"The Deccan, to the world, was uniquely Indian; to India, however, it was a mirror of the world."
I've always had a special pull towards the places of Deccan and their glorious medieval histories that could not fit in a narrow sectarian or religious construct. The magnets of medieval talents - Hyderabad, Bijapur and Bidar, the sublime and unparalleled Hampi-Vijayanagara - these hold a special place in my heart. I've heard great things about the book, and it's author - the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar awardee Manu S. Pillai. And the book is simply unputdownable (sic) - one that satisfies a student of history reeking with curiosity on medieval personalities of Deccan.
Divided into seven parts along with a Prologue that elevates Sri Krishna Devaraya's victory at Raichur and an epilogue dealing with the Rise of Chatrapati Shivaji, the book provides interesting insights on the Bahman Sultantae and the five successor Sultanates of Deccan, Vijayanagara Samrajya and the ever lurking danger of an impending Mughal conquest of Deccan. In essence, it is a very brief and anecdotal history of medieval Deccan highlighting the rise and fall of the so called heroes and heroines of the era - the ever loyal Bahman minister Mahmud Gawan, the adventurous Habshi king maker Malik Amber, the son of 'Sarapati', Ibrahim Adil Shah II of Bijapur, the brave Chand Bibi - to name a few.
The ever existing sectarain tensions only as a part of power sturggle - Shia/Western vs Sunni/Dakhani. Hindu vs Muslim, the rise of sub-cultures, the so called Persianisation etc are also brilliantly dealt with. Medieval and Deccan - too often ignored themes of Indian History are brought to limelight in this simple work. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, and I would recommend it to anyone interested in the aforementioned themes.
Book - Rebel Sultans - The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (2018, English)
Author - Manu S Pillai
Maheeth Veluvali,
Palakollu - Saturday, 24th of October, 2020.
