The scars that 200 years of Western colonization left behind in India are many. One of those many scars is the loss of our history. Our educational system teaches the students about the Greeks, Romans, Holy Roman Empire and the British Empire. We learn about heroes from Alexander to Napoleon. The History we learn, that we know, is Euro-Centric. There is no doubt that the “Great Empires” of India- the Mauryas, Guptas and Mughals- have been covered in our history lessons, but an average student is clueless about large swathes of Indian History. We neglect to protect our history, and as a result, our identity. History shapes our thoughts, our beliefs. It is a sad reality, however, that we have lost our local history.
The colourful history that each place had, has been subsumed
by the Euro-centric History we have been taught. Be it the names of places and
the story of its origin or the bravery of our kings, all have been replaced
with the knowledge of West European History. Do not mistake my argument- I am
not arguing we should not know the history of Europe- but at the cost of not getting
to know our own history?
“Oh we do!” you might argue, since we learnt about the “Doctrine of Lapse” and the “Ryotwari system” and all that. These were in the Early 19th Century- just 200 years ago. Our History dates way back, to 1000s of years starting from the Indus Valley Civilization.
Forget Local Kings and Lords, we forget whole Empires: The
Maratha Empire, for example, at its greatest extent controlled Peshawar in the
West, Andaman and Bengal in the east, and Tamil Nadu in the south. We remain
painfully ignorant of its size and contribution to History. The most we learn
is Shivaji’s Bravery and efforts against Aurangzeb. That is a mere fragment of
the whole picture- there were many Martha Leaders, Administrators and Generals
that should be revered as Heroes of India. Films like “Bajirao Mastani” are
drawing attention to some of these Heroes- but the film overdramatizes the
contribution of Maratha Peshwa Bajirao I.
Coming to South India, we have ignored the immense
contribution the Chola Kingdom, which was once the most dominant forces in
South West Asia, controlling all places from the modern areas of Myanmar to the
islands of Malaysia and Indonesia. The empire even sent diplomats to China to
negotiate on their behalf. The influence of Indian Culture in our history is
limited to the Angkor Wat- while the contributions remain much, much more than
that. Take for example Bali- an Island in predominantly Muslim Indonesia-
almost 90% of the island practices Hinduism, and even deities like Hanuman and
Vishnu acquire Local characteristics. We remain unaware, ignorant even, of the
full extent of our contributions. Mere knowledge is not enough- if we are to
form our identity in 21st Century, we are to know our History
intimately.
Few know the Story of the Pandya Princes and Cheras who fought
against the ‘Chola yoke’ as they would characterise it. The Story and heroism
of Chera Kings like Ramavarma Kulasekharan- who ‘liberated’ Kerala from the Later
Chola Kingdom and eventually leading to its decline- is ignored and forgotten
by us.
But history is not only that of Kings and Empires, but also of our own Family History- Our family lineage is forgotten along with our wider History.
My argument is simple- if we are to preserve our History and
our Identity, it is essential that we know our History. If we are to tell our children the story of
our motherland, to remind them of how great our contributions were, knowing just
about the Mauryans, Guptas or the Mughals is certainly not enough. We must know
exactly where we fell short, and were we stood tall.
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Edited by: Theyjusivini S.
First Posted at Snsbl Thghts
First Posted at Snsbl Thghts
You have precisely identified the need to protect our identity by cherishing our inherent history. But is this not because of the change in perception especially in the minds of young generations to glorify western war heroes? And, can you suggest any tangible solutions to address this issue?
ReplyDeleteWell, what i suggest has been implemented in some form (in Kerala, Where Government and Aided School Students are taught of Local Kings to some extent), But he more comprehensive need is to Integrate history more in an Indian Context than European. Localizing History- where local Historians teach students of their own Local History is also Necessary.
DeleteFinally,= we need to know Modern history as well. Nothing, or little is taught of Modern Indian History. This is to change if we are to produce more capable citizens.
Nice Endeavour! Continue writing such thought provoking articles!
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