May the South Rise Again
The war filled history of North India is well chronicled. Indians often conflate the history of modern day India with that of its capital- Delhi. However, India as it is currently defined has only existed since 1947. However, the modern republic is a vast empire, not a single kingdom. In other words, the story of India is not one linear chapter but a vast compendium, an entire library even of regions, religions and relations. In stark contrast to the north, the South has been relatively stable. Guarded by the ocean on both coasts, and far removed from the ravaging armies of the north, Southern empires spent more time in long term development, trade and the fine arts. The Vijayanagara Empire is hardly a focus in comparison to the attention heaped on the Delhi Sultanate or the Rajput clans. Little is said about the their classical music that has bequeathed us Carnatic music. Even the most devout barely credit them with the expansion of the Venkateswara temple at Tirupati to a