‘Because of their mother’s untimely demise, I never celebrated my girls’ birthdays. I was cruel to my children, true. But I was a drowning man, reaching for brushes that continued to snap or slip through my fingers. Four grey years came and went without a single sound of laughter to break the gloomy silence. Not a single joyful festivity in the palace. Dreadful. My despondency robbed my poor girls of the joys of life.
‘Therefore, when I made known my wish to celebrate the princesses’ fifth birthday, the whole nation rejoiced. The sun shone again. Flowers bloomed and boasted full colours. Butterflies exploded in their millions. Birds sang, Kabi. The birds which had stricken dumb found their voices. The air throbbed with love and life. It was a time of great happiness. And the people of Parambu enjoyed many days of spontaneous celebrations.’ He threw a look at me and said,
‘In their euphoria, many suggested that I crown myself king.’
‘But you did not,’ I said.
‘I declined for reasons of statecraft,’ said Pari.
‘Prince Warmilan?’
‘Oh no, Uncle had nothing to do with my not giving myself a crown,’ said Pari. Seeing my questioning frown, he said,
‘It is an open secret among the nobility but a secret for those who chose not to know. There are only three crowned kings in all of Tamilakam. The Cheran, the Cholan, and the Pandyan. These kings, the Moo-Vendhar, referred to the smaller kingdoms which littered the periphery of their realms, including Parambu, as Velirs.’
‘I know this story and heard it often enough from others, but would like to hear it from you,’ I said.
‘There are as many versions as there are priests and their interpretations of god, and all of us subject to the vagaries of our oral tradition. And so too the history of the Velirs.
‘My people originated in the north out of the misty memories of mythology wrapped in the history of Dwarka, the ancient city of Lord Krishna. When the ocean reclaimed that heaven on earth, my ancestors moved south and settled in Tamilakam.
‘The Vaanaras, the indigenous people, your people, referred to us as Velirs. Outsiders. People from beyond the fence. Over the years, the word Velir came to mean different things to different communities. As most of our forebears arrived without their women, they intermarried with the Vaanaras, itself a maligned term. We borrowed from your culture as you borrowed from us. But on the political stage, we always remained Velirs. Outsiders. With the demise of Emperor Ravana of Lanka, the Vaanaras exerted and absorbed the weaker clans and formed nations. In time, the more resourceful consolidated their power into the present-day kingdoms of the Cheran and Pandyan, and the empire of the Cholan.’
Much of what Pari said found favour with what I already knew but it was refreshing to hear it from him. For a Velir to accept a crown, the Moo-Vendhar have to acknowledge the coronation. But they never accorded this recognition. If a Velir chieftain dared to conduct a coronation, he risked the wrath of the Moo-Vendhar. The Velir chieftains, Pari included, called themselves kings. But the Moo-Vendhar addressed the chieftains as raj princes. There was no coronation; no yagna, ritual over an open holy flame; no blessing from the gods; and no acceptance as peers to the Moo-Vendhar.
–
Copyright @ Eric Alagan, 2019
Continued Monday 9 September 2019
Strange history – so alien to my “western” bank of knowledge. I enjoyed the read and hanker for the ‘rest of the story’
Hello Jane,
Even now, there is much controversy regarding the history, the origins of the people, of south India. As India grows into an economic powerhouse, it’s natural for her people to want to rediscover their roots. Much of Indian history as we know it, was recorded by foreigners – overland invaders and European colonialists – all of which was in the current era. BCE history is extracted from fragmentary bits. See also my earlier post here – Records Lost to History.
Cheers,
Eric
Is this the first chapter? Very engaging.
It’s the 9th installment 🙂 and thank you 🙂
OK, I’ll have to go back.
I agree with Ian, as the care taken with the research shines through. Hugs and xXx my buddy. Xx
Thank you, Jane dear
Yes, it did take a bit of research. And the effort was worth it.
Have a great weekend ahead,
Eric
Interesting. Is the reference to Raavan of Ramayan fame or is it a more generic name given to the ruler of Lanka?
Yes, the character of Vel Paary refers to Raavan of Ramayana fame.
Obviously an enormous amount of historical research has influenced the writing of this book. Thanks for taking the trouble to do this for our entertainment Eric 🙂
Hello Ian,
Historical fiction demands a tremendous amount of research.
My first two novels, Beck & Call and Code Shield, which were set in contemporary times took several weeks’ research. But with historical novels, one spends months if not years on research. For example, a month ago I started research for another historical novel that I hope to publish in 2021. That’s the kind of time frame involved.
It’s give me great pleasure and challenges. Encouragement from readers – and I count you among my handful of top supporters – keeps me going.
All good wishes for the weekend, Ian 🙂
Eric
The research you do helps us to comprehend situations and historical occurrences which otherwise we’d be uninformed on. Keep up this excellent and helpful work. 🙂