Fiction and the Vijayanagara Empire

Salman Rushdie's "Victory City" and Vasudhendra's "Tejo Tungabhadra" were two books that I read in a span of a month. Both set in the same time period, to some degree and narrated two fascinating perspectives of a time not too far away. I mean, 700 odd years is relatively recent for an ancient-history buff.

Salman retells the story of the Vijayanagara Empire, adding to the multiple variations, he confidently mixes culture, myth, legend and history to give the story the etherealness that many (I) hadn't imagined. Vijayanagara's birth was like no other, at least that's what provable(?) history says. In this version, Pampa (the goddess) whispers a back story to each individual who gets 'created' in Vijayanagara so they know who they are! Salman opens it up on so many levels - free will, conditioning, concept of a creator, etc. I did not know what to expect after this introduction. In parallel I was reading historians/archaeologists accounts of the times, he still managed to keep me on my toes! The story is of the rise and fall of the empire through the eyes of the goddess who created it, and her constant struggle to help the kings stay on a course, one that benefits the people of Vijayanagara more than the rulers - she succeeds a few time and fails many a time.

Her character is so well created, the struggle of wanting to rule rather than guiding someone else to rule is palpable, I see it in so many women, including me. The need for equality and the discomfort of not being able to own it, as it is generational angst. The love that she enjoys is with the foreign visitors (so telling) to Vijayanagara - she gives birth to their daughters. She is a mother, lover, wife, guide to all the rulers who come and go, yes, she lives as long as the kingdom lasts. Her fights with the religious leaders wanting control of the power is constant. And her ability to want credit but not want it, is shatteringly hard to watch.

There is a lot more to the book but this is what made me think.

I haven't read Salman's books in a long while, wouldn't have picked this up if it wasn't for the subject, glad I did.

Vasudhendra's book was in the mainstream for a long while before I picked it up. Some reluctance to pick up popular books but this one, again, due to its subject was one that I wanted to read. Again, glad I did. Really wish I knew how to read kannada well, with my current skill-level I would have finished the book as a ghost.

The translation is good, the language is simple, lyrical, the story interwoven brilliantly and the Vijayanagara times, not all glorious. A love story is only a backdrop, the tale is of cultures blending, fighting, eradicating the other and tentatively establishing their ways. I say tentatively cause it was a matter of time before someone else came and toppled the other over. Spanning two continents, Vasudhendra writes with such accuracy the joys and the pain of the times - richness of black pepper, the travels across the seas, the strength of the women and the casual injustice of the times.

I rarely read fiction anymore, I am so glad I broke my fast with this book. It was a story set in the times that I was so curious about.