When Rajaraja Chola ascended the throne, the land of Tamils entered upon centuries of grandeur. He left behind a stupendous legacy, which has not lost its sheen even after a thousand years. During his regime, we see powerful productive forces at work, newly liberated by the advances made in manufacturing and trade. Through interesting facts and riveting analyses, the reader can vividly experience the tumultuous developments of this perioud. It bring to life the social, political and economic underpinnings of that time - expansion of agriculture, rise of nagarams, maturing of self-governing corporate bodies, phenomenal increase in inland and overseas trade networks, and overall strengthening of the administrative and military apparatus, which would later bring South-east Asia under its influence. Equally important to the stability of the empire was the compelling iconography of Saivism, which this book presents in a sublime and engrossing style. Written by Raghavan Srinivasan, the author of Yugantar, this book recreates the history of a South Indian king and his imperial empire, in a form that would appeal to the academia and the wider public audience alike. "A rousing attempt at piecing together the lives and times of the Tamil country's most remarkable medieval personality, Rajaraja Chola, who despite the rich artistic legacy, plethora of inscriptions and maritime amnbtions, has remained an enigmatic figure." - SHARADA SRINIVASAM, Professor, School of Humanities, National Institute of Advanced Studies.

This is the first volume of a 2-part series, a bio-historical fiction, centred in Madras and covering a period of 4 decades from the late 1920s. Raju, the main protagonist, was born a posthumous child. After losing his other parent at the age of 15 and tossed from one school to another and later from one job to another, he finally finds his home in the historic, but rapidly modernising city of Madras. Disgusted with the Endowment Department’s collusion with an artefact thief in his first job as a Temple Inspector, he shifts to a job as a Tea Salesman in a multinational company in Madras. The artefact thief happens to be Sankar, his childhood nemesis. Gaining insight from his earlier encounters with Sankar, Raju’s keen mind takes him into the dangerous realm of international antique and gold smugglers. His first mentor, Natarajan, guides him in his risky endeavours to put Sankar behind bars. It will take a lot of innovation and tenacity for Raju to make a breakthrough in the investigations. While one part of him is a daring investigator, the other part is a loving husband and father, a hard working employee and a caring friend to his other childhood friends, the communist-minded Sekar and the fickle Ganesan. The main storyline has two parallel narratives. The first is related to the growth of Madras and the other with the behind-the-scenes twists and turns in Tamilnadu

The fourth century BCE is full of dangers and opportunities. Old republics are giving way to empires and cities. ‘Naastik’ sects are challenging the established varna system. The intellectual life of India is bristling like new shoots after the monsoon. The domination of the Kshatriyas and the Brahmanas is being challenged. State power is up for grabs. And the Macedonians are at the gates! Most people believe that Bharatavarsha is only a dream. But not the Yugantar, a brotherhood of the wisest and most selfless thinkers of ancient India. Interesting turn of events bring ordinary people from different parts of the subcontinent into the fold of the Yugantar -- a rebel blacksmith from Ujjayini, a Siddha doctor from Madurai; a doughty mariner from Muziris; a trader from Pataliputra and a widow nun from Kaushambi. They represent a microcosm of the sub-continent. Each of them is drawn towards the Yugantar by a strange turn of events. Each has a prowess which the Yugantar can mould into a formidable force. They converge in Takshashila, the centre of learning and transformation. This is the story of how their wit and determination contribute to a united Bharatavarsha.

In the year 2030 AD, a black hole comes hurtling towards the Earth. Rajaraja Cholan, a former ruler of an ancient, powerful empire in India, learned of a prophecy that foretold the apocalypse. The prophecy declared that a black hole would come hurtling toward Earth at nearly the speed of light and that there was no hope for mankind to survive the event. Springing into action, the king declared that his son Rajendra Cholan would take the throne of the Chola Dynasty. He then enlisted the help of hundreds of the kingdom's most trusted people and undertook a 1000-year exile. During their exile, the king and his trusted subjects worked on building a spaceship beneath the Indian Ocean that could be the answer to the dynasty's survival of the fast-approaching black hole. With one millennium to prepare, the king and his men felt they must have a fighting chance at succeeding in their mission. Its the year 2030. The American president and other world leaders are meeting in the White House to rally their forces and the greatest minds in modern science searching for answers. Rajaraja, along with his most trusted advisor and guru Agasthiyar, makes their appearance in the war room to inform the contemporary world leaders of the provisions that have been created. As humanity prepares to flee Earth, a traitor attempts to kill Rajaraja. Unable to trust his friends, and with humanity's existence hanging in the balance, Rajaraja must stop the traitor before they can kill him and doom humanity to the black hole. Excellent blend of Tamil history and culture, Sci-fi, and end-of-the-world scenarios.

Kingdoms are built by men. Legacies are built by emperors. It is 1025 AD. The mighty Chola empire that controls much of southern Bharatvarsha is helmed by Emperor Rajendra Chola I - a man as enigmatic as his kingdom is renowned. Known for his might and vision, he has now set his sights upon the southern seas, governed by the powerful Srivijaya empire. But his victories also bring forth stories of those affected by his ambition. Of an unnamed princess forced to fend for herself among enemies after everything she has ever known is destroyed by the ravaging Chola forces. Of Maharaja Sangrama, captive in an alien land, who is torn between his enmity tempered by an unusual friendship with the elusive Rajendra Chola and his fierce determination to return to his kingdom. Told through the eyes of a prisoner of war and a princess without a kingdom, The Conqueror is a magnificent narrative - of war and conquest, of loss and death, of kingship and legacy.

An Ethical and a just man. A Strong and a brave warrior. A Radiant and a pure soul. A true king. Born to an unwed mother, he was an unwanted child who was pushed away like trash. When you are neglected from birth, there is nothing in your life but misery. He struggled each day to gain respect and recognition from society. He fought all the frustrations and ridicule with grace. His life was a living hell, but still, he survived. Through all the odds, he fought like a warrior and lived with dignity and honour. Every door that could lead him to a happy life was shut. He was stuck with people whose ideology he did not agree with, still he kept his promise and did not leave them. No one could make him break his promise to Duryodhan. He did not have any friends or social status that could give him some opportunities. His only possession was his talent, he made it his treasure. He lived to become the best archer but died to become the most tragic hero the world ever had. This story has the hidden details of Karna’s childhood, his love for his second wife Supriya, and how he became a student of the most learned men of that era, and much more. This is the emotional saga of the right man on the wrong side. Beautifully perfect and perfectly flawed!

The Pre-Moghul Muslim Presence In The Sub-Continent Is Very Important From Many Angles. In This Phase The Basic Structure Of An Efficient Administ¬Ration Evolved And From This Point Of View Alaudin Khilji Holds A Cardinal Importance. His Administration Result¬Ed In The Prosperity Of His Subjects And Kept His Treasury Filled. Literature And Learning, Art And Architecture And Public Morality Reached A New Peak.It Is A Deplorable Irony Of Time That We Do Not Possess An Accurate And Detailed Historical Record Of The Achievements Of Such A Great Ruler. Sultan Ala-Ud-Din Has Not Been Dealt Fairly By The Historians For One Reason Or The Other. It Was Necessary To Present This Great Sultan In His True Colours. Dr. Ghulam Sarwar Khan Niazi, The Author Of This Book Has Carefully Examined The Accounts Of All Known Contemporary And Early Writers And Has Drawn A Picture Of The Sultan, Based On True And Accepted Facts Provided By Contemporary Historians, Which Is, To Say The Least, Different. The Freshness Of The Point Of View Emerges From A Genuine Erudition And Scholarly Perception Of The Subject.

She is referred to as the mysterious Radha! Some people do not believe she ever existed. Others believe she was an adulteress. The truth is that Radha was a soul that lacked self-love. However, her love for Sri Krishna was boundless and unconditional. In this contemporary 21st century story about Radha’s reincarnation, you will learn how her consciousness contrived a plan to give Sri Krishna the Shakti he needed from her while simultaneously breaking her heart. She even chose for him to never speak to her until she had become enlightened herself. She thought nothing of her own self-preservation or the great suffering she would inevitably endure. The questions that remain to be answered are: Will Radha be able to heal from such a traumatic experience? Will she be able to forgive Sri Krishna for breaking her heart? And finally, will she eventually be able to merge with Krishna as they had originally planned? Read Radha’s story to find the answers disclosed within. -- “Written through the framework of choosing the journey of our lives on the path to enlightenment, the author forces us to consider what we have chosen to endure and why. Beautifully written through the eyes of a reincarnation story and the suffering of the soul on its way to salvation and becoming a goddess. This precious story of spiritual mates on their evolutionary journey reminds us of our mortality and declares that our life journey is a special, and personal, experience meant for spiritual growth. Inspired by traditional beliefs, we rediscover, or uncover for the first time, that we choose our suffering, which ultimately helps us advance as humans and have purpose during our cycles of life on Earth.” - Kat Lahr Writer, Researcher, Educator Southern New Hampshire University

The expansion of the Cholas from their base in the Kaveri Delta saw this growing power subdue the kingdoms of southern India, as well as occupy Sri Lanka and the Maldives, by the early eleventh century. It was also during this period that the Cholas initiated links with Song China. Concurrently, the Southeast Asian polity of Sriwijaya had, through its Sumatran and Malayan ports, come to occupy a key position in East-West maritime trade, requiring engagement with both Song China to the north and the Chola kingdom to its west. The apparently friendly relations pursued were, however, to be disrupted in 1025 by Chola naval expeditions against fourteen key port cities in Southeast Asia. This volume examines the background, course and effects of these expeditions, as well as the regional context of the events. It brings to light many aspects of this key period in Asian history. Unprecedented in the degree of detail assigned to the story of the Chola expeditions, this volume is also unique in that it includes translations of the contemporary Tamil and Sanskrit inscriptions relating to Southeast Asia and of the Song dynasty Chinese texts relating to the Chola Kingdom.

Economic behavior is governed by two major sets of boundary conditions: environmental and technological factors on the one hand, and conditions of social organization on the other hand. Indeed, social scientists are often particularly interested in the framework of exchange relationships: exchange of goods, services, personnel, and information. Economic exchanges lend concrete manifestations to social relations that themselves may transcend the economic realm and that otherwise are often difficult to trace. Yet in social science research in Southeast Asia, the area of economic studies has lagged behind, despite the great study potential represented by the tremendous diversity of its physical and human environment. Economic Exchange and Social Interaction in Southeast Asia attempts to take advantage of that opportunity. As a number of the contributions to this volume show, many if not most of the systems organized on very different levels of integration interact with each other. Taken as a whole, they provide evidence of the incredible diversity of economic and social systems that may be investigated in Southeast Asia.