THENATION

Published:September30,201512:30IST|Updated:September30,201512:32IST
IRFANHABIB

Nationsmentalmakeupmaysuffergrievously

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IrfanHabib,theeminenthistorian,onhowthepresentgovernmentslargescaleprojecttosaffronise
historydoesnotstandrigoroushistoricalscrutinyandwhytheHinduRight,givenitsrecordof
submissivenesstotheBritishduringthenationalmovement,needstoinventagloriouspastforitselfand
thecountry.ByAJOYASHIRWADMAHAPRASHASTA
INthelastfewmonths,theBharatiyaJanataParty(BJP)ledUniongovernmenthassteppedupitseffortstosteertheSanghParivars
Hindutvaagendabychangingthenatureofpublicinstitutions.Prominentscholarshavecomeforwardandsaidthatthegovernmentis
pushingautonomousinstitutions,suchastheIndianCouncilofHistoricalResearch(ICHR),theNehruMemorialMuseumand
Library(NMML)andtheLalitKalaAkademi,tocarryoutresearchonlyontopicsthatareinlinewiththeSanghParivarsdoctrines.
Manyscholarsclaimthatintheprocessthegovernmentishighhandedlypromotingunethicalandunscientificresearchpracticesin
variousdisciplines.
Intheculturalsphere,too,BJPledStategovernmentshavetriedtointroducemeasuresthatareclearlyHindumajoritarianinnature.
Initiativeslikethebanonmeateatingonsomepretextortheother,theintroductionofHindutextsliketheGitaandtheRamayanain
schoolsastextbooksorrenamingcitylandmarksliketheAurangzebRoadinNewDelhimirrorthepresentgovernmentskeennessto
promoteHindutvatheRashtriyaSwayamsewakSanghs(RSS)primarypoliticalagenda.Itisbecauseofsuchstatepatronageto
HindutvathatHinduextremists,bothwithinandoutsidethegovernment,havebeendelivering,withimpunity,hatespielsagainst
MuslimsandChristiansinvariouspartsofthecountry.ImplicitintheseassaultsonthepluralcultureofIndiaisadirectattackonthe
sharedgrammarofhistoryasperceivedbythepublic.Naturally,oneofthemostimportantagendasoftheSanghParivaristorewrite
historytextbooks.ThefirstNationalDemocraticAlliance(NDA)government,whichcametopowerin1998,hadcommissioned
Hindutvaideologuestorewritehistorytextbooks,completelydismissingtherigorousworkofprofessionalhistorians.
HistoriansandotherscholarsbelievethatstatepatronagetoHindutvawillnotonlyseetheendofgloballyacceptedscientificand
rationaltraditionsofinquiry,anobligationforanydisciplinaryresearch,butalsocommunalisehistoryonthebasisofbizarre
untruths.ProfessorIrfanHabib,theinternationallyreputedhistorianofmedievalandancientIndiaandatpresentProfessorEmeritus
intheHistoryDepartmentofAligarhMuslimUniversity(AMU),spoketoFrontlineonhowthepresentgovernmentistryingtochange
varioushypothesesinhistorywithoutbackingthemupwithscientificevidence.The84yearoldHabibhasbeenastridentcritical
voiceagainstreligiousfundamentalismsofallhuesthroughouthislife.HerecentlyopposedthedemandbysomegroupsthatAMUbe
giventhestatusofaminorityinstitution.Outofthemanyclassicshehaswritten,TheAgrarianSystemofMughalIndia15561707
has,forthelastfivedecades,servedasthemostimportanttextforhistorystudentstounderstandthenatureofMughalIndia.
ProfessorHabibheadedtheICHRformanyyearsandisarecipientofthePadmaBhushan,amongmanyotherawards.Excerptsfrom
theinterview:
ManyinitiativesofthepresentpoliticaldispensationsuggestthattheBJPledgovernmentisonamissionto
reinterpretIndianhistory.Someoftheareasthatithasidentifiedascoresubjectsforresearcharevariousaspects
oftheVedicAge,theAryanquestion,theDelhiSultanate,theMughalEmpire,andHinduepics.Thesearetopics
thathavealreadybeenexaminedthoroughlybyprofessionalhistoriansinacademicdebates.Howdoyouseethis
development?
Ihavereadsomegeneralhistoricalpronouncementsoftheleadersofthepresentregime,toppedbythePrimeMinisterNarendra
ModisclaimthatLordGaneshaselephantheadshowsthatplasticsurgeryhadalreadybeeninventedinIndiainremoteantiquity.

ModisclaimthatLordGaneshaselephantheadshowsthatplasticsurgeryhadalreadybeeninventedinIndiainremoteantiquity.
Statementsofsimilarmentalcalibrebylesserfiguresinhisflockhavesincemultiplied.ThepresentchairmanoftheICHRhasbeen
announcingtoallwhowouldlistentheneedtoconstructPuranichistory,thatis,Isuppose,acombinationofRamayanaand
Mahabharatanarratives,holdingittobethepremiertaskofthehistoriantoday.
TherenamingofAurangzebRoadandthestridentdeclarationsbyRSSalignedorganisationsagainst1,000yearsofforeignruleare
indicationsthattheperiodsoftheDelhiSultanateandMughalEmpirearelikelytoreceiveatreatmentsimilartowhattheyreceivedin
theNationalCouncilforEducationalResearchandTrainings[NCERT]historytextbooks,issuedunderthefirstNDAregime.This
time,theschooltextbookstocomeforthwillprobablyoutdistancetheirpredecessorsintherealmofmythandprejudice.
Thisbeingthecase,itisunlikelythattherecouldbeanyrealencounterbetweenhistoryasanacademicdisciplineandsuchshoddily
inventivefictionastheRSSprojects.Thereishardlyanyroomforacademicdebatehere.Thankfully,historyitselfwillnotchange
howevermuchitmaybefalselypresented.Butthenationsmentalmakeupmaygrievouslysufferthereby.
HowhasthecontroversialOriginoftheAryansquestionbeenresolvedbyhistorians?ThepositionoftheHindu
RighthasalwaysbeenthattheAryansarefromIndia.Doeshistoricalevidenceprovethat?Whatisthegenerally
acceptedtheoryonAryanswithinthedisciplineofhistory?
Indeed,owingtoextensiveresearchoveralongperiodnow,muchhasbeenclarifiedabouttheAryans.Thewordarya,andallied
forms,meantnobleinIndoIranianlanguages.Iranitselfisamereterritorialpluralofthewordarya.Butitsapplicationtothe
entirebodyofspeakersofIndoEuropeanlanguageswastheworkoftheNazis,whoclaimedfortheGermansthestatusofpurest
Aryans.ItisclearthatIndoEuropeanlanguagerelationshipshavenothingtodowithraceorreligion.Thetermsimplyrepresents
speakersofalliedlanguages.Secondly,linguisticstudieshaveestablishedaroughpictureofthesequenceamonglanguages,those
closetothehypotheticalancestor,theProtoIndoEuropean,andothersmuchmoredistantfromit.RigVedicSanskritandAvestan,
fromwhichonecanreconstructProtoAryanorProtoIndoIranianareplacedmuchdowntheladdercomparedwithHittiteor
Albanian.Itis,therefore,mostunlikelythatIndiawaseverthehomeoftheoriginalProtoIndoEuropeanlanguage.Itis,indeed,
childishtomakeanissueoutofitandclaimwithoutproof,verymuchliketheNazisdid,thatwe,asAryans,wentoutandcivilisedthe
world,asifAryanorIndoEuropeanissynonymouswithcivilisation.ProtoIndoEuropeanlexicalreconstructions,infact,reveala
veryprimitivelevelofsociety.
Recently,thegovernmentrenamedNewDelhisAurangzebRoadA.P.J.AbdulKalamRoad.Thiswasasignificant
stepthaterasedthememoryofaMughalrulerwhoinpopularperceptionisseenasanantiHindutyrant.Howdo
youassessAurangzebandhistimes?HowhastheSanghParivarmanagedtososuccessfullycreateanimageofhim
asanantiHindurulerandhowdoprofessionalhistoriansviewthisclaim?
ThereisnoreasontotakesideswithAurangzebwhileopposingtherenamingofAurangzebRoad.Hemurderedtwobrothers,
imprisonedhisfather,partlyalteredthereligiouspolicyofhispredecessors,imposeddiscriminatorytaxation,especiallythejizya,or
polltaxonnonMuslims,anddestroyedsometemples,notablyKeshavRaiatMathura.Asagainstthis,hecontinuedmanygrantsto
temples,suchastothoseofVrindavan.Othergrantstotemplesorordersmakingconcessionstothemhavealsobeenpublished.
ForeigntravellerscomingtoIndiainhisreigngenerallydrewapictureofatolerantgovernmentratherthanofalandofreligious
persecution.Communalistsonbothsidesmadehimafigurehewasnotapious,religiouszealottooneandareligiousfanatictothe
other.Hehadoneachievementtohiscreditforsometime,heunitedpracticallythewholeofIndiaunderonepoliticalcentreandso
completedthatidentificationofHindustanwiththeMughalEmpire,which,quiteastonishingly,becameembeddedinpopular
consciousness,forexample,amongthesepoyswhorevoltedin1857,amajorityofwhomwereBrahmans.
Aurangzebis,inpopularunderstanding,infamousforthedestructionofHindutemples,theKashiVishwanath
templeinVaranasiandtheKrishnaJanmabhoomiinMathurabeingexamples.TheSanghParivarhasalsoplayed
upthedestructionoftheSomnathtempletovalidateitsargumentsagainstthesocalledMuslim/foreignrule.The
historianRichardEatonhastriedtodemystifytheissueoftempledestruction.HowhaveIndianhistorians
resolvedtheseissues?
ThechangeofnameofAurangzebRoadseemsafirststep.Asmaybeimagined,democracywasnonexistentintheIndian
consciousnessbeforethenationalmovementinstilleditinus.TheDelhiSultanateandtheMughalEmpirewerebotharistocracies,the
nobleslargelyMuslim,andthelandedaristocracy(zamindars),uppercasteHindu.Ithasbeencalculatedthatduringhisclosingyears,
30percentofAurangzebscommanderswereHindus,butchieflyRajputsandMarathas.Moreover,therulerswerenotforeignerswho
wereplunderingthiscountrytosendwealthabroad.Sotocallitforeignruleisabsurd.Whatevertheycreatedandleftbehind,in
monumentsandart,hasaddedtoIndiasgloryandgoodname.
Asfortempledestruction,IamnotintotalagreementwithRichardEaton,buthetoodoesnotcondoneanyofit.Ontheotherhand,
wemustrememberthatSomnathwasdestroyedbyMahmudofGhazni,whoisnotcountedamongtheMuslimrulersofIndia.
Incidentally,Mahmud,too,wasacomplexcharacter:hehadalargeforceofHindutroopswithHinducommanders,whomhe
employedtokeephisMuslimsubjectsinorder.Onesuchcommander,Tilak,astoutheartedtantrik,wasaparticularfavouriteofhis.
AsfortheDelhiSultans,manytemplesareknowntohavebeenbuiltunderthem,themostnotablebeingthelastreconstructionofthe
MahabodhitempleatBodhGayain129598.UndertheMughals,thelistoftemplesbuiltandreconstructedwouldbeaninfinitely
longone.WhenIwasreadingamanuscriptcollectionofAurangzebslettersinhislastyears,Iwasstruckbyonetoasonofhis,urging
himnottomissseeingthesculpturesatEllorawhilegoingtoAurangabad,describingthemasoneofthewondersofGodscreation.
Onemustrememberthattherearemanysidestoculture.TaraChandsInfluenceofIslamonIndianCulture,firstpublishedin1928
orthereabouts,isaclassicexpositionofthetheme.OneaspectmissinginitistheexplicitinvocationsofIndianpatriotismthatnow
emerge.ThefirstrealexpressionofpatrioticsentimentfavourablycomparingIndiaanditspeopletothoseofothercountries,
gloryinginitsnaturalbeauty,itsclimate,itsBrahmanicalscholarship,theexcellenceofitslanguages,butessentiallythatofSanskrit,
thecontributionsIndianshavemadetotheworld,namely,decimalplacementofnumerals(hindsa),chessandPanchatantratales
occursnotinaSanskritworkbutintheimportedlanguageofPersian,inthecourtpoetAmirKhusrausNuhSipihr,writteninA.D.
1318.Averystrangeproduct,indeed,offoreignrule!
TaraChandhimselfnotedthatthelargeextentgainedbytheDelhiSultanatepromotedasenseoflargerallegianceamongtheIndian
people.Butbeyondthis,surely,layalsoalessinsularviewoflifeandgreaterknowledgeofothercountriesandculturesthattheinflux
ofPersoArabicinfluencespromoted.

ofPersoArabicinfluencespromoted.
AccordingtotheSanghParivar,boththeMughalstateandtheDelhiSultanatewereantiHinduregimesempires
inwhichMuslimsexploitedthewealthandsurplusofHindus.Yourcomments.
IthinkonthefirstpartofthequestionIhavesaidenough.Onthesecondpart,thattheHindusproducedthesurplusandMuslims
consumedit,theabsurdityofthiswouldbeobviousifanyonestudiesthedetailedlocalitywiseenumerationofzamindarcastesinthe
greatMughalsurvey,theAiniAkbari(circa1595).ThebulkofthezamindarclasscomprisedHinduuppercastes.Evenwherethe
majorpartofthepeasantswereMuslims,suchasBengal,thezamindarsweremostlyKayasths,asitcontinuedtobethecasetillthe
Britishconquest.
NoforeignaccountdescribingIndianpovertyexcludesMuslims.Asfarasthelandtaxwasconcerned,Muslimpeasantsreceivedno
concessiondistinguishingthemfromtheirHinducounterparts.Norwerewagerates(includingratesquotedinofficialdocuments)
variedaccordingtowhetherthelabourerwasaHinduoraMuslim.IfMuslimnoblesshowedofftheirwealth,itwastheBanya
merchantsandbankerswhocontrolledmuchofthetradeofthecountryanddeveloped,undertheMughals,anelaboratesystemof
depositbankingandinsurance.TheviewthatisheldbytheSanghParivaristhusbaseless.
DelhiUniversitysSanskritDepartmenthasplannedaworkshopontheRigVedicage.WhyistheSanskrit
Departmenttakingsomuchinterestinatopicthatbelongstothedisciplineofhistory?Itisalsoclaimingtomake
publicsomedocuments,basedonastronomicalstudies,whichmaychangetheperceptionabouttheperiodin
whichitexisted.IthasbeenapersistentcampaignoftheSanghParivartopushbacktheRigVedicperiodbymany
centuriestojustifytheirviewoftheHinducivilisationastheoldestone,and,thus,asuperiorone.Whatdoes
historicalresearchshow?
TheRigVedasdatecanberoughlyobtainedbyanumberofmeans.WemustrememberthatIndiahadnoyeardatingsystembefore
AsokausedregnalyearsinhisinscriptionsinthethirdcenturyB.C.So,naturally,theVedichymnscarrynodatesthemselves.Other
modes,therefore,hadtobeemployedtodiscoverwhentheywerecomposed.Forexample,theRigVedadescribesratha,orhorse
drawnchariot.Theearliestarchaeologicalevidenceforsuchchariotsdoesnotgobeyond2000B.C.eveninitsregionoffirstuse,the
RussianandKazakhstansteppes.So,theRigVedichymnscouldhardlybeearlierthan2000B.C.
Theotherislanguage.RigVedicandAvestanlanguagesareveryclosetoeachother.IraniannamesindatedMesopotamian
inscriptionssuggestthatAvestansearliestportionsgobacktoabout1000B.C.TheRigVedacanthusberoughlyplacedinthesecond
millenniumB.C.,whichfitsinwithitsknowledgeofcopperbutnotofiron.Itsdeitiesareanthropomorphic,notzoomorphicasare
Indusdeities,andsincetheInduscivilisationcollapsedaround1800B.C.,thatgivesafurtherupperlimittotheRigVeda.The
astronomicaldetailsintheRigVedaareminimal,sotheSanskritDepartmentofDelhiUniversityishardlylikelytogetanysensational
resultsunlesstheyreadintotheRigVedawhatisnotthere.Incidentally,RSSideologueshavelongbeenanxioustoobtainthe
highestantiquityfortheRigVeda(theirstararchaeologistV.S.Wakankarplaceditin8000B.C.,inNeolithictimes!),andwhatever
theresultsoftheSanskritDepartmentsefforts,itseemstheRSShasnowfaithfulpupilsamongthesavantsofDelhiUniversity.
TheLalitKalaAkademiinDelhiisholdinganexhibitionatpresent.ItiscalledCulturalcontinuityfromRigVeda
toRobotics.ThestatedpurposeoftheexhibitionistoprovethetheorythatRamawasahistoricalcharacterand
othertheories,suchastheSaraswatiriverexistedinadifferentageandthattheMahabharatawarwasactually
fought.WhatisthenatureofevidenceshownbySanghParivarhistorians?
TheissueofRamayanahasfortunatelybeendiscussedbyahistorianofthemostconservativecredentials,thelateProfessorD.C.
Sircar.InhisProblemsoftheRamayana,heacclaimsthebeautyofthetextbutabsolutelydeniesthehistoricityofitsnarrative.
Religiousmythologies,whetheroftheBrahmanical,JudaicorIslamictraditions,havenoplaceinhistoryfortheeventstheyrelate,
thoughhowthesemythsthemselvesaroseisoftenaninterestingquestionforthehistoriantoinquireinto.
ThegovernmentisonaspreetobanmeatinallpartsofIndia.ThisstepassumesthatHindusareaversetoeating
meat.Howhavefoodpractices,especiallymeateating,beendealtwithinthestudyofIndianhistory?
Naturally,historianshavebeenlongawarethatanimal(includingcattle)sacrificeswerepartoftheVedicreligion.ProfessorD.N.Jha
hasbroughtmuchrelevantmaterialtogetherinhisbookonmeatinIndiandietarytraditions.AftertheemergenceofBuddhismand
Jainism,therewasincreasingrepugnanceagainstcowslaughterandmeateatinggenerally,thoughamongKshatriyasandmanylower
castesmeateatinghaspersisted.ThesubjectisoneonwhichthereisalsoanotableessaybyH.D.Sankalia,calledTheCowin
History[Seminar,1967].Aneminentarchaeologist,hewashimself,Ibelieve,astrictvegetarian.
Howshouldthedisciplineofhistorybestudied?Isthatanunresolvedtheoreticalquestion?Therearevarious
schools,likepositivist,liberal,Annales,Marxist,subaltern,postcolonial,andsoon.Inarrivingattheirarguments,
dothehistoriansoftheHinduRightfollowanyparticularschool?And,ifinthedisciplineofhistorytherehas
alwaysbeenthepossibilityofmanyinterpretationswhichhasprovidedthegroundforahealthyacademicdebate,
whyareprofessionalhistorianssoaversetotheHinduRightsinterpretationsofIndianhistory?
Ithinkwhenwementionvariousschoolsofhistory,letusbeclearthatitisnotasifhistoriansdonotagreeonanything.Nobody
disagreeswiththefactthatAkbarascendedthethronein1556anddiedin1605,orthatAsokaissuedhisedicts,inPrakrit,Greekand
Aramaic,topreachdhamma.
Indeed,onthebulkoffactsestablishedbytheuseofmethodsinvolvingthestudyofprimarysources,archaeologicalandnumismatic
evidence,carbondating,palaeography,etc.,thereishardlymuchroomfordisagreement.Differencesbecomelegitimatewhena
selectionfromamongthesefactshastobemadeinordertounderstandwhatfactorsweremoreinfluentialincausingchangeandof
whattype.Theschoolsyoumentionhavetheirdifferentscalesofjudgmentorhypothesesinthisarea.WhenyouspeakoftheRight
camps,whetherHinduorMuslimoranyotherbrand,theirlegitimacytoobeginsonlyaftertheyhaveadoptedthevariousmethodsby
whichhistoricalfactsareestablished.R.C.MajumdarandD.C.Sircarcanbecitedpreciselyassuchhistoriansthoughtheirpolitical
andsocialviewswerewelltotheRight.
WhatthesocalledHinduRight,inyourterminology,isnowdoingistorejectthehistoricalmethoditself,andthus,insteadof
lookingatMajumdarandSircar,theyappeartobeacclaimingseerslikeSwamyDavidFrawley,whocanproduceanyfactatthedrop
ofahatwithnoauthorityneededandsohasreallywellmeritedthePadmaBhushanrecentlyawardedtohim.Anothersourceof
inspirationseemstobetheNASAscientistNavratnaRajaram,whoproducedahorsebearingIndussealtoestablishtheAryan

inspirationseemstobetheNASAscientistNavratnaRajaram,whoproducedahorsebearingIndussealtoestablishtheAryan
characteroftheInduscivilisation.ThefraudwasexposedbyProfessorMichaelWitzelinyourmagazine[HorseplayinHarappa,
Frontline,October13,2000].Withsuchacrowd,debatecouldbewasteoftime,butyouarewronginstatingthatdebatehasnotbeen
held.Wheneversuitableoccasionshavepresentedthemselvesonvariousthemes,relevantissueshavebeentakenup.
Inthisregard,whatisthescientificbasisoftheconclusionsdrawnbyrightwinghistorians?Say,forexample,the
conclusionsdrawnbyY.S.RaoonHinduepicsorRakeshSinhasinterpretationofIndiannationalism?
IunderstandProfessorRaosownareaofresearchwaslandsettlementintheNorthernCircarsunderearlyBritishrule.IamafraidI
havenotseenanyworkofhisonthePuranasortheepics.IamfranklynotawareofwhatRakeshSinhahaswrittenonthenational
movement.
WhydoestheHinduRighttargetthedisciplineofhistorymorethananyotherdisciplinewheneveritcomesto
power?ItalwayssaysthathistorywritinginIndiaisbiasedasitisdominatedbyLeftistsorCongresssecularists
andthatitwantsabiggerspaceinthediscipline.Yourcommentsonthis.
ThereisapsychologicaldifficultywithRSSmen.Thoughtheyshoutofnationalism,theydosonowwhen,after1947,ithasbecome
safetodoso.Theycontributednoheroestothenationalmovementthemselvesatthetimeitmeantgoingtojailorsuffering
otherwise.TheykeptonthegoodsideoftheBritishwhileseekingtounderminethenationalmovementbyshoutingHinduHindi
HindustanorHinduRajAmarRahe.DidtheseactivitiesnotcontributetoPartition,theblameforwhichtheynowlayatthedoorof
GandhjiandNehru?Thus,theyhavetoinventafalsehistoryinwhichtheycanpaintthemselvesasnationalistswhiledefamingthe
principalfreedomfighters.
IneednotexpandonthisthemebecauseallthesepointswerebroughtoutintheIndianHistoryCongressreportof2003,abookletof
130pages,offeringacritiqueofthepresentationofIndianhistoryintheNCERTstextbookscommissionedtopresenttheversionof
theHinduRight.
Whenfacedwiththeproofthattheirnarrativeisabsurd,theRSSanditsfollowersclaimthatallhistoryhasbeendominatedby
Leftists,anditisthusthatIndiaisnotbeingrecognisedasthehomeoftheAryans,etc.,etc.!Letthem,however,spotaLeftistamong
R.C.Majumdar,TaraChand,IshwariPrasad,N.K.Sinha,D.C.SircarandB.N.Mukherjee,totakeafewgreatnamesfromamong
historians,who,despitetheirowndifferentwaysofinterpretinghistory,yieldlittlegroundfortheRSStohoistitsbhagwaflagon.
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