[Reader-list] Understanding history for communal harmony

[Pawan Durani]

Dear Yosaf ,

Please do find more information about Kamakhya Temple. Atleast 'finding' an
information is better than 'inventing' it.

Rgds

Pawan

On Thu, Jan 8, 2009 at 10:28 AM, Yousuf <ysaeed7 at yahoo.com> wrote:

>   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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