‘I want to create worlds in these books that are an immersive way to learn history without it being forced,’ the author says
The battle between Alexander and Porus forms the backdrop of Sarita Mandanna’s novel The War Elephants of Trigarta. | Photo Credit: Wiki Commons
Sarita Mandanna, author of the 2010 book Tiger Hills, a bildungsroman set in 19th century Coorg, is back with two new books of historical fiction, The War Elephants of Trigarta and Secrets Among the Stars (Aleph Book Company). The difference is that this time, she is writing for a younger audience. The U.S.-based author talks about why she wants children to learn about Indian history, what it means to mix history and science with fiction in politically charged times, and resisting the temptation to write happy endings. Edited excerpts:
Author Sarita Mandanna
Your previous books, Tiger Hills and Good Hope Road (2015), are also works of historical fiction, but this is your first foray into writing for children. What inspired you to explore this new direction?
I grew up in a house of books. I attribute my love of the written word, both reading and writing, to my mother, and I’d love to inculcate that in my child as well. My son is in middle school now, and it can be challenging to get him to read. I’m always looking for content that would interest him. Since we live overseas, it’s also important to me that he knows his roots. That was a major motivation.
Also, the way I was taught history in schools was so focused on dates and learning by rote. I had some wonderful teachers, but I think it’s fair to say that people of my generation liked history despite the way it was taught, rather than because of it. I wanted to create worlds in these books that are an immersive way to learn history without it being forced.
How rigorous is the research that goes into a book like ‘The War Elephants of Trigarta’. Of course, Alexander the Great is a household name, but how much of the rest of the book is based on actual history?
It is a mix of both. We grew up hearing that old Hindi song ‘Sikandar Ne Poras Se Ki Thi Ladayi’, so we all know that Alexander fought Porus, but we don’t know who Porus is. We don’t even know if it was his name, or a title. What we know is Alexander fought the Battle of Hydaspes where he faced Porus and his large contingent of war elephants. Therefore, the kingdom was likely to have been fairly large and prosperous. I looked backwards, at the Mahabharata, to research sizeable kingdoms that were there at the time. That’s where the leap of imagination comes into it — Trigarta was an ancient kingdom in the region and I used that as the setting.
There’s also the issue with Alexander — what we know about him is second-hand. So much has been lost to time. I read several books, cross-referenced them, and then tried to find the human motivation through it all. Once you have the scaffolding of facts, then you just overlay that with the story. People haven’t really changed that much. Motivations haven’t changed.
The book ends on a bittersweet note. I found that very interesting since with children’s books, there is sometimes a temptation to force in happy endings.
I would have loved for everyone in the book to have a happy ending as well. War is brutal though. When you live through one of the most epic battles of the time, what does that aftermath look like?
We should give children a lot more credit than we do in terms of how to handle big emotions and large ideas. War is terrible, loss does happen. The challenge is to find your way forward after the battle.
History as a subject has become particularly contentious in India lately. So has the history of science and technology. The Pushpak Vimana, which features heavily in ‘Secrets Among the Stars’, was the subject of controversy when it was brought up as a fact during the Indian Science Congress in 2015. As a writer of fiction, do these complications play on your mind?
It’s important to stick as closely to the facts as possible. What happened happened, and I don’t support excluding or championing episodes of history without factual backing. Now, the further back in antiquity you go, the harder it is to get definitive proof. I do think it’s important to retain a questioning mind. Take the Pushpak Vimana, for instance: to categorically state that this was just the product of someone’s imagination is perhaps reductive. Stating its existence as indisputable fact is sub-optimal as well. The truth is out there, and until there is firm proof one way or the other, why not try and learn more? There is so much in India that is still undiscovered, troves of documents that are still being deciphered. So much has been lost through the millennia, with the various conquests and invasions. I certainly believe there’s room for a lot of questions, and startling answers as well.
What is the future of the Bold Chronicles series that these books are a part of? Are there more books coming?
That’s the idea! These are the two bookends of the series. The War Elephants of Trigarta is set 2,500 years ago, and Secrets Among the Stars is set much more recently during ISRO’s mission to the moon. The rest of the books will be set within this time period. Each one will be standalone, and the books can be read in any order.
Bold Chronicles is a passion project, to showcase this 2,500-year-old subset of the incredibly rich history of India in an easy and accessible manner. The protagonist of each of these books is placed in challenging circumstances, but they are never a victim. They have the ability to make choices and bring about real change. I want the books to ignite in each reader, the spirit of curiosity, questioning and agency. I want them to ignite a sense of lasting pride in our shared heritage and an appreciation for all that has happened before us.
The interviewer is a Mangaluru-based science writer and author, most recently, of ‘ Lab Hopping : A Journey to Find India’s Women in Science’.
source: http://www.thehindu.com / The Hindu / Home> Books> Authors> Interview / by Nandita Jayaraj / June 05th, 2026
