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ONE NATION, TWO HISTORIES: PARADOXES OF HISTORIOGRAPHY IN INDIA
1
Author(s):
AMIT CHAUDHARY
Vol - 5, Issue- 5 ,
Page(s) : 329 - 331
(2014 )
DOI : https://doi.org/10.32804/CASIRJ
Abstract
In German Ideology, Marx defined ideology as a misunderstanding of history. The present-day communalism, which grounds itself upon a self-perceived victim status or a former ruling class, is one such ideology which is based upon a misunderstanding of history. This approach virtually divides the complex and overlapping social classes and groups into two blocs, neatly defined by religious identities. This approach, then, paradoxically becomes the basis of an “imagined community” , first defined as a religious community, and then, as a national community, to the exclusion of both authentic religious or national identities of the ‘other’.
- Benedict Anderson, Imagined Communities: Reflections on the Origin and Spread of Nationalism, New York, 1983.
- Raziuddin Aquil, Sufism, Culture, and Politics Afghans and Islam in Medieval North India, OUP, New Delhli, 2007, pp.143-144.
- I.H. Quraishi, Muslims Struggle for Freedom of Hind-Pakistan 1707-1947, vol. 4, p. 1-57. See also The Muslim community of the Indo-Pakistan subcontinent (610-1947), 2nd ed., Karachi, 1971.
- Rashiduddin Khan, “The Roots and Origins of Composite Culture in India”, ed. Radhey Mohan, Composite Culture and Indian Society, Problems and Prospects of Integration, New Delhi, 1984, p. 4.
- Op.cit., Muslims Struggle, vol. 4, p. 1-57.
- R.C. Majumdar, (ed.), History and Culture of the Indian People, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay, 1951. Indian history, since 1200A.D. is presented as a long story of oppression and humiliation of Hindus in foreign Muslim rule, British Raj, was civilised than Muslim rule, later the opposition to the British Raj came mainly from Hindus, and, finally, the national movement's momentum was disturbed due to pro Muslim approach towards Muslims by Gandhiji who, finally blamed for partition.
- Irfan Habib, History and interpretation Communalism and problems of historiography in India, http://www.sacw.net/India_History/IHabibCommunalHistory.html
- Ibid.
- Masood Ghaznavi, “Recent Muslim Historiography in South Asia: The Problem of Perspective.” Indian Economic and Social History Review XI, no. 2-3 (1974) p. 188 see for Pakistani historian Hafeez Malik’s interpretation of a verse written for Lahore in eleventh century.
- See chapter “Aurangzib and Indian Nationality” for the significance of his rule that contributed to the emergence of Indian nationalism according to Jadunath Sarkar, History of Aurangzib, 2nd ed. 5 vols. Bombay, reprint 1952.
- Kingsley Davis, Human Society, Delhi, reprint 1998, pp. 157-167. See also Georg Simmel, “The Sociology of Conflict”, American Journal of Sociology, vol. 9, 1904-05, pp.490-525 for detailed discussion of ‘Associative and Dissociative Processes’ in any society.
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