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Empire

289. Medieval India’s Game of Thrones: The Cholas (Part 1)

Empire

Goalhanger

History

4.64.1K Ratings

🗓️ 10 September 2025

⏱️ 41 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

Who were the Cholas who ruled in South India from the 9th century? How was a Hindu symbol of a Chola queen the inspiration behind the Christian hymn “Lord of The Dance”? What was the Medieval Indian equivalent of the “Iron Bank” in Game of Thrones? William and Anita are joined by Anirudh Kanisetti, author of Lords of Earth and Sea: A History of the Chola Empire, to discuss the beginnings of the Chola dynasty. Join the Empire Club: Unlock the full Empire experience – with bonus episodes, ad-free listening, early access to miniseries and live show tickets, exclusive book discounts, a members-only newsletter, and access to our private Discord chatroom. Sign up directly at empirepoduk.com  For more Goalhanger Podcasts, head to www.goalhanger.com. Email: [email protected] Instagram: @empirepoduk Blue Sky: @empirepoduk X: @empirepoduk Assistant Producer: Becki Hills Producer: Anouska Lewis Executive Producer: Neil Fearn Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0

If you want access to bonus episodes reading lists for every series of Empire, a chat community.

0:06.7

Discounts for all the books mentioned in the week's podcast, add free listening and a weekly newsletter,

0:12.0

sign up to Empire Club at www.empowerpod.ukuk.com.

0:32.6

Hello and welcome to Empire with me, Anita Arnhem.

0:34.4

And me, William Duremple.

0:38.9

And we hope you enjoyed this series on Sewers with Alex von Tundselman,

0:42.5

which I think is our most popular ever series, the first episode.

0:47.3

The Blockbuster. The Blockbuster. Absolutely. I just loved it. We had so many comments on Twitter,

0:52.7

particularly Alita's hot crush for Gamble Abdul Nasser, the pin-up.

0:56.5

What I found, actually, rather than NASA being very good-looking,

0:58.0

undisputably, very good-looking,

1:01.4

and we know it's undisputable because it got right up Anthony Eden's nose.

1:05.9

And, you know, what I loved was the psychodrama of the whole situation.

1:08.6

So, I mean, those of you haven't gone to listen, go back and listen.

1:11.7

Eden is completely convulsed with the idea that his younger, much younger, much prettier wife, may be falling under the thrall of a dashing NASA.

1:19.4

And I just, I love that with Alex. You know, you get this sort of the big characters of history,

1:24.4

but yeah, they're humans, aren't they, at the end of the day, flesh and

1:27.7

blood with all of the insecurities that we all carry. That's an extraordinary story.

1:31.9

Anyway, as you may be aware, because we've been putting it up online, we will soon be starting

1:37.3

another Middle Eastern series, and this is on the History of Gaza, which I don't think anyone has

1:42.7

done. I'd be looking online for, you know, any broadcaster in the world has actually done this,

1:48.4

which is bizarre considering it's been in the headlines of every single newspaper every day for the last two years.

...

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