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Text books on history invariably focus on the battles fought, territories won or lost, dynasty politics, economy and administration of a region. A lot therefore remains unsaid about the culture, leisure and everyday life of people back then: Did children go to school? How were their houses designed? How did they celebrate festivals? What did they eat?
A series of books on South Indian history published by TVSES in collaboration with Macmillan India Limited, hopes to bridge this information gap.
The first book in the series “The Sangam Age: South India 2000 Years Ago” introduces children to a rich and unique civilization that flourished in South India about 2000 years ago. The book describes the lifestyles of children and adults in a family, residing in Madhurai during the Sangam Age. It gives the reader a panoramic view of Thamizh-aham from the perspective of the children as the family travels across the lands of the Cheras, Chozhas and Paandyas.
“The Age Of The Pallavas: South India 1500 Years Ago” introduces the young reader to the Pallavas, one of the greatest but historically not-so-well-known dynasties that flourished in South India about one thousand and five hundred years ago. This book on the Pallavas provides a fund of information on the period, its rulers, temples, literature and so on.
The books are intended primarily for middle school students (ages 12 to 15), but would be of interest to all. The books include text, appendices, follow-up activities, glossaries, maps and suggestions of projects and a colourful poster for children. The books cover a variety of themes and issues on the Sangam and the Pallava Age. Each theme is presented attractively with illustrations, making it appealing to the young readers and inviting them to explore in greater depth the themes that interest them.
The two books are a part of the series of books written for children, on South Indian history, published by the TVS Educational Society and Macmillan India Limited. The future titles in this series will include the Chozha, Chaalukya and Vijayanagar empires. The series is a pioneering effort to inculcate heritage awareness among children and to promote the study of socio-cultural history in schools.