India and its History
Indian history, like the country, has a vast amount of rich legacy associated with it from the ancient to the modern era. However, the history we read since as a kid about this country was not adequately presented due to several circumstances. Many important events have ended up in just 1-2 lines as a footnote or mention, and lots of “Myths” are also being created in this process.
Key Events
This can be first elaborated with an example by taking the context of Pramod Kapoor. In 2022, perhaps he was one of the first Indian writers to publish a book about the 1946 navy mutiny. An event that past Indian historians and the history textbooks are heavily ignoring. The event single-handedly made the British realize their days in this country were over, and they couldn’t rule. In his book, he reflected on how people across all religions during that time have come together when there is an air of communal atmosphere.
This is perhaps the first time an author brought out such an important event with such facts in a detailed way. In this process, one of the fabulous works Historian Mr. Kapoor has done, bringing equality to Indian independence contribution by bringing out light on the most important event which was heavily reduced to a footnote or just passed off as mentioned in the Indian textbooks for years.
J Sai Deepak has played a prominent role in bringing some of the essential factors of history that were previously either not mentioned or reduced to a “Myth” as a historian. One of the “Myths” he busted in his book “India that is Bharat” is that a false belief was made by the English historians that India as a nation was not a thing before 1857. He presented that India had a long history of civilization indemnity way before European colonizers made their way.
The Myth that he busted is an essential part as many people, including the famous Bollywood actor Saif Ali Khan, also had this myth projected on his mind as he in 2020 said that the term India had a zero concept till the British came, so when a famous actor who has a degree from Winchester College in UK hold this belief, it can be assumed that an average Indian also has this concept predominately revolving around their mind, especially when Indians tend to project a belief or decision of celebrity into their lifestyle.
So, this concept needs to be abolished permanently. The Indians should know that the British are not someone who has given them the Indian identity as a gift, but perhaps it is their own identity, which they gained several years before the East Indian Company made its way into the country. J Sai Deepak’s contribution can be heavily applauded and can undoubtedly help the Indians get over their colonial hangover mindset.
Vikram Sampath is another prominent modern historian from the south portion of India, like J Sai Deepak, who belongs to the Karnataka District. He has published various articles and attended multiple seminars to reflect the true history of India. He specifically stated in one of the articles that Indian history has always come from the invader’s perspectives, and that is the reason why in the history textbook, there are battles and invasions that we kept losing with providing a little emphasis on the battles where India come out as a winner.
He also reflected on how Indian history was always heavily Delhi-dominated, with less focus on the Cholas Rashrtakut Vijayanagar or Chalukyas, some of the prominent Indian kingdoms with rich histories and heritage.
Last but not least, besides them are many more prominent modern historians, like Anand Ranganathan, who are ensuring to bring out the true history of India. This is one of the crucial things, as Saradindu Banerjee, a renowned Bengali author, once said: A race with no history doesn’t have any existence. India undoubtedly has a history, but the way it is distorted indeed makes the race possess no history at all.
This is a solid stance, and every historian of India should bring out actual history, which has been reduced to footnotes, and debunk various myths in this context to make the race have a proper existence by contributing to the establishment of real history and making the young youths of India to have a deep respect to their tradition and culture and not just make them forever trapped on the web of the false history by the invader’s perspectives.
