Coromandel

Coromandel is a name Europeans have long used for the Northern Tamil Country, or more widely for the eastern coast of the Peninsula of India. In this book Charles Allen travels south to look at the history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south, which he presents as less well known and often neglected. He meets local historians, gurus and politicians, who help him uncover stories about the past. The book draws on archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology, and shows how these have shaped politics in India today.

Why You Should Read?

• Explore the history and identity of the pre-Aryan Dravidian south, a part of India the book treats as neglected.
• Meet local historians, gurus and politicians who help the author uncover some extraordinary stories about the past.
• Understand how archaeology, religion, linguistics and anthropology have influenced politics in the region today, according to the book.
• Follow a journey through modern-day India that reveals as much about the present as about the past.

About the Author

Charles Allen was born in London in 1940 and died in 2020. He worked on his own as a writer of popular history, and both of his British parents had been born in India.