08 February 2013, 06:25 PM IST
At Plassey on June 23, 1757, Mir Jafar did not betray his nawab, Siraj ud-Daulah, but instead fooled Robert Clive into believing that he would. Clive was defeated and beat a hasty retreat. Later, however, Mir Jafar realized that his nawab wasn't a good ruler, so he invited the British to establish a just government in Bengal and himself acted as their deputy. Jafar is still fondly remembered in Bengal as a hero.
In 1857, after defeating the British, Mughal Emperor Bahadur Shah Zafar decided to extend his empire up to Burma. He established his capital in Rangoon and lived there happily ever after with his queen Zeenat Mahal.
This is what our history books might teach us in future if people like Karnataka primary and secondary education minister Vishweswara Hegde Kageri have their way.While answering a question in the legislative council on Wednesday about distortion of facts in Class VIII textbooks, Kageri said it was time we instilled pride in our children by looking at historical episodes from the Indian perspective. He was referring to the invasion of Alexander the Great and the defeat of king Porus. Kageri said teaching children about the defeat of king Porus breeds an inferiority complex among them. He suggested that children be taught how Porus fought Alexander and drove him out of India. "The second narrative helps children swell with pride," Kageri said.
While the minister's statement reeks of his own ignorance, it also reflects the general lack of respect we have in India for history. Why is it that a period film or TV programme always starts with a disclaimer, seeking immunity from any controversy that might arise due to its doubtful authenticity? Why a panellist on a TV debate is asked to shut up when he gives a historical analogy? Why are copies of a book bringing out the human side (with all its follies and weaknesses) of a larger-than-life historical character burnt in protest? That is because we are not ready to accept history without colouring it to our liking. But have we always been like this?
Our history is replete with instances when a particular event or episode was given a spin to suit the emotional needs of the population. A mediaeval Indian bard, Chand Bardai, had written an eulogy of his master, Prithviraj Chauhan, called Prithviraj Raso. In the poem, Bardai wrote about Muhammad of Ghor capturing the Chauhan ruler at the Second Battle of Tarain in 1192, taking him to Ghazni and blinding him there, and Prithviraj killing Ghori with an arrow—a fascinating story, but a story after all. Yet this version of "history" has had many takers. Maybe our forefathers were not at fault so much as we are. They were not exposed to multiple media of information like us. Then why is it that some of our filmmakers, comic book writers, politicians and other learned people still subscribe to this story?
The answer probably lies in the efforts of people like Kageri, who are more than convinced that teaching children a glorious form of history can make them more patriotic. And their efforts seem to be bearing fruit. A Class VIII student in my neighbourhood in Delhi believes Guru Gobind Singh killed Emperor Aurangzeb. He credits his mathematics teacher for this nugget of information. A second-year business studies student of Delhi University thinks Rani Lakshmibai was the only woman ruler of a kingdom in India; she has never heard of Raziya Sultan, Chand Bibi, Begum Samru, Rani Chennamma or Ahilyabai Holkar. An English honours student in Guwahati's Cotton College thinks history is a "feminine" subject meant for girls who like mugging up course matter. A commerce student from Mumbai thinks Chhatrapati Shivaji expanded the Maratha Empire from Attock to Cuttack.
The question now is: will these misconceptions about our country's past make these youngsters more patriotic?
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