[Reader-list] Understanding history for communal harmony

Thu Jan 8 10:11:38 IST 2009

Dear Yousaf,

I would like to believe the temple priest were wrong or my information about
Kamakhya Temple , one of Shakti Peeth, is wrong if woud provide me with some
information in which explains how Kamakhya Temple was given a Jagir.

Till the time you do that , let us believe the priests who have been there
since centuries.

Regards

Pawan

On Wed, Jan 7, 2009 at 7:19 PM, Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:

> Dear Pawan
> Its interesting that you have accepted the history of the temple as told by
> the priest or the locals, but you find my references (and my forwarded
> essay) as "not the right sources". We all know what sort of twisted and
> amusing history is told by the tour-guides and locals around some of these
> historical monuments. Did you read some of those write-ups I referred to?
> Would you elaborate why you find them unacceptable? And what kind of history
> sources are acceptable to you.
>
> In any case, I am not saying that any information one finds on the internet
> or for that matter from the locals is trustworthy or not. There is no such
> thing as an absolute truth in history. All facts are interpretations. But
> those based on more concrete evidences should certainly have more weight.
> So, you may have heard only about Aurangzeb's hate for Hindu temples and
> idol-worship (which I'm not denying) because that's the interpretation you
> have been given by our education system. But that does not mean that that is
> the final truth.
>
> The historians are forever ready to improve/update their versions according
> to the newer facts and evidences available. For example, we have all heard
> the story about how Aurangzeb hated music, and when some musicians tried to
> protest his ban of music by taking a mock funeral procession of music,
> Aurangzeb is supposed to have said "good, bury the music in such a deep
> grave that it should not rise again". Now, very recently, a UK historian has
> proved that this story is bogus and was wrongly attributed by later
> (European) historians. Recent research has also shown that if there is any
> era in India's history when the maximum amount of books (about 17) on the
> theory of Indian music were written (in Persian), it was during Aurangzeb's
> rule. But by this, I am not trying to portray only a positive picture of
> Aurangzeb. What I am hinting at is that because there are no final truths in
> history, we cannot and should not make any judgment or evaluation for
> today's
>  reality based on what we read in history.
>
> 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, 6:26 PM
>  > 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
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
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