Category: Competition Entries

26 Feb 2023 11:46

Joined:	23/09/2015
Level:	Gold
Points:	63218

Points:	5

Are they reading the clear writing on the wall?

I liked to study history in my school days. I was extremely fortunate to get two very good teachers in school. In my home, my parents also encouraged reading beyond the syllabus. So, I used to study history books quite a lot.

While studying history, some odd questions came to my mind. Sometimes, I used to express these, sometimes I couldn't. For example, I used to ponder over the fact that we didn't study extensively about Kanishka, one of the greatest kings of India, and his very vast kingdom. I used to think about the great Chola rulers, the Pratihars of Gujarat and Central India and the great Kharvela who ruled from present-day Odisha. Once in school, when the teacher was teaching about the greatness of Akbar by mentioning that there had been some Hindus among the 'nine gems' of Akbar, I asked him point-blank : "What's the big deal about it? Weren't those Hindu courtiers eligible to become gems''? There were many such incidents.

I could not study history in higher classes. But the unanswered questions remained. Now, I feel elated that many young people are asking the same or similar questions. They, because of their love for correct history, are doing research on Battle of Gadarghatta, Battle of Bahraich or Battle of Samugarh and their impact on Indian history. Due to their research (many times, such research projects are informal but of very serious nature), we come to know about the splendour of the city of Humpi and how the invaders destroyed the city after Battle of Talikota. These young men and women are teaching us about the greatness of Chola kings, the beauty of Pallava architecture, the real story of Mopla (Mappilah) rebellion or the importance of Indian National Army and Naval Mutiny. These topics are not included in the History syllabus except for some passing references. These young history enthusiasts are stressing the need of reading history in proper perspective. They are forcing the historians and educationists to change the history syllabus to let the students know the truth of this great nation.

Are the old, fossilized historians of India with obsolete world-views reading the clear writing on the wall? I hope so. The writing clearly states that Indians want to read correct history in proper perspective. These historians must be reading this.

(Competition entry: "Reading")

#769884

26 Feb 2023 12:56

Joined:	10/12/2016
Level:	Diamond
Points:	109183

Points:	5

History is a great subject and we learn a lot of things from it. But that only happens when History is written correctly. By that what we mean is that the historians or scholars who write History should give equal weightage to the people and events of that time and should not highlight only a particular person or community during that time. Biased History records will be made when the historians writing them are themselves biased.
The worst part with the biased History is that the coming generations are misled by those narrations.
In our country also as we were under the rule of invaders for a long time our History also got distorted because the writers were also loyal to those rulers. It is obvious that our History only highlighted the rulers of that time.
At the same time it is also true that information in some form will be available and that can be incorporated in the History books and a correct presentation of the past is made.

Knowledge is power.

#769885

26 Feb 2023 13:32

Joined:	25/11/2014
Level:	Diamond
Points:	43292

Points:	4

History is a valuable subject in the sense that we get a lot of feedbacks of the great personalities including their great work affecting the people around them. Hence it is great treatise covering even the culture of the people living in a particular eras. It becomes more meaningful if the representation of the facts is not distorted by anyone in authority to provide a picture other than what was reality. There are instances that some changes were made in the texts at the instances of some rulers to give a twist in the earlier write ups. Sometimes the writers agreed to write according to the instructions of the administrators to please them. Hence very often we are misled with modifications taken up at the late stage.

#769890

26 Feb 2023 15:40

Joined:	02/06/2009
Level:	Diamond
Points:	145594

Points:	5

History is actually a way to know what happened in the past. History should be passed on to the next generation by the people of this generation through their writings. Here the person who is writing history should present the information in its correct way without changing the facts. But unfortunately many times the opposite will happen. Many people change the facts and present them as history. That is why today many people think that the history that we are teaching to our children through the syllabus books is not accurate.
This is very unfortunate and because of this improper presentation many facts will go into the dark and the next generation will never know the exact history. Why do they write like that? This is one question we all get when we hear that the facts are not presented properly. But where we can get the answer?
As mentioned by the author, there are many researchers who take up the work and try to find out the facts through the available information. But such information may not come out.

drrao
always confident

#769906

26 Feb 2023 22:45

Joined:	19/06/2011
Level:	Gold
Points:	87960

Points:	4

The author has smartly and relevantly used the keyword subject to express his opinion on a very relevant matter very lately understood by most people.
This rediscovered awareness spreading and permeating deeper into the ordinary hereto inert silent masses has started creating its impacts on the vested interests who do not want he Indian people( Bharat Praja) to be self confident and self pride in the country's great heritage and premium position which was destroyed by western occupants.
The world has now taken notice of the resurgent sentiments and self pride of Indian nationals and they have shyly and slowly started saying 'this is India's century" So some have really started reading the writings on the wall.

#769951

28 Feb 2023 11:35

Joined:	03/03/2011
Level:	Gold
Points:	10278

Points:	5

In a true sense, history implies a factual recording of the events that happened in the past associated with a particular region, period, personality, people, culture, lifestyle, etc., irrespective of good or bad, right, or wrong. Interpretation differs as per the individual, culture, religion, country, etc. Each country has its own history, civilization, art, and culture. So, India has as well. Indian history dated long back, we do not have much evidence-based history, (may be hidden/ruined), and this is not the platform to speak about ifs and buts. We were more civilized and knowledgeable in civic administration as per our contemporary history before the Moghuls and the British invasion of our country. The contemporary art and craft of our temples and monuments, which still exist, show that we were ahead of the other countries of the world. From the Indian perspective, we had not only missed out on historical events but also some personalities as well. The history of the Indian Freedom Struggle mostly highlighted Gandhi and Nehru, but the Iron Man, Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Subhash Chandra Bose, Lal Bahadur Shastri and so many on the list have been minimized in terms of their contributions. In addition, we have great leaders like Abdul Kalam, Kamaraj, Sarvapalli Radhakrishnan, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, Baba Amte, Sam Manekshaw, J.R.D.Tata, and so on after independence to be added to our history.

It is imperative for our national leaders to showcase unbiased recordings of the events and great personalities of our ancient history and modern history, after independence clubbed together. The present and future generations would learn about our cultured civilization and how to avoid the mistakes their previous counterparts made from this rewritten history. This is up to the government, historians, and educationists to illustrate our Indianness and heritage.

Are they reading the clear writing on the wall?

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