Manu S. Pillai

Manu S. Pillai (born 28th February 1990) is an Indian writer and popular historian. He is known for his works covering the history of India from late medieval through colonial times, with his debut book, The Ivory Throne, winning the Sahitya Akademi Yuva Puraskar. He received a bachelor's degree in economics from Fergusson College and a master's degree in international relations from King's College London. He holds a PhD in history (with a dissertation titled Rajas, Rani, Deity and Company) from King's College London.

Career Following his education, he worked with the parliamentary office of Shashi Tharoor in New Delhi and with Karan Bilimoria in London. He also worked as a researcher on the BBC Radio 4 series Incarnations with Sunil Khilnani, which tells the story of India through fifty great lives. In 2017, he became a full time author. the story was expected to be adapted into a web series by Arka Media Works.

Rebel Sultans, Pillai's second work, narrates the story of the late medieval Deccan Plateau over four centuries.

Pillai's 2021 book False Allies concerns the rulers of princely states during the British Raj, focusing on five states whose rulers patronized and were painted by Raja Ravi Varma.