a month is a pace I have set for myself over the past few years. Thus cramming 6 books in a month is something that I don't think I have done, at least since cramming the first 3 Harry Potter novels way back when.
But I did. And it was no effort! Kalki's writing was so effortless, vivid and engrossing that the characters, settings, situations and dialogue gripped you and did not let you go until you learned what happens to the question of succession.
The Son of Ponni was written in the beginning of the 1950s, Charles Dickens style as a magazine serial. It was such a phenomenon, that it increased the circulation of the magazine multifold.
It was re-serialized many times and published as a 5 volume (6!) set.
The Gist
There is a bit of a succession pickle in about 970 AD when the Chola ruler Sundara Chola is nearing the end of his life. His elder son is the named successor.
However, originally Sundara Chola had to step in as Emperor because his nephew who was actually in line, was too young to ascend to the throne. But now the nephew is also grown.
So there is a 3-way tie. The nephew (who has a claim), the older son (who has been named) and the younger son (who is popular).
The plot
The author Kalki wastes no time kicking the plot into gear. We jump in the first three chapters of the first novel into a conspiracy that involves the Chancellor of the kingdom to give the throne back to the nephew, the one who has a claim.
Off to the races we go .....!
The Action
The action is centered around the city of Tanjavur in South India. The google map pictured here with the blue route is where the action takes place.
The second volume is set in Sri Lanka.
The rest take place where the blue lines are on the map.
Characters
Much like in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones (finish it George!!) epic, there are way too many characters to describe. But Kalki's writing is so good that you get to know them all and get to love them all!
There is the titular character Son of Ponni. His elder sister (Kundavai), elder brother (Aditya Karikalan) and his father (Sundara Chola). Also a friend of his named Vandiyathevan. The author Kalki chooses to narrate pretty much the entire story through the eyes of this friend Vandiyathevan. There is also the friend (Vanati) of the elder sister.
There are many many more characters such as the prime minister, the chancellor, the Dowager Queen, her son, Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka and on and on. At a first glance, there are too many names and difficult to pronounce or keep track.
But Kalki's writing is so good that you enter the world through Vandiyathevan and are hooked!
Raja Raja Chola aka Son of Ponni
Raja Raja stands for King of Kings. The Son of Ponni, is the name given to Arulmozhi Varman, the younger son of the emperor, because he was rescued when he fell into the river Cauvery as a child by somebody unknown. When he later becomes emperor, he assumes the name of Raja Raja Chola.
I will leave it unstated if the Son of Ponni becomes king at the end of this novel. But historically, he is the most famous emperors of the Cholas. Under his reign most of the Tamil literature from aniquity until then was consolidated. He is also responsible for the construction of the Brihadeeswara temple that is a World Heritage site today.
My father visited this temple earlier this year and had the following description of it:
This temple, also known as the big temple, is located in the Tanjavoor town in Tamilnadu. This is the masterpiece of Chola architecture. Everything in this temple is big and majestic. It has one of the tallest (64.8m) Gopuram (tower) over sanctum and contains one of the largest Shiva Lingams in the country. The Nandi (Bull) of this temple is the second largest Nandi in India. It is carved out of a single stone.
The temple is built completely with granite stone. More than 130,000 tons of granite was brought to the temple site, from a faraway distance. The crowning piece of this temple is the Vimana (Shikhara) at the top of the temple Gopuram. This extensively carved, lotus shaped stone shikhara weighs a stunning 80 tons. It is indeed an engineering feat to lift this huge rock to such a great height with the technology available in the 11th century. Like most of the Chola temples, this temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and goes by the name Brihadeeswara. The main temple site is surrounded by a rectangular boundary, with a smaller Gopuram at the entrance.
During the reign of Rajaraja, extensive trade was conducted with China, South East Asia and Europe. Indicating this, there are two sculptures on the temple, one depicting a Chinese person and another, a European gentleman.
This temple represents the vision of a great king and an unparalleld architectural and engineering achievement of the architects of that time.
Comparison to Game of Thrones
It is fun trying to match the characters in Son of Ponni to the ones in Game of Thrones. Since many of these are archetypes it is easy to find the matches. Tyrion, Tywin, Jon Snow, Cercei, Jamie, Sansa, Varys, Littlefinger all have their counterparts. The Starks, Lannisters, Boltons, Targareyans also have their counterparts in the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas and the Cheras.
Even some of the situtations have parallels such as comets portending omens, astrologers and big hunts.
Observations and Questions
- It is not clear to me what wealth actually meant in history. One goes to war and brings back some statues. Why does that imply wealth and well being for the occupier? (Perhaps it was really about slave labor).
- Why were kingdoms warring all the time?
- I am trying to imagine how these empires administered themselves on a horse and buggy over millions of square miles - impressive managerial skills, I am sure (perhaps brutal too, I imagine).
- Lots of events in the story are driven by desire for power, envy, lust and greed.
- One thinks of modern democracies as having leadership through the choice of the voters. However, in Kalki's telling, the people had a lot of say through their representatives (various chieftains and minor princes) what their preference was for succession.
Adieu to Ponni
The Son of Ponni has kicked my reading capacity in high gear! Although I devoured books while in middle school, six books in one month is perhaps my peak volume of reading ever. It was great writing by Kalki with vivid descriptions anchored in history. The Cholas, their history and their deeds are mesmerizing. I wound not mind a tour of the places where the action takes place, including visiting "the big temple" like my father did earlier this year.
Other reviews:
Here is a detailed review from India Studies Channel:
Age hardly withers the charm
https://www.thehindu.com/books/age-hardly-withers-charm-of-ponniyin-selvan/article2550847.ece
Road trip to Chola Nadu
https://highwayonlyway.com/2017/04/27/road-trip-to-chola-nadu-iv-pazhayarai-the-chola-headquarters/
It occurs to me that before the advent of the gun, in the era of swords and sandals, a kingdom was a kingdom was a kingdom.
There were kings (mostly) who ruled and tried to defend and expand their territories. They created wealth through "empire." Some built monuments. Others razed them. And there was a constant jockeying for who's next in line.
Within that context, across various continents there are several dynasties of note including the Chola Dynasty that peaked in the 1000 AD time frame.
At their peak the Cholas ruled India from the south all the way up the the Ganges and Sri Lanka across the Palk straits and into south east Asia. (If you ever wonder why Cambodia has an Indian influence, look no further).
The final season is here
The final season of Game of Thrones on HBO is just a week away, and I have done my best to stay away from the hype. I confess I am hyped enough and don't need more of it!
Thus while in the mood for swords and sandals, and having enjoyed Roman history and the popular culture works associated with it in the past years (I Claudius, Cicero etc), I was ready for something new, and something to keep me occupied till Jon Snow and the Night King took on each other.
The Son of Ponni
Upon the recommendation of my friends, I took up the translation of a 5-volume epic of historical fiction by Tamil author Kalki titled Son of Ponni (Ponniyin Selvan in the original Tamil). The Fifth volume was broken up into two parts - so it was six volumes really.
But I did. And it was no effort! Kalki's writing was so effortless, vivid and engrossing that the characters, settings, situations and dialogue gripped you and did not let you go until you learned what happens to the question of succession.
The Son of Ponni was written in the beginning of the 1950s, Charles Dickens style as a magazine serial. It was such a phenomenon, that it increased the circulation of the magazine multifold.
It was re-serialized many times and published as a 5 volume (6!) set.
The Gist
There is a bit of a succession pickle in about 970 AD when the Chola ruler Sundara Chola is nearing the end of his life. His elder son is the named successor.
However, originally Sundara Chola had to step in as Emperor because his nephew who was actually in line, was too young to ascend to the throne. But now the nephew is also grown.
So there is a 3-way tie. The nephew (who has a claim), the older son (who has been named) and the younger son (who is popular).
The plot
The author Kalki wastes no time kicking the plot into gear. We jump in the first three chapters of the first novel into a conspiracy that involves the Chancellor of the kingdom to give the throne back to the nephew, the one who has a claim.
Off to the races we go .....!
The Action
The second volume is set in Sri Lanka.
The rest take place where the blue lines are on the map.
Characters
Much like in George R.R. Martin's Game of Thrones (finish it George!!) epic, there are way too many characters to describe. But Kalki's writing is so good that you get to know them all and get to love them all!
There is the titular character Son of Ponni. His elder sister (Kundavai), elder brother (Aditya Karikalan) and his father (Sundara Chola). Also a friend of his named Vandiyathevan. The author Kalki chooses to narrate pretty much the entire story through the eyes of this friend Vandiyathevan. There is also the friend (Vanati) of the elder sister.
 |
| The author sketched in the middle surrounded by the characters |
There are many many more characters such as the prime minister, the chancellor, the Dowager Queen, her son, Buddhist monks in Sri Lanka and on and on. At a first glance, there are too many names and difficult to pronounce or keep track.
But Kalki's writing is so good that you enter the world through Vandiyathevan and are hooked!
Raja Raja Chola aka Son of Ponni
Raja Raja stands for King of Kings. The Son of Ponni, is the name given to Arulmozhi Varman, the younger son of the emperor, because he was rescued when he fell into the river Cauvery as a child by somebody unknown. When he later becomes emperor, he assumes the name of Raja Raja Chola.
I will leave it unstated if the Son of Ponni becomes king at the end of this novel. But historically, he is the most famous emperors of the Cholas. Under his reign most of the Tamil literature from aniquity until then was consolidated. He is also responsible for the construction of the Brihadeeswara temple that is a World Heritage site today.
My father visited this temple earlier this year and had the following description of it:
The temple is built completely with granite stone. More than 130,000 tons of granite was brought to the temple site, from a faraway distance. The crowning piece of this temple is the Vimana (Shikhara) at the top of the temple Gopuram. This extensively carved, lotus shaped stone shikhara weighs a stunning 80 tons. It is indeed an engineering feat to lift this huge rock to such a great height with the technology available in the 11th century. Like most of the Chola temples, this temple is also dedicated to Lord Shiva and goes by the name Brihadeeswara. The main temple site is surrounded by a rectangular boundary, with a smaller Gopuram at the entrance.
During the reign of Rajaraja, extensive trade was conducted with China, South East Asia and Europe. Indicating this, there are two sculptures on the temple, one depicting a Chinese person and another, a European gentleman.
This temple represents the vision of a great king and an unparalleld architectural and engineering achievement of the architects of that time.
Comparison to Game of Thrones
It is fun trying to match the characters in Son of Ponni to the ones in Game of Thrones. Since many of these are archetypes it is easy to find the matches. Tyrion, Tywin, Jon Snow, Cercei, Jamie, Sansa, Varys, Littlefinger all have their counterparts. The Starks, Lannisters, Boltons, Targareyans also have their counterparts in the Cholas, Pandyas, Pallavas and the Cheras.
Even some of the situtations have parallels such as comets portending omens, astrologers and big hunts.
Observations and Questions
- It is not clear to me what wealth actually meant in history. One goes to war and brings back some statues. Why does that imply wealth and well being for the occupier? (Perhaps it was really about slave labor).
- Why were kingdoms warring all the time?
- I am trying to imagine how these empires administered themselves on a horse and buggy over millions of square miles - impressive managerial skills, I am sure (perhaps brutal too, I imagine).
- Lots of events in the story are driven by desire for power, envy, lust and greed.
- One thinks of modern democracies as having leadership through the choice of the voters. However, in Kalki's telling, the people had a lot of say through their representatives (various chieftains and minor princes) what their preference was for succession.
Adieu to Ponni
The Son of Ponni has kicked my reading capacity in high gear! Although I devoured books while in middle school, six books in one month is perhaps my peak volume of reading ever. It was great writing by Kalki with vivid descriptions anchored in history. The Cholas, their history and their deeds are mesmerizing. I wound not mind a tour of the places where the action takes place, including visiting "the big temple" like my father did earlier this year.
Other reviews:
Here is a detailed review from India Studies Channel:
Age hardly withers the charm
https://www.thehindu.com/books/age-hardly-withers-charm-of-ponniyin-selvan/article2550847.ece
Road trip to Chola Nadu
https://highwayonlyway.com/2017/04/27/road-trip-to-chola-nadu-iv-pazhayarai-the-chola-headquarters/
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