Podcast appearances and mentions of Manu S Pillai

About this PodcastWhat did European missionaries misunderstand about Hinduism when they first arrived in India?How did colonial power and missionary pressure help reshape Hindu identity from within?Could the rise of modern Hindu nationalism be traced back to these early cultural and religious encounters?When European missionaries arrived in India in the sixteenth century, they entered a world both fascinating and bewildering. Hinduism, as they saw it, was a pagan mess: a worship of devils and monsters by a people who burned women alive, performed outlandish rites and fed children to crocodiles. But it quickly became clear that Hindu ‘idolatry' was far more layered and complex than European stereotypes allowed, surprisingly even sharing certain impulses with Christianity.Nonetheless, missionaries became a threatening force as European power grew in India. Western ways of thinking gained further ascendancy during the British Raj: while interest in Hindu thought influenced Enlightenment thinkers like Voltaire in Europe, Orientalism and colonial rule pressed Hindus to reimagine their religion. In fact, in resisting foreign authority, they often adopted the missionaries' own tools and strategies. It is this encounter, Manu S. Pillai argues, that has given Hinduism its present shape, also contributing to the birth of an aggressive Hindu nationalism.Gods, Guns and Missionaries surveys these remarkable dynamics with an arresting cast of characters – maharajahs, poets, gun-wielding revolutionaries, politicians, polemicists, philosophers and clergymen. Lucid, ambitious, and provocative, it is at once a political history, an examination of the mutual impact of Hindu culture and Christianity upon each other, and a study of the forces that have prepared the ground for politics in India today. Turning away from simplistic ideas on religious evolution and European imperialism, the past as it appears here is more complicated – and infinitely richer – than previous narratives allow.

In this episode, we discuss how early Christian missionaries encountered Hinduism during colonial rule depending on where they landed and whom they met and how they saw very different faiths with different gods, rituals, and customs. Host Sandip Roy is joined by author and historian Manu S. Pillai to discuss his new book, "Gods, Guns and Missionaries," which explores how these cross-cultural encounters not only attempted to reshape India but also unexpectedly influenced the construction of a modern Hindu identity.Produced by Ichha SharmaEdited and mixed by Suresh Pawar

Manu S. Pillai returns to SparX for another fascinating episode on history to give us a sneak peek into his latest book– "Gods, Guns and Missionaries". It shows us how how colonialism, religion, and identity have interacted in India over the past many years. Through 15 essays, Pillai shows how European missionaries and colonial powers changed Hinduism and its modern forms, revealing a more complex history than often told. The book also explores how these historical forces still shape Indian politics and society today. Resource List -  Gods, Guns, and Missionaries - Book by Manu S. Pillai https://amzn.in/d/6njkWSc  H-Pop - Book by Kunal Purohit https://amzn.in/d/26KnoHw  What is Protestantism? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism  What was the Protestant Reformation https://www.britannica.com/event/Reformation  Read more about Francis Xavier https://www.jesuits.global/saint-blessed/saint-francis-xavier/  Read more about Roberto de Nobili https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roberto_de_Nobili  Read about Thomas Munro's donation to Tirupati temple https://vocal.media/fyi/soldier-to-governor-of-madras-thomas-munro-who-captured-the-hearts-of-the-people  Read about Rous Peter's donation to Meenakshi temple https://indroyc.com/2024/04/12/unveiling-the-legends-of-madurai-the-tale-of-peter-pandian/#:~:text=In%20a%20gesture%20of%20gratitude,to%20adorn%20her%20celestial%20feet.  Charles Wilkins translating the Gita https://www.mvnadkarni.com/files/Introduction%20to%20Charles%20Wilkins%20Gita.pdf  About SparX by Mukesh Bansal  SparX is a podcast where we delve into cutting-edge scientific research, stories from impact-makers and tools for unlocking the secrets to human potential and growth.   We believe that entrepreneurship, fitness and the science of productivity is at the forefront of the India Story; the country is at the cusp of greatness and at SparX, we wish to make these tools accessible for every generation of Indians to be able to make the most of the opportunities around us.   In a new episode every Sunday, our host Mukesh Bansal (Founder Myntra and Cult.fit) will talk to guests from all walks of life and also break down everything he's learnt about the science of impact over the course of his 20-year long career.   This is the India Century, and we're enthusiastic to start this journey with you.  Follow us on Instagram:      / sparxbymukeshbansal   Website: https://www.sparxbymukeshbansal.com You can also listen to SparX on all audio platforms Fasion | Outbreak | Courtesy EpidemicSound.com

Manu S. Pillai is a historian and the author of the critically acclaimed The Ivory Throne (2015), Rebel Sultans (2018), The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin (2019) and False Allies (2021). His latest book 'Gods Guns & Missionaries: The Making of the Modern Hindu Identity' is now out. Order your copy here: https://amzn.in/d/clf4b4c

India's colonial experience was a complex phenomenon, which often took different shapes in different places, through layers of caste, religious identity, and much else. In this episode of BIC Talks, Manu S Pillai will explore how India's princely states and their rulers negotiated their political identities and ideas of kingship, both while facing pressures from the British Raj, as well as while resisting it. Looking beyond the stereotypes in which princely rulers have been trapped, he will investigate their experiments with transforming kingly identities, balancing relationships as much with the British as with their subjects, in constructing political visions for their states–sometimes of great ambition–and their ultimate disappearance from India's political map, even if not public imagination. This lecture is an extract from the 3rd Prof Satish Chandra Memorial lecture that took place in October 2021. Subscribe to the BIC Talks Podcast on your favourite podcast app! BIC Talks is available everywhere, including iTunes, Spotify, Google Podcasts, Castbox, Overcast and Stitcher.

Manu S Pillai is the author of the critically acclaimed The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (2015) and Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (2018). Formerly chief of staff to Shashi Tharoor MP, he is also a winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2017). His other essays and writings have appeared in Mint Lounge, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Open Magazine, The New Statesman, and other publications. The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin is Manu's third book, and a collection of essays on Indian history. In this Network Capital podcast, Manu reflects on his journey as a writer, key inflection points in his career and the art of making your passion your profession. Riddled with historical anecdotes and colorful stories, this podcast is essential for anyone interested in history, public policy and writing.

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/art

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/asian-review

It can be easy to think of the recent history of India—especially for those who aren't from there—as a straight line, from the Mughal Empire, through the British Empire, to independent India. That, of course, is hugely simplistic, missing the mess of competing polities, interests, and people that made up Indian history over the last few centuries. Manu Pillai's False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernaut, 2021), looks at a few of these political actors: the Maharajas of India, who led the “princely states”. Not quite sovereign entities, not quite directly-ruled colonies. Pillai portrays the stories of a few of these princes and princesses through the life of famed Indian artist Ravi Varma as he travels around India in the latter half of the nineteenth century. In this interview, Manu and I talk about the princely states, the Maharajas, and why Manu chose Ravi Varma to tell the stories of the Indian princes. Manu S Pillai is the author of the award-winning The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore (HarperCollins India: 2015), Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji (Juggernaut: 2018), and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History (Context: 2019). He can be followed on Twitter at @UnamPillai and on Instagram at @WaatCoconut. You can find more reviews, excerpts, interviews, and essays at The Asian Review of Books, including its review of False Allies. Follow on Facebook or on Twitter at @BookReviewsAsia. Nicholas Gordon is an associate editor for a global magazine, and a reviewer for the Asian Review of Books. He can be found on Twitter at @nickrigordon. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/british-studies

This episode is a live session from Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 recorded on March 12.

This episode is a live session from Jaipur Literature Festival 2022 - Lords of the Deccan: Anirudh Kanisetti and Manu S. Pillai in conversation.

Manu Pillai is an Indian author and historian. Manu joins us for a beautiful conversation on finding the humanity in historical figures, the Victorian morality, Twitter historians and the over valuing of religion as a factor in Indian history. On this week's episode of The Pakistan Experience, Manu presents us numerous great historical anecdotes, from his Grandmother's tale of the broken bed to the morality of the blouse! Pillai is known for his debut non-fiction The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore for which he won the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar in 2017.The story is expected to be adapted into a web series by Arka Mediaworks. Rebel Sultans, Pillai's second work, narrates the story of the Deccan from the close of the thirteenth century to the dawn of the eighteenth century. His most recent book is The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin. He has announced that he is working on his next work which is due for publishing in 2022. The Pakistan Experience is an independently produced podcast looking to tell stories about Pakistan through conversations. Please consider supporting us on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/thepakistanexperience And Please stay in touch: https://twitter.com/ThePakistanExp1 https://www.facebook.com/thepakistanexperience https://instagram.com/thepakistanexpeperience The podcast is hosted by comedian and writer, Shehzad Ghias Shaikh. Shehzad is a Fulbright scholar with a Masters in Theatre from Brooklyn College. He is also one of the foremost Stand-up comedians in Pakistan and frequently writes for numerous publications. Instagram.com/shehzadghiasshaikh Facebook.com/Shehzadghias/ Twitter.com/shehzad89 Chapters: 0:00 Introduction 2:00 Demystifying the past: Finding the 'human' in history 5:00 A grandmother's tale 7:00 The "Emancipated" Courtesan 12:00 A Victorian Morality 20:00 The Artist informing HIstory 26:00 Twitter Historians 29:30 They are telling us "who we are"; sifting history from propaganda 36:50 "The first Taliban" 40:30 One of several factors 48:00 Divide and Rule 54:00 The Mughals 59:00 Habshee History 1:04:00 The darbaar

India's maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened' white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India. In this brilliantly researched book, Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the princes are trapped. The world we discover is not of dancing girls, but of sedition, legal battles, the defiance of imperial dictates, and resistance. We meet maharajahs obsessed with industrialization, and rulers who funded nationalists, these men anything but pushovers for the Raj to manipulate. Outward deference aside, the princes, Pillai shows, forever tested the Raj – from denying white officials the right to wear shoes in durbars to trying to surpass British administrative standards. Good governance became a spectacularly subversive act, by which maharajahs and the ‘native statesmen' assisting them refuted claims that Indians could not rule themselves. For decades this made the princes heroes in the eyes of nationalists and anti-colonial thinkers – a facet of history we have forgotten and ignored. By refocusing attention on princely India, False Allies takes us on an unforgettable journey and reminds us that the maharajahs were serious political actors – essential to knowing modern India.

Tara and Michelle reconnect with Manu Pillai about writing and publishing his latest book, ‘False Allies' during the pandemic. Manu explains how and why he used Raja Ravi Varma's art to direct his research. And how this book is structured much differently than his previous works. He takes Tara and Michelle deep into the world of empowerment and political intrigue with the story of Jamnabai. Were Indian royals (especially women) as easily manipulated by the British as we thought? Did the pandemic affect his writing? Should Manu start his own podcast? Tune in to join these discussions and more!Book Mentions:Desperately Seeking Shah Rukh by Shrayana BhattacharyaThe Begum and the Dastan by Tarana Husain KhanThe Nutmeg's Curse by Amitav GhoshThe Last Queen by Chitra Banerjee DivakaruniFor a more in-depth conversation about Manu's writing process and previous books, tune in to Episode 1.1. Manu S. Pillai is the author of the critically acclaimed The Ivory Throne (2015), Rebel Sultans (2018) and The Courtesan, the Mahatma and the Italian Brahmin (2019). Formerly chief of staff to Shashi Tharoor MP, he is also a winner of the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar (2017). His essays and writings on history have appeared in Mint Lounge, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, Open, New Statesman and other publications. Read his latest book: https://www.amazon.in/FALSE-ALLIES-Indias-Maharajahs-Varma/dp/9391165893'Books and Beyond with Bound' is the podcast where Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick. Now trending in 27 countries! Read more: https://boundindia.com/books-and-beyond-podcast/ 

India's maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened' white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India.  In False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernauth, 2021), Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the princes are trapped. The world we discover is not of dancing girls, but of sedition, legal battles, the defiance of imperial dictates, and resistance. By refocusing attention on princely India, False Allies takes us on an unforgettable journey and reminds us that the maharajahs were serious political actors – essential to knowing modern India. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

India's maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened' white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India.  In False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernauth, 2021), Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the princes are trapped. The world we discover is not of dancing girls, but of sedition, legal battles, the defiance of imperial dictates, and resistance. By refocusing attention on princely India, False Allies takes us on an unforgettable journey and reminds us that the maharajahs were serious political actors – essential to knowing modern India. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

India's maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened' white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India.  In False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernauth, 2021), Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the princes are trapped. The world we discover is not of dancing girls, but of sedition, legal battles, the defiance of imperial dictates, and resistance. By refocusing attention on princely India, False Allies takes us on an unforgettable journey and reminds us that the maharajahs were serious political actors – essential to knowing modern India. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/south-asian-studies

India's maharajahs have traditionally been cast as petty despots, consumed by lust and luxury. Bejewelled parasites, they cared more, we are told, for elephants and palaces than for schools and public works. The British cheerfully circulated the idea that brown royalty needed ‘enlightened' white hands to guide it, and by the twentieth century many Indians too bought into the stereotype, viewing princely India as packed with imperial stooges. Indeed, even today the princes are either remembered with frothy nostalgia or dismissed as greedy fools, with no role in the making of contemporary India.  In False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the Age of Ravi Varma (Juggernauth, 2021), Manu S. Pillai disputes this view. Tracking the travels of the iconic painter Ravi Varma through five princely states – from the 1860s to the early 1900s – he uncovers a picture far removed from the clichés in which the princes are trapped. The world we discover is not of dancing girls, but of sedition, legal battles, the defiance of imperial dictates, and resistance. By refocusing attention on princely India, False Allies takes us on an unforgettable journey and reminds us that the maharajahs were serious political actors – essential to knowing modern India. Raj Balkaran is a scholar, educator, consultant, and life coach. For information see rajbalkaran.com. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/indian-religions

Aishwarya talks to Sayantan Ghosh (Commissioning Editor at Simon & Schuster India) about how he builds relationships with celeb authors and publishes bestselling books. They bond over their love for literary fiction and true crime shows AND their Simon and Schuster connection. Sayantan shares how he broke into the industry with an economics degree. Aishwarya loves how he sealed a book deal with biographer Yasser Usman over drinks! Why is the publishing industry like cricket? Are Twitter manuscripts a thing now? How can you pitch your book to a publisher? Tune in to find out!Book Mentions: Leila by Prayaag Akbar, Guru Dutt: An Unfinished Story by Yasser Usman, Less by Andrew Sean Greer, Lullaby by Leila Slimani, The Ivory Throne by Manu S. Pillai, The Contenders by Priya Sahgal, Bhairavi by ShivaniSayantan Ghosh was born in Calcutta, India and currently lives, reads and writes in New Delhi. He is the Senior Commissioning Editor at Simon & Schuster India. His work has appeared in Ambit Magazine, Electric Literature, Scroll, The Hindu Business Line, Firstpost and elsewhere. He tweets at @sayantansunnyg.‘The Book People' is brought to you by Bound, a company that creates stories and helps individuals and brands tell their stories. Writer and booklover Aishwarya Javalgekar interviews people whose lives and careers revolve around books. Read more: https://boundindia.com/the-book-people-podcast/Now streaming on our YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLXsVjEAmcMifC59mItXuwMMiR0GrkAhfCFollow us @boundindia on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook. Pre-order our FREE research report on ‘Demystifying Indian Publishing': https://boundindia.com/demystifying-the-indian-publishing-industry/

Caleb Simmons and Manu S Pillai talk about how sovereignty was conceived in India in the 18th and 19th centuries. They explore how two very different rules of Mysore: Tipu Sultan and Krishnaraja Wodeyar III laid their claims to sovereign rule over their kingdom. They discuss Caleb’s recent book, Devotional Sovereignty: Kingship and Religion in India. Dr. Caleb Simmons is an Associate Professor of Religious Studies at the University of Arizona. He specialises in religion in South Asia, especially Hinduism. His research spans religion and state-formation in medieval and colonial India to contemporary transnational aspects of Hinduism. Manu S. Pillai is a historian and author of several books, most recently The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History. He is currently pursuing his PhD from King’s College London. BIC Talks is brought to you by the Bangalore International Centre. Visit the BIC website to learn more about the guest and for links, references and related readings.

The great 300-year eruption of the Turkic and Mongol peoples has come to an end, and the sun rises upon a world transformed. The peoples of Eurasia are now welded into an enormous network of competing, innovative, and "globalised" states and societies ranging from England in the West to Japan in the East. And as the Sultanate of Delhi unravels and collapses after its Deccan misadventures, two empires rise south of the Narmada river: the Bahmani Sultanate, the first Sultanate ever seen in the Deccan, and the famous empire of Vijayanagara, City of Victory, one of the most remarkable of all Indian states. Their clashes and military innovations will change the course of history.This is the first episode in a three-part series exploring the interlinked destinies of Vijayanagara, the Portuguese, and the Deccan Sultanates.YUDDHA is made possible thanks to the support of the Takshashila Institution and the Independent and Public-Spirited Media Foundation.Sources and citations for YUDDHA episodes are available at https://www.anirudhkanisetti.com/ .You can follow Anirudh Kanisetti on his twitter handle @AKanisetti and on his instagram handle @aniryuddha.You can follow Aditya Ramanathan on his twitter handle @adityascripts and on his instagram handle @adityaramanathan.You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com/.

Kerala has been in the news a lot recently, mostly in a positive way. The state has always had a unique culture that seeps into everything from its approach to nature, health, women, families and most importantly, society.Kerala was also in the news recently because of the verdict on the Padmanabhasaamy temple, where the Supreme Court overruled an earlier Kerala high court verdict and gave control of the temple and its treasures back to the royal family of Travancore.In this episode, the host speaks to Manu Pillai, author of the book 'The Ivory Throne', originally published in 2016 by harper collins, which documents the history of the royal families of Travancore. The book is also an extraordinary history of Kerala itself, starting over five centuries back. Karthik speaks to Manu about the SC verdict, its implications on what remains of the royal family and also about brand kerala and its core DNA.Follow Manu on Twitter @UmamPillai and on Instagram @waatcoconutTweet to Karthik Nagarajan @The_Karthik and follow his WordPress handle here (filterkoffee.com).You can listen to this show and other awesome shows on the IVM Podcasts app on Android: https://ivm.today/android or iOS: https://ivm.today/ios, or any other podcast app.You can check out our website at http://www.ivmpodcasts.com

The Padmanabhaswamy temple in Thiruvananthapuram, Kerala, is one of the most storied temples in India, said to hold unimaginable riches within its walls, including gold ornaments and other historical artefacts that are yet to be unearthed. A decade-old dispute about its management and administration was brought to a close a week ago, when the Supreme Court ruled in favour of the Travancore royal family. In this two-part podcast, author and historian Manu S. Pillai talks us through the origins of the historical institution before cutting to the present and going into recent developments. Find the In Focus podcast on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher. Search for In Focus by The Hindu. Write to us with comments and feedback at socmed4@thehindu.co.in

Ira Mukhoty, in conversation with fellow historian Manu S. Pillai, talks about her ground-breaking study of Akbar 'The Great' Mughal. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Raja Ravi Varma born on 29 April 1848 and passed away on 2 October 1906. He was a celebrated Indian painter and an artist. Ravi Varma is considered among the greatest painters in the history of Indian art for a number of aesthetic and broader social reasons. We will try and document a mini biography of him more as a persona and not about his work in particular.  For that I am honoured to have Manu Pillai with us on Audiogyan. Manu is an Indian author and historian who has 3 award winning books in his name. The Ivory Throne: Chronicles of the House of Travancore. Rebel Sultans: The Deccan from Khilji to Shivaji, and most recently The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin: Tales from Indian History.  Who were Raja Ravi Varma's Gurus / Mentors / Teachers? Can you also tell us about his family, upbringing, siblings, wife, parents? Who were his contemporaries in the art world? Indian and around the world? Every art emerges out of pain, sorrow, grief or rebel. Were there any triggers in his life to make such path breaking work? What made him different or stand out from the rest? Was it the art, subjects or pure marketing? What made him explore portraits as oppose to other forms for art like abstract, landscape and others? How did the Dutch portraitist Theodor Jenson connection happened? How did he become famous and known as a national figure without social media? Which was the main painting or time of his life which made him famous? Can you share a brief background about his oleographs? His connection with various printing press in India? Was Printing press part of the strategy to be famous and distribute his work to rest of the world? What is the one thing which one should imbibe and one should reject looking at Raja Ravi Varma as a human, since his artistic side is always inspiring. This is mainly for today’s artists and painters.

How did Manu first discover history? How does he convert hours of dry research material into rich, imaginative and deep stories?In our very first episode, we are joined by Manu Pillai, an author of historical fiction who has published three books before turning 30. He shares hilarious stories from the diaries of Mughal emperors, his experience with Twitter trolls and when he feels most inspired to write.He takes us on a journey through childhood anecdotes and family stories to help us understand the inspiration behind his first book, the reasons for his love of reading and how it has influenced the way he creates his characters. He is completely honest about all things writing – from what he thinks about the publishing industry in India to financial responsibilities as a professional author in India to even how luck and timing were instrumental in his first book being a success!Tune in to hear us gush about the powerful female characters in his book, his goal of making historical fiction more accessible and a few of his current favourite books.'Books and Beyond' is a podcast hosted by Tara Khandelwal and Michelle D'costa of Bound. They talk to some of the best writers in India and find out what makes them tick.Manu S. Pillai is the author of the Sahitya Akademi award-winning The Ivory Throne, Rebel Sultans and The Courtesan, the Mahatma & the Italian Brahmin. Formerly Chief of Staff to Dr. Shashi Tharoor MP, he has worked with the House of Lords and the BBC and writes a weekly column for Mint Lounge. He is an alumnus of Fergusson College, Pune, and is currently enrolled as a PhD candidate at King’s College, London.You can get your copy of his books here:https://www.amazon.in/Books-Manu-S-Pillai/s?rh=n%3A976389031%2Cp_27%3AManu+S.+PillaiFollow Bound on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter: @boundindia Follow our podcast on Instagram: @boundpodcastsYou can check out our website at https://www.boundindia.com