[Reader-list] Understanding history for communal harmony

[Yousuf]

Dear Pawan
I am not asking you to stop believing in what the priests told you. That is their version of history. I am simply saying that let us not make evaluations about today's reality based on what we read in history.
I will surely share with you any information I find about Kamakhya temple.
Thanks

Yousuf


--- On Thu, 1/8/09, 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: Thursday, January 8, 2009, 10:11 AM

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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