Thread by @Kal_Chiron

I have been wondering the purpose History and if it is important to study history at all. This thought has been long brooding in my mind. It started with one of my many interactions with Shri. Parag Tope ji (Operation Red Lotus : 1857 - A must read book by every Hindu) decade ago

Topic started with his take on Baizabai Shinde and her role in 1857 war of independence. Goes to role of house of Amber (Kachwaha) and their role in Hindu history. So on and so forth.

The recent foolishness of one comment in the court by one of the judges about descendants of Shri Raama etc made it fresh in my mind.

It has to do with Rajiv Malhotra's term "History centricism". Indian religions aren't history centric while Abrahmic religions are dominantly so

Problem is In India where memories run deep, some past mis-action by some group is always used to build a case against them

eg. Holkar screwed up on Panipat (Whole Najib affair) is a fact. Now Holkar is also Dhangar hero. So one who criticizes Holkar, earns wrath of Dhangars

This is just an example. Pure history was always kept among “classes”. We called them brahmins-kshatriyas - but mostly brahmins. And not all brahmins. Those who were associated with some royal court/archive or some gurukul.

Now does this mean that public should be kept ignorant? No.

Should they be taught of history so that they don’t repeat mistakes? Yes

Do we need to teach them history as it is? Are events important or are the lessons important? Lessons in my opinion.

So - a romanticized history that comes through folklore for memory (which is polished and good where rough edges are rounded).

A construct like panchatantra where fox lion and hyena had a battle and a fox made deal with hyena calling him a “manasputra” thereby leading to defeat

Now Ahilyabai was a great hero. She did monumental job at temple revival etc

But most of that work was done by evading taxes (many letters by Madhavrao available which threatens her to pay up or else...)

We know her temple rebuilding is monumental work for Hindu civilization

But those us who have read history also know how finances were a problem for Marathas till the very end. If finances were good and they had enough resources (which is doable in a very rich country like India if people do not evade taxes), Marathas wouldn’t have folded so easily.

So is temple-building more important or paying up taxes regularly to a Hindu state so that they can do warfare and liberate India (more of it and more efficiently) more important?

Heck. My own ancestors evaded taxes by building Ram temples here and there because Raghuji Bhosale of Nagpur was a Rambhakt and would let the money spent on Ram temples go. So that was the loophole extracted by his subordinates (like my ancestors) to keep larger chunk of wealth

So - karma is mysterious. It always comes to bite you. All of us contributed towards the downfall of Hindavi svarajya by our petty actions. Just as all of us contributed in some capacity to build it and liberate India.

Question is : is it necessary to teach all this to public? 😃

I am appreciating varNa-vyavasthaa more and more. I see the point. It is difficult (nay almost impossible) to implement it in these changed times. So not advocating it

But I begun seeing its point for past few years

There is a fascinating story of "past-birth" of Shivaji and Aurangzeb in "Chitnis Bakhar" written by Malharrao Chitnis (Son of Balaji Aavji - the secretary of Shivaji Maharaj)

It is a fascinating story which underlines how a "Hindu" views at its past and smooths the rough edges

In that story - in earlier birth, both Shivaji and Aurangzeb were devotees of Mahadeva and were doing tapasyaa in some cave in Himalaya.

Mahadev got pleased and told them to ask for any boon. If my memory serves me correctly, A'zeb asked for power and Shivaji asked for dharma

So since the yuga that was to come was of Mlechha ascendancy, A'zeb was born in Mlechha kula while Shivaji was born in dharmik clan.

Aurangzeb got power and Shivaji got to establish dharma on this earth - thus boon given to both by Shankara fructified.

I find this backstory very fascinating and very Hindu in character.

If left alone, it will smoothen all the rough edges of memory that Hindus have for Muslim atrocities. This is written when Muslims were defeated conclusively and Hindus emerged victorious after 27 year war.

So actual physical defeat was ensured. There would be little threat from Muslims regaining the ascendancy in India after Marathas emerged victorious and Bajirao stormed North India. So it was done and dusted.

But unlike accounts of Khafi Khan and other contemporary Muslim sources (& Xian sources), Hindu chronicles "did not rub it in".

There is a profound wisdom in Hindu Historiography - and it is used by Indologists to criticize Hindus : That Hindus do not maintain historical records

The first real "Hindu historical record" that passes the test of modern Indologists is Kalhana's RaajatarangiNi.

Before that Deepavamsha and Mahaavamsha are Buddhist historical records during Ashoka's time which pass Indological test.

No "aastika" record before Kalhana. I am proud of this wisdom by Aastikas.

Records like these (which pass modern Indological or Historiographical tests as "authentic history") sets the narrative in stone. It cannot be altered by anyone without perpetual misgivings.

It works in west where society is already broken and state has assumed the role of God (no family, clan, caste etc is strong enough to be an alternate support system for individual)

In India, caste-clan-family is very much alive and thriving. It is anathema to Indian setting.

It is not that Hindus (or aastikas) did not know how to keep historical records.

But they were wise enough not to make it publicly available (in all its grey shades) and make the narrative set in stone.

Instead they created stories like Panchatantra, Hitopadesha, Vikram-vetala etc to pass on important historical lessons that MUST be passed on to generations and masses.

Finer details - are irrelevant for real purpose.

The real purpose is - sustenance of "dharma".

Shri Raam....