From Deccan dynasties to economic reforms: History Literature Festival explores past, politics and performance

Day two of the History Literature Festival in Hyderabad unfolded on Saturday with wide-ranging conversations that moved from medieval archaeology and corporate histories to community identities, political ideologies and classical music.

The day began with a session titled ‘Deccan Dynasties: A Medieval History’, featuring archaeologist and historian Uthara Suvrathan, archaeologist Hemanth Kadambi and historian Anirudh Kanisetti. The discussion explored how dynasties eventually find their way into the archaeological record and how material remains shape historical understanding.

Ms. Suvrathan spoke about Banavasi, a small town known as the capital of the early Karnataka-based Kadamba dynasty. Recounting her archaeological survey in the region, she said the team identified over 300 sites. Kadambi, in turn, reflected on the differences between archaeological and historical processes, explaining how the methods and questions in each discipline often diverge even when they examine the same past.

The next session, ‘Hues & Brews: Journeys of Asian Paints and Amrut’, featured author Anupam Gupta, writer Sriram Devatha and historian Chinmay Tumbe. The discussion focused on the evolution of Asian Paints and Amrut, both founded in the 1940s, and how the two brands navigated growth and competition over the decades.

Speaking about his book on Asian Paints, Gupta said what set the founding family apart was their ability to take the right decisions at crucial moments. He noted that they made a conscious choice to step back from day-to-day management and bring in professionals to run the company. Devatha, discussing his book on Amrut, said, “The DNA of Amrut was to hire people and trust them. Their family gave them the freedom.”

This was followed by ‘Community Chemistries: Bengalis and Parsis’, featuring Bakhtiar Dadabhoy, Sanghamitra Chatterjee and Sudeep Chakravarti. Dadabhoy observed that the Parsis trace their ancestry and religion to the pre-Islamic Zoroastrian era. Chakravarti added that conversations around Bengali identity must also engage with origin myths, arguing that these narratives play a significant role in shaping community self-perception.

In the session ‘Left, Right or Centre: Politics and Ideologies’, Sanjaya Baru, Jaithirth Rao and Narayani Basu examined political and economic shifts in post-Independence India. Rao recalled that between 1971 and 1973, often described as the height of Leftist economics in the country, the Foreign Exchange Regulation Act was introduced in 1973 and was widely regarded as a tyrannical measure at the time. Baru reflected on his youth in Hyderabad, describing the early 1970s as a heyday for the Left in the city. He spoke about his interactions with Jyoti Basu in 1990 and recounted how he became involved in the economic reforms of 1991.

The day concluded with ‘Musical Narratives: Stories and Melodies of the Agra Gharana’, featuring a performance by Hindustani vocalist and writer Priya Purushothaman, accompanied by Milind Mysore on the tabla and Rahul Deshpande on the harmonium.