Parvati expanded her territory by seeking out the larger kingdoms around her. She annexed Gwalior, then later Ajmer. She had perfected the technique of firmly squeezing kingdoms into submission. It was much cleaner than a full scale bloody assault and allowed easier assimilation of the conquered people. It involved 'retiring' the king of Gwalior; but sadly the king of Ajmer had to be beheaded. However, it proved to be a popular move because he had been a tyrant.Parvati stayed away from the Punjab. She was not yet ready for Mahmud of Ghazni.To the south lay a few kingdoms that stretched to the Vindhya Mountains. And beyond the mountains, rumors of great kingdoms. Of immediate interest to her were the kingdoms that lay to the east; in the lush plains fed by the great rivers -- Ganga and Jamuna. She set about annexing them, one by one.It was during this period of expansion that a wandering Brahmin demanded an audience with her. It was not at all unusual for ordinary citizens to meet the

Parvati knew that while her father was alive and in good health she and her child were safe, but what if something were to happen to him?She began preparing for that eventuality.From the Brahmins she learnt how to read and write. She knew neither because it was not thought necessary for girls to be literate, not even those of high birth. So, she had to start at the bottom-- the alphabet. From there she progressed in leaps and bounds, eventually reading whatever she could get her hands on -- from the classics to the most modern tomes that her father had collected in the Royal Library. Concomitantly she sat down with the Brahmins everyday to learn about Philosophy, Religion, Economics, Governance, Warfare and anything else they cared to throw at her.She learnt all the physical aspects of warfare -- hand to hand fighting, effective wielding of a sword, archery, and proficient horse riding. She was tall, lithe and well coordinated. Her strength would never be the equal of a man's but by

It was 1007 A.D. and Mahmud of Ghazni was preparing to raid Hindustan once again. Hindustan, which the British with their inability to curl their occidental tongues around alien consonants, and their arrogance as makers of history, would later rename India.And Christopher Columbus would set sail looking for it and rename Native Americans – Indians.But back to Mahmud.His forays were well planned. Crossing over the mountains as the winter snow melted, he would return to Afghanistan before the monsoon made it impossible to ford the rivers that made Hindustan so fertile and wealthy. His strategy was simple – attack, conquer, plunder and then move on. Not for him the administrative and political quagmire of ruling these Hindus. That would be left for the Mughals and the British to do. Pretending to superimpose law and order over anarchy, the British would prove to be the biggest plunderers. They would systematically denude the region of its wealth for two hundred years and leave behind

அரிக்கோட்டை அரசர் ராஜாதி ராஜ ராஜ கம்பீர அதி விக்ரம பூபதியின் நாடு பெரியதாக இல்லாவிட்டாலும், அவர் கீர்த்தி பெரியது. அவர் கொடை வள்ளல். அவர் எழுத்தறிவு இல்லாவிட்டாலும், புலவர்களை ஆதரிப்பவர். வங்கக் கடலை ஒட்டிய அந்த நாட்டில் புலிகள் இல்லை என்றாலும் ஏழை விவசாயிகளின் நிலங்களை நாசமாக்கும் காட்டுப் பன்றிகளை வேட்டையாடிப் புகழ் பெற்றவர்.அரிக்கோட்டைக்குக் கடல் கடந்த