[Reader-list] Understanding history for communal harmony

[Pawan Durani]

Thank you Yousaf,

I have been to kamakhya temple and since I had heard the history of the
temple from few locals and the priests [ Almost all are from UP settled
since centuries ] , i was shocked to read an article where it was referred
that Kamakhya temple was given as a Jagir.

No doubt there are some writers like Ms Chakraborty , which are found almost
everywhere in India , who try to alter the history by repeated distortion of
facts.

I am surprised that Aurangzeb gave land to temples , as his hate for idol
worship needs no introduction . The websites you have referred may not be
taken as a right source.

Thank you once again.

Regards

Pawan Durani
Mumbai, India




On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 6:18 PM, Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear Pawan
> I didn't find any specific detail about the Kamakhya temple, but there are
> many references about Mughal rulers (such as Aurangzeb) granting land for
> temples. You may look at some of these refs:
>
> http://www.iosworld.org/ebk7.htm
> http://www.milligazette.com/Archives/15102002/1510200212.htm
> http://nation.ittefaq.com/issues/2008/06/03/news0405.htm
>
> Yousuf
>
>
> --- On Wed, 1/7/09, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> > From: Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com>
> > Subject: Re: [Reader-list] Understanding history for communal harmony
> > To: ysaeed7 at yahoo.com
> > Cc: "sarai list" <reader-list at sarai.net>
> > Date: Wednesday, January 7, 2009, 3:19 PM
>  > Kamakhya temple in Guwahati given as a jagir is a news to me
> > . Can someone
> > please share more on this , if it is true.
> >
> > Pawan
> >
> > On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 2:46 PM, Yousuf
> > <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:
> >
> > > Understanding medieval history for communal harmony
> > > CJ: Jayati Chakraborty
> > >
> > > Rulers' history is always a history of conflict.
> > The conflicts between
> > > Hindu and Muslim rulers in medieval period cannot be
> > seen as Hindu-Muslim
> > > religious conflict, as these were primarily power
> > conflicts. It was an
> > > administrative necessity.
> > >
> > > HISTORY EDUCATION has failed to deliver communal
> > harmony in India. This is
> > > because most of the history that we, as lay men, know
> > is nothing but
> > > distortion. The most unfortunate aspect is that we try
> > to understand history
> > > through religion. The entire history of the medieval
> > era i.e. the Muslim
> > > period, which is crucial in understanding the question
> > of Hindu Muslim
> > > unity, is basically rulers' history. And
> > rulers' history is always a history
> > > of conflict.
> > >
> > > For instance, we take the example of the battles
> > between Shivaji and
> > > Auangazeb, Akbar and Rana Pratap, Mahmud Ghazni's
> > destruction of the Somnath
> > > temple, Aurangazeb's destruction of Hindu temples
> > etc to forment communal
> > > disharmony. But we forget that these conflicts were
> > conflicts to acquire
> > > power. Rana Pratap's senapati or commander-in
> > –chief was a Muslim.
> > > Similarly, Akbar'a commander was a Rajput. It is
> > true that Aurangazeb
> > > destroyed a number of Hindu temples but what we do not
> > know is that many of
> > > the Hindu temples (the Kamakya temple at Guwahati)
> > were given as Jagir. In
> > > medieval times the Parmar rulers of Gujarat destroyed
> > many Jain temples.
> > > Before the plunder at Somnath, Mahmud of Ghazni
> > conquered Multan and
> > > destroyed many masjids or Muslim places of worship as
> > well.
> > >
> > > The Muslim rulers of India had no fixed law of
> > succession. So war of
> > > succession was a common feature during this period.
> > Aurangazeb killed all
> > > his brothers and even imprisoned his father in order
> > to ascend to the throne
> > > of Delhi. While he re-imposed the Jizya tax on
> > non-Muslims, recent
> > > researches have shown that the largest number of Hindu
> > Mansabdars existed
> > > during Aurangazeb's reign.
> > >
> > > If we closely analyse the history of the sultanate
> > period, we find that
> > > kings of this period always tried to restrict Ulema
> > intervention in
> > > administrative matters. Balban, Allauddin Khilji,
> > Muhammad bin Tughlaq
> > > clearly refused to take any advice from the Ulema (the
> > Islamic scholars),
> > > regarding administration. In the 1980s, when Indira
> > Gandhi sent troops to
> > > the Golden Temple, the commander was a Sikh, just to
> > send the message that
> > > this move was not because of disrespect for any
> > religion. It was an
> > > administrative necessity. Similarly, the conflicts
> > between Hindu and Muslim
> > > rulers cannot be seen as Hindu-Muslim religious
> > conflict, as these were
> > > primarily power conflicts.
> > >
> > > Textbooks, therefore, must stress more on the
> > people's history that is the
> > > composite culture that developed in the medieval
> > period. There are numerous
> > > instances of the Sufi and Bhakti saints like Sant
> > Kabir, Guru Nanak who
> > > tried to build communal harmony.
> > >
> > > Amir Khusrau was a well-known poet and musician who
> > had a deep love for the
> > > Brij language .It was he who introduced the sitar and
> > the quawali. It may be
> > > noted here that most of the ragas in quawali have been
> > taken from
> > > Hindusthani classical music. Dara Sikhoh was a great
> > Sanskrit scholar who
> > > translated the Upanishad in Persian and titled it
> > 'The Great Mystery'. In
> > > this book, he said, if after Koran, we imagine the
> > concept of one God, it is
> > > the Upanishad.
> > >
> > > The manuscript is available at the Azamgarh library.
> > One will be shocked to
> > > find that on the top right hand corner of the
> > manuscript is written 'Sri
> > > Ganesh Namah' with a picture of Lord Ganesha. And
> > the left hand corner
> > > contains an invocation to Allah. Such bonding needs to
> > be stressed in the
> > > textbooks.
> > >
> > > Communal harmony is necessary for our survival. Once
> > Mahesh Bhatt, the
> > > eminent film director asked a war veteran at Vietnam,
> > 'What was philosophy
> > > with which you fight war?' He answered, 'One
> > philosophy, save your brother.'
> > >
> > > This is true for Indians also. Either we all drown
> > together or we do not.
> > > We always try to analyse others and we see other's
> > faults. We do not analyse
> > > ourselves. True, Kasab, the terrorists accused in the
> > Mumbai attack, was a
> > > Pakistani but the person who opened the door was a
> > Hindusthani. Therefore,
> > > the ideology of secularism needs to be reiterated time
> > and again. We have to
> > > assert the secular fabric of our nation. Without this
> > we have no future.
> > >
> > > http://www.merinews.com/catFull.jsp?articleID=155365
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > _________________________________________
> > > reader-list: an open discussion list on media and the
> > city.
> > > Critiques & Collaborations
> > > To subscribe: send an email to
> > reader-list-request at sarai.net with
> > > subscribe in the subject header.
> > > To unsubscribe:
> > https://mail.sarai.net/mailman/listinfo/reader-list
> > > List archive:
> > <https://mail.sarai.net/pipermail/reader-list/>
>
>
>
>