TAMIL
Poliltical history of Madurai
A. SRIVATHSAN
AALAVAAI — Madurai Maanagarathin Kathai: K. R. A. Narasiah; Palaniappa Brothers, 25, Peters Road, Royapettah, Chennai-600014. Rs. 275.
Madurai, or Madirai as it was known in the Tamil Sangam literature, is probably one of the few cities in the world that enjoys an unbroken history and continuous habitation for more than 2000 years.
To compile its vast history and present the multitude of historic events in the form of a compact book of less than 150 pages is indeed a challenge.
The book is not an account of the urban history of Madurai as the title suggests, but a broad narrative of its political history. Drawing extensively from Tamil literature, archival records, and already published research works, the author offers a useful list of key events, dates, and the names of the kings who ruled from Madurai.
The fascinating part of the book is its description of the city during the colonial period. It is here the book gets closer to the less-told story of the urban transformation of an archetypal temple city to that of a modern city.
The description of Muslim rule in Madurai as a dark and bleak period strikes a jarring note in a work that is strikingly objective. Studies show that Muslims were part of the city’s history and predate the Malik Kafur’s invasion in the 14th century. There are also evidences to establish that Muslim soldiers were a part of the Pandian army that came up against Malik Kafur and things were not as simplistic as they are portrayed.
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