<p><span class="h-card" translate="no"><a href="https://mastodon.social/@shriramk" class="u-url mention">@<span>shriramk</span></a></span> I got through most of this book. A couple of points:</p><p>1. The Cholas get a lot of press simply because we have a lot more sources on them. Not just archaeological, but also literary. Many Chola era temples continue to function and preserve the rites and lore of a bygone era, while the temples at places like Aihole are not "active" in the same sense. A substantial chunk of the Tamil Saivite and Vaishnavite canon were compiled around this time and we still have all the texts from this era, and a tradition of reading and singing them that is still alive. </p><p>2. I think the book does a great deal of disservice to Vaishnavism which also begins flowering in this era. </p><p>3. I like the fact that this book discusses trade and communication networks of this era. For example Narasimhavarman Pallavan sending an envoy to China and getting them to trade with his kingdom and talking about the Ummayads kinda shatters the notion that these kingdoms were blissfully unaware of events around the world.</p>
