The Chola dynasty of centuries-old saw the rise of popular and determined kings that consolidated lands in southern and eastern India, the Indian Ocean, and even as far as south-east Asia. Their influence was unparalleled at the time, with King Rajaraja Chola I setting up a political, social, cultural, and economic landscape that took the empire through almost a dozen centuries. 

But before Rajaraja Chola, there was an internal war for power and control -- and two of its central characters may have been -- Nandini, a mysterious woman that made it to the top of the Chola food chain, and Kundavai, who was the sister of Rajaraja Chola. History, legend, myth, and fiction make the stories around Nandini and Kundavai a bit blurry -- who were they and how did they rise to power? Did they even hold real power, during a time when being born male was paramount to all else? And more importantly… did they even exist? 

We bring on board guest Anirudh Kanisetti to help us navigate through the murky waters of Chola history. Anirudh is an Indian historian, author of 'Lords of the Deccan: Southern India from the Chalukyas to the Cholas', and host of 'Echoes of India: A History Podcast', right here on IVM Podcasts network. 

About Anirudh:

Anirudh Kanisetti is the award-winning author of Lords of the Deccan, a new history of medieval South India. He received the Tata Literature Live! Best Nonfiction Book of the Year award in 2022, and was featured in THE WEEK’s 40 Under 40 list for India’s most promising creatives, as well as Open The Magazine’s Open Minds 2022 Soft Power list. His research has received grants from the Princeton Center for Digital Humanities and the India Foundation for the Arts. His writings and work have been featured in The Hindu, The New Indian Express, and LiveMint, among others. He writes the weekly Thinking Medieval column for ThePrint. He hosts three popular and critically acclaimed podcasts – Echoes of India, Yuddha, and The Altar of Time.

Important Links:

1. Anirudh’s Column: https://theprint.in/author/anirudh-kanisetti/
2. Lords Of The Deccan:Southern  India From Chalukyas To Cholas: https://www.amazon.in/LORDS-DECCAN-Southern-Chalukyas-Cholas/dp/9391165052/
3. Echoes of India: A History Podcast: https://bit.ly/3N0FM85
4. Meme emperor at Chola Bhatura Empire: https://www.instagram.com/cholabhaturaempire/?hl=en 

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