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Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Jan 7

Mentions of hospitals in ancient, early medieval and medieval Bharat:

Let’s begin with Sushruta & Charaka Samhita which can be dated ages before supposed birth of Christ.

A) Surgical Hospitals:

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 19.3-4

“One suffering from wounds should be first taken to the surgical ward, and that ward should be built according to the rules of the architectural science. In a ward built thuswise, which is auspicious, clean and protected from the sun and the wind one is free from diseases—psychic or somatic or diseases caused by external factors”.
(…)
“The physician desiring to perform any of the surgical measures should keep in readiness beforehand the following appurtenances viz., appliances, instruments, caustic alkalies, fire, probes, horns, leeches, sucking gourd, Jambavaushtha, swabs, suturing thread, leaves, bandages, honey, ghee, fat, milk, oil, soothing lotions, ointment, paste, fan, cold and hot water, basin etc., and attendants who are affectionate, steadfast and strong”.

Carakasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 15.6:

“Here, therefore, we shall instruct in brief concerning several accessories. It is thus. The expert architect should first design a good house which is strong and is warding off the wind except on one side, affording comfortable moving space, not surrounded by high places, not penetrable to smoke, heat, moisture, dust and to undesirable noise, contact, taste, sights and odour and is furnished with a water-storage room, pharmacy room, latrine, bath room and kitchen”.

Carakasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 15.7:

“Those who are well-versed in singing, playing of musical instruments, panegyrics, verses, stories, legends, modern history, mythology, who are quick in understanding, who are of approved character who are versed in the knowledge of clime and season and who are good members of society”.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 3.261:

“The fever-patient afflicted with a sensation of burning should lie down at ease in a specially constructed water-cooled chamber or an apartment cooled by frequent spraying of ice-cold water or cold sandal-water”.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 4.103:

“Apartments with arrangement for shower bath, cold underground chambers, resort to pleasant woods cooled by moist breezes, the application of vessels inlaid with azure, pearls and precious stones made cool by putting cold water in them”.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 24.135:

“By the warmth of the bed and the cover and the warmth of happiness and cheer of the interior apartments, alcoholism of the Vata-type gets subdued effectively”.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna
24.158-159:

“The rumblings of thunder alleviate the effects of intoxication Various devices of showering water and blowing breezes, and rooms equipped with cascades, should be devised by the physician for the cure of burning due to alcoholism (The body should be painted) with perfumed cherry, cuscus grass, lodh, fragrant sticky mallow, fragrant poon, cinnamon leaves and nut-grass”.

B) Military Hospitals

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 34.12-14:

“In a big encampment just after the tent of the king, the physician should be kept present, fully equipped.
The persons afflicted with poison, darts and disease approach him there without making a mistake—him who stays there being singled out by his flag, fame and name.
The physician who is an adept in his own art and is conversant with other sciences, being honored by the king and experts, looks prominent like a flag.”

C) Mental Hospitals

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 9.83:

“Thus he may also be terrorised by means of snakes whose fangs have been removed, or by trained lions and elephants or by men dressed as bandits or foe-men with weapons in their hands”.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 9.81:

“Or having scourged him with light whips, he may be left well secured with ropes in solitary confinement. From such drastic measures, the disorientated mind of the man is restored to normality”

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 9.30:

“If the patient continues to behave in an irresponsible manner then he should be made soft by soft but strong bandages and put in a dark room free from metallic and wooden articles (lest he should harm himself with these).

D) Obstetric Hospitals

Carakasaṃhitā Śārīrasthāna 8.33:

“Before the commencement of the ninth month, the physician should get erected a lying-in room on a site free from bones, sands and broken bits of earthen vessels, in a soil which is excellent with regard to color, taste and savour, facing east or north, with the wood of bael, false mangosteen, putramjiva, marking nut, three leaved caper and catechu or with any other wood which the brahmans who are knowers of the Atharvaveda recommend. This should be well-built, well-plastered and well-furnished with doors and windows and in accordance with the principles of architecture, there should be arrangements for a fire-place, water-storage, pounding, lavatory, bath-room and kitchen, and it should be comfortable in that particular season”.

Carakasaṃhitā Śārīrasthāna 8.34:

“The following articles should be kept there ready to hand—ghee, honey, rock-salt, sanchal black and bid salts, embelia, costus, deodar, ginger, long pepper, the roots of long pepper, the elephant pepper, Indian penny wort, cardamoms, glory lily, sweet flag, piper chaba, white-flowered lead-wort, asafetida [asafoetida], rape seed, garlic, clearing nut, kana, kanika, cadamba, linseed, balvaja, birch, black gram and maireya and sura wines. Similarly, two grinding stones, two heavy pestles, two wooden mortars, an untamed bull two gold or silver cases for keeping sharp needles, sharp metallic instruments, two bed-steads made of bael wood and faggots of false mangosteens and zachum oil plants, for kindling fire. The female attendants should be numerous, being mothers of many children, sympathetic, constantly affectionate, of agreeable behaviour, resourceful, naturally kind-hearted, cheerful and tolerant of hardships. There should also be present Brahmanas who are knowers of the Atharvaveda. Whatever else is thought to be necessary should be kept, also whatever else the Brahmanas and old dames advise, should be carried out”.

Bhāvaprakāśa 2:

“The labour ward must be eight cubits long and four cubits broad and attractively built, with the entrance facing the east or the north. The patient should be attended by four women who are trustworthy, expert in obstetrics, well disposed, aged and who have clipped their finger-nails close”.

Carakasaṃhitā Śārīrasthāna 8.51:

“We shall now describe the procedure with regard to the construction of the nursery. A skilful architect should build and furnish the nursery. It should be excellent, beautiful, well-lighted, sheltered from draught, admitting of air from only one direction, strong, free from such pests as marauding beasts, animals, fanged creatures, mice and moths, well-planned as regards the places of water-storage, grinding, lavatory, bath and cooking, comfortable during all seasons, and provided with beds, seats and spreads suited to each season. Moreover the rites connected with protecting the house from the influence of evil spirits as also those with propitiatory, auspicious, sacrificial and penitential offerings should be performed and the house should be filled with clean and experienced physicians and with those attached to the family. Thus has been described the procedure with regard to the construction of the nursery”.

E) We also have references for (svedanagṛha) or sudatoriums and health-homes. Let’s look at them.

Carakasaṃhitā Cikitsāsthāna 1, 1/17-20:

“We shall set down the procedure regarding the immure meat therapy. In an area resided in by princes, physicians, the twice-born communities, saintly men and men of virtuous deeds, free from alarm, salubrious, close to a city, where the necessary appurtenances may be had, one should, having selected a good site, cause a retreat to be built with its face towards either the east or the north. It should be of the following description—high roofed and commodius; built in three concentric courts, furnished with narrow ventilator; thick walled; congenial in all weathers; well lighted; pleasing to the mind; proof against noises and other disturbing agents, untenanted by women, equipped with all the requisite appurtenaces [appurtenances?], and having physicians, medicines and Brahmanas ready at call”.

These descriptions clearly tell us that there was meticulous process to chose site for hospital. It was supposed to be one which would give protection from excessive wind, irritating noise, and dust, and uncomfortable light. Something that we too practice as modern architects while choosing site for hospitals.

The hospitals were constructed under the supervision of expert architects and structural engineers (vāstuvidyā-viśārada—vāstuvidyāviśāradāḥ) who were perfect at the arranging and creating zoning (sthānavibhāga-vida).

The hospitals were built keeping context in considerations specially, climate. They were climate responsive enough to counter both summer and winters. The passive technology was very much in use.

There were special provisions and space planning for toilets and bathrooms which ducting facilities.

F) The emphasis was laid on high standard of cleanliness and hygiene which becomes clear from below:

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 19.4, 23:

“In a ward built thuswise, which is auspicious, clean and protected from the sun and the wind, one is free from diseases—psychic or somatic or diseases caused by external factors.
The patient should be always clean, with close clipped finger nails, wearing white raiment and devoted to the auspicious rites of Shanti and Mangala and to honoring the gods, the Brahmanas and elders”.

G) The hospitals were well equipped with various devices and instruments (mentioned in snippets).

Some departments had certain branches, like purgatoriums which were frequented by healthy persons also thrice a year to undergo the course of purgative, revirilification and rejuvenation as mentioned below:

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 1.24:

“Therein (in the retreat constructed) being cleansed with the purificatory measures and on having regained his happiness and normal strength, he should undergo the vitalization procedure. We shall first describe the cleansing procedure”

H) The below mentions talk of interior design and facilities within room(ward):

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 19.5-7:

“The ward must be equipped with beds that are free from discomfort and well spread with a cloth and with its head towards the east, and with instruments kept ready. The surgical patient feels comfortable in his movements if the bed is well made and spread with a cloth. The gods have their dwelling in the east and hence his head should lie towards the east as a sign of obeisance. There he should lie freely attended by friends who are amiable and pleasant-spoken”.

Clothes in hospitals:

Suśrutasaṃhitā Sūtrasthāna 19.23:

“The patient should be always clean, with close-clipped finger nails, wearing white raiment and devoted to the auspicious rites of Santi and Mangala, and to honoring the gods, the Brahmanas and the elders”.

Read 7 tweets

Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Oct 14, 2023

https://twitter.com/rons1212/status/1712971712542003595

Let’s be more precise. Durga Puja(o) is all about Hinduism.

She was created by Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh for slaying an Adharmik Mahishasur.

Each weapon she holds was given by Devatas.

“Puja (o)” itself is Hindu way only. It happens in case for Durga by doing Pran-Pratishtha & envoking Devi.

And it’s not just about Bengalis.

Durga Puja is done with complete dedication across Bharat. Our Shaktipeethas which form the Map of Bharat are one of the biggest signifier of our civilisation. That too it has connection with last hymn of Rigveda.

But again it’s too much too expect from you to understand these deep notions @rons1212

https://twitter.com/rons1212/status/1712971712542003595

One of the earliest archaeological evidence of Durga Pujo comes as inscription in Dadhimati Mata Mandir which is located between the villages of Goth and Manglod in the Jayal tehsil of Nagaur district in Rajasthan, India.

The inscription read figments of Devi Mahamatya dated to 608 CE.

Someone please tell @rons1212 that “Devi Mahamatya”. This is the central text which is recited even in Bengal during Durga Puja (o).

One of the oldest art work depicting scenes from “Devi Mahatmyam” is found in the Mandir of Aihole @rons1212 , not Bengal.

Where is it located? Down in the south. Bagalkot.

So text of Durga Puja has presence in West and South.

Devi & her worship ties Bharat.

Read 4 tweets

Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Oct 1, 2023

A thread on some voices of Muslim leadership in pre-independent Bharat (Source: Pakistan or Partition of India, Dr BR Ambedkar)

1) Dr Saifuddin Kitchlew’s warning go Hindus in 1925:

“Listen, my dear Hindu brothers,
listen very attentively ! If you put obstacles in the path of our Tanzim movement, and do not give us our rights, we shall make common cause with Afghanistan or some other Musalman power and establish our rule in this country.”

He was the founding Member of Jamia Milia Islamia, and would be actively involved in Indian politics post independence too.

2) Maulana Azad Sobhani said in 1939:

“Our big fight is with the 22 crores of our Hindu enemies, who constitute the majority. Only 4½ crores of Englishmen have practically swallowed the whole
world by becoming powerful. And if these 22 crores of Hindus who are equally advanced in learning, intelligence and wealth as in numbers, if they become powerful, then these Hindus will swallow Muslim India and gradually even Egypt, Turkey, Kabul, Mecca, Medina and other Muslim principalities, like Yajuj-Majuj (it is so mentioned in Koran that before the destruction of the world, they will appear on the earth and will devour whatever they will find).”

“The English are gradually becoming weak....... they will go away from India in the near future. So if we do not fight the greatest enemies of Islam, the Hindus, from now on and make
them weak, then they will not only establish Ramrajya in India but also gradually spread all over the world. It depends on the 9 crores of Indian Muslims either to strengthen or to weaken them (the Hindus). So it is the essential duty of every devout Muslim
to fight on by joining the Muslim League so that the Hindus may
not be established here and a Muslim rule may be established in India as soon as the English depart.”

“Though the English are the enemies of the Muslims, yet for the present our fight is not with the English. At first we have to come to some understanding with the Hindus through the Muslim
League. Then we shall be easily able to drive out the Engilsh and establish Muslim rule in India.”

“Be careful! Don’t fall into the trap of Congress Maulvis; because the Muslim world is never safe in the hands of 22 crores of Hindu enemies.”

An excerpt from summary of his speech made by corespondent of Anand Bazar Patrika (whole summary in snippet):

“He was again thinking that before India became independent some sort of understanding had to be arrived at with Otherwise, the Hindus, who had been the slaves of the Muslims for 700 years, would ensalve the Muslims.”

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Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Sep 16, 2023

https://twitter.com/quizzicalguy/status/1702388451621085604

#SadarPranam to Ishvara within you @quizzicalguy ji.

Yet again, in your over excited state to demean “Bharat” you have critiqued #G20Bharat2023 booklet with so many non-factual points.

In this thread I point them out and you may respond should you have enough substance.

1) Manimugdha ji, you say, ‘This document opens with PM Modi’s statement in which he says that the country has “the distinction of being named as ‘Mother of Democracy’”. Who named it so? The current regime. Nobody else calls India the “mother of democracy”. If at all there is one, then it is ancient Greece.’

Truth—

It was in 1930 that the great American Historian, Will Durant writes as below in “The Case For India” (1930):

“India was the motherland of our race, and Sanskrit the mother of Europe's languages: she was the mother of our philosophy; mother, through the Arabs, of much of our mathematics; mother, through the Buddha, of the ideals embodied in Christianity; mother, through the village community, of self-government and #democracy. Mother India is in many ways the mother of us all.” (Refer page-4).

So irrespective of historical substance behind the claim it was spoken around 9 decades ago by a non-Indian of way larger scholarly stratus than you and me.

Which means your claim is wrong that no one said so in earlier times.

Then you call Ancient Greece to be “mother of Democracy” but refuge to see Bharat as one even though the historical analysis shows that you are wrong. Read on 👇🏾

—————————————————-

As per popular narrative, Greek (more precisely, Athenian Democracy) was the first form of direct democracy.

The latest available records say that it came under Cleisthenes around 2.528 kya (thousand years ago) in Athens.

People refer to him as “the father of Athenian democracy.”

Let’s look at it. Btw have you ever read Aristotle, @quizzicalguy ?

If I refer to Aristotle’s book VI, it is found that the Athenian Democracy had the feature to randomly select ordinary citizens to fill the few existing government administrative and judicial offices. The legislative assembly consisting of all Athenian citizens too existed. We are also told that all the eligible citizens were allowed to speak and vote in the assembly that had the role to set laws of the city-state.

But there lies a problem. Let’s see it.

You know @quizzicalguy , It is important to clarify exactly who were the “Athenian citizens”?

The citizenship didn’t include women, slaves, foreigners, and youths below the age of military service. While all the brackets are perfect but their leaving away women and slaves gives an absolute notion of how the “democracy” of Athens insured non-democratic nature of itself.

Athenian men believed that women were less intelligent than men and therefore, similar to barbarians and slaves of the time. They were seen incapable of effectively participating and contributing to public discourse on political issues and affairs.

Perhaps that was the reason that when Greeks came in contact with Indians they were surprised to see the non-discriminatory form of democracy in and around the period of Alexander.

Arrian writes in Indika about India in the period of Alexander that:

“The Indians do not even use aliens as slaves, much less a countryman of their own.”

Diodorus who is said to have visited India, around two centuries after Alexander talks that a high-level democracy of Indians existed which was peculiar to the Greeks. He too saw the difference of non-existent slavery.
And of course, women had a very respectable position in society in that period and earlier. The literature proves this case quite aptly.

The 37th sarg of Ayodhya Kand (Ramayan), tells us that Sita was asked to sit on the throne by Vashistha in absence of Shri Ram. Even if one wants to reject this as mythology (although it is considered as Itihasa for Bhartiya Civilisation), the case is clear that for all practical purposes women saw a respectable position in the society.

https://twitter.com/quizzicalguy/status/1702388451621085604

In the same period when Athenian Democracy saw females as barbarians, Queen Mṛgāvatī of the Vatsa Mahajanapada ( oligarchic republics) ruled as proxy while her son Udayana was held captive by a rival king. And she was very well respected in society.

While there were sanctions against the participation of women in the Athenian Democracy & deprivation of rights, Āpastamba Sutra (probably conceived in the same period) in Bharat says the following for females:

“A man is not allowed to abandon his wife (A 1.28.19).”

“He permits daughters to inherit (A 2.14.4).”

“There can be no division of property between a husband and a wife because they are linked inextricably together and have joint custody of the property (A 2.29.3).”

“Thus, a wife may make gifts and use the family wealth on her own when her husband is away (A 2.12.16–20).”

“Women are upholders of traditional lore, and Āpastamba tells his audience that they should learn some customs from women (A 2.15.9; 2.29.11).”

It becomes clear from the above argument that not only democracy (Diodorus 2.39) existed in India in the period of the Athenian Democracy, but women had a very respectable position (unlike Athens where they were not considered even Athenian) and slavery remained an alien concept.

Now before dwelling deep into the Indic idea of democracy, let us first see what the latest researches have to say about proto-democracies.

Proto-Democracies
————————
We have pieces of evidence of “governing by assembly” in ancient Phoenicians. One such piece of evidence is the story of an Egyptian trader who travelled north to the Phoenician around 3.1 kya. The trader had got stuck in some problem and the king had got matter settled by hearing in an assembly.

According to Thorkild Jacobsen, a form of “Primitive Democracy” existed in pre-Babylonian Mesopotamia.

But many scholars have denied recognising it as democracy. They see the case of Mesopotamia as a struggle where common men appear more like pawns than sovereign authority.

One such scholar is Bailkey who says that the period of Gilgamesh etc, reflects a power struggle between primitive monarchy and noblemen.

Then we find the important case of Sparta. It rose around 2.7 kya which showed the trait of the oligarchy but still, slavery existed and slaves were not part of democracy. Unlike Athens, women enjoyed a respectable position in society and one can say that this was the only place in the west around that era that had no discriminatory acts against females. We also have the case of Rome. A form of democracy existed here too around 2.52 kya. But again citizenship and hence legislative rights were only limited to the free Romans. Slaves were considered as a commodity and after being free, the rights did not come to them.

Let’s see further to see the case of India as the first land to see “democracy”

“THOU, mighty Agni, gatherest up all that is precious for thy friend.
Bring us all treasures as thou art enkindled in libation's place
Assemble, speak together: let your minds be all of one accord,
As ancient Gods unanimous sit down to their appointed share.
The place is common, common the assembly, common the mind, so be their thought united.
A common purpose do I lay before you, and worship with your general oblation.
One and the same bt your resolve, and be your minds of one accord.
United be the thoughts of all that all may happily agree.”

—Rig Veda (10.191.1-4)

It was sung at beginning of the Republican Assembly in ancient India).

This is also the evidence for accepting vaidik traditions & accepting non-Vaidik gods in the pantheon. It was now like an agreement of accepting Vaidik traditions pan India as common thread or the bond of civilisational glue.

The arguments I gave in the above sections show us that there was no solidified form of democracy anywhere on earth before 3-2.5 kya.

So, of all the empirical shreds of evidence, one of the strongest among all is the excavations that happened recently in Rakhigarhi. The team led by Dr Shinde discovered the footprints of “panchayat” at this site which dates back to 5.0-5.5 kya. Is it not strong enough evidence to start talking of India as being the mother of “democracy”?

Perhaps, it might not be convincing enough so let us look at more textual evidence.

As a starter, it would be good to give an overview of few important definitions.

A) Democracy: It is a form of government in which the people have the authority to deliberate and decide legislation (direct democracy) or to choose governing officials to do so (representative democracy).

B) Republic: It is a form of government in which “power is held by the people and their elected representatives”.

C) Gana-Sangha: The word Gana, in general, refers to any association of men formed for the attainment of the same aims. The word sangha in means association, assembly, company, or community. In general Gana-Sangha or Gana-Rajya translates to, “(rule by) tribal assembly.”

While the first two words don’t find origin anytime before 2.5 kya, the third word Gana-Sangh/ Gana-Rajya finds the existence with the same meaning in the oldest extant Indo-European text, Rig Veda (3.26.6).

If I refer to the works of Shrikant Talageri (not refuted by anyone) and try to merge them with the recent genetic discoveries of Rakhigarhi, “out of India migration” becomes an evident theory and we find that those who came to be known as Greeks too have ancestral roots in the northern belt of India. << @quizzicalguy before you cancel him, dare to refute his books >>.

It means that if the idea of Gana-Sangha was existing in Rig Veda, the idea must have travelled with the migrating tribes.

People must have one thing clear in mind that what we see as the geographic boundary of Bharat today was not the same millennia ago. Even Al-Tabari saw extent of “Hind” till Persia (refer his book 4).

The existence of a 5.5 kya old “panchayat” block in Rakhigarhi further reinforces the claim that the idea of democracy was certainly brewing here and we currently do not have any evidence to nullify this claim.

Now let us look at more textual evidence for “Gana-Sangha”.

Pāṇini talks of the concept as, “Sanghoddhau gaṇa praśansayo.”

We find, Bhishma explaining the policies of the Ganas in Shanti Parva of Mahabharat. The great Sangam literature and Silapathikaram talk about the Ganas. The Buddhist literature Mahabagga mentions an officer tracking the number of ganas and their koram in the Rajasabha. The Buddhist texts like Pali-pitaka, Majjhamnikaya, Mahabagga, Avadana Shataka talk extensively about Ganas and Sanghas.

Records state that we had more than a hundred Gana-Sanghas existing in the time when Buddha lived.

As per the Kalchakra traditions, he lived at least 2.9-3.0 kya. It goes way before Mesopotamia’s proto-democracy too. Back then, early democratic republics were known as Gaṇa-rājyas, which meant “rule of the assembly”.

Do we find this term any different from “demo-kratia”?

If we again go back to Rig Veda, we find mention of words like Sabha (big assembly of people), Samiti (smaller gathering of people) & Rajan (leader).

The Rig Veda (10.173) also tells us that the Rajan was elected member and chosen by the representative of the people in Samiti.

According to the Atharva veda, 3.5.6-7, the Rajan was elected by seven representatives of people known as rājakṛtaḥ (the kingmakers).

They were representatives of fishermen, chariot-makers, black-smiths, intelligentsia, the kings of other states, charioteers and the village headmen.

According to Atharva veda, 6.88.3, Samiti had the right to dethrone the Rajan.

Read 4 tweets

Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Sep 4, 2023

https://twitter.com/udhaystalin/status/1698012167994589221

#SadarPranam to Ishvara within you @Udhaystalin !

It is indeed a lack of understanding, influence of non-educated that you go overboard to call Sanstan Dharm as “Malaria”.

In this thread I show how Sanatan Dharm is root of Tamil identity, and likes of EVR were actually anti-Dalit, anti-women.

Prove me wrong should you have enough substance.

To begin with let’s talk of you, as in the “Stalin” clan. Where do you get this name from?

Your father was named after “Joseph Stalin” because he was born just four days after former died in 1953.

What an irony? Do you know why I say so? Because you are a proud Christian by your own assertion, but truth remains Jose h Stalin was one of the biggest persecutor of Christians.

Let’s look at a few details. Stalin led the state which had “State Atheism” as policy. How can we forget the emergence of “Militant Atheism” which targeted the Churches and converted them to Museums. According to Stalin’s policy one couldn’t support church or say a word against Atheism.

Dear Mr Stalin, isn’t it interesting that you are a proud Christian who has a name coming from his father named after one of the greatest persecutor of Christians.

As one of the many examples I attack image (image-1) of Demolition of the “Cathedral of Christ the Saviour in Moscow” on the orders of Joseph Stalin, December 5, 1931.

Joseph Stalin had begun to held office in November of 1917. Remember it’s same year and month when the Russian Civil War had begun and continued till 1923. The civil war led to killing of 322 bishops & priests. Analytical scholars though state that the estimate of 332 clergy and monastics killed by 1921 may have been an underestimate, due to the fact that 579 monasteries/convents had been liquidated during this period and there were widespread mass executions of monks/nuns during these liquidations.

Source: 1)“Lenin: A Revolutionary Life” by Christopher Read

2) A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory, and Practice, and the Believer, vol 2: Soviet Antireligious Campaigns and Persecutions” by Dimitry V. Pospielovsky, page 15

Let’s hear more about Christian Persecution in age of Stalin.

When the terror of Red Army was high, you in know @Udhaystalin what church in Russia said? It said as below:

“It is better to shed one's blood and to be awarded martyr's crown than to let the enemies desecrate Orthodox faith.”

Source:, “Freedom of Conscience in the USSR” by A Barmenkov

And our dear Udhay, holds a name Stalin against whom churches urged to shed blood. And the churches were continually being destroyed.

What gets very interesting is; for this purpose atheistic work was centrally consolidated underneath the Agitation and Propaganda Department of the CP Central Committee (Agitprop) in 1920 using the guidelines of article 13 of the Russian Communist Party (RCP) adopted by the 8th party congress.

Article 13 read as below:

“As far as religion is concerned, the RCP will not be satisfied by the decreed separation of Church and State... The Party aims at the complete destruction of links between the exploiting classes and... religious propaganda, while assisting the actual liberation of the working masses from religious prejudices and organizing the broadest possible education-enlightening and anti-religious propaganda. At the same time it is necessary carefully to avoid any insult to the believers' feelings, which would lead to the hardening of religious fanaticism.”

Source: A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory, and Practice, and the Believer, vol 2: Soviet Antireligious Campaigns and Persecutions” by Dimitry V. Pospielovsky, page 28

In this case Christianity was specifically the target. Joseph Stalin wanted to erase “Christianity” while “Udhay Stalin” wants to destroy Sanatan Dharm and be a proud Christian. What an irony?

But was this all? Read on!

https://twitter.com/udhaystalin/status/1698012167994589221

When the leaders of church demanded “freedom of religion” under the constitution, the Bolsheviks didn’t shy off to act. They executed 28 bishops and 6,775 priests.

Source:

Between 1917–1935, 130,000 Russian Orthodox priests were arrested; our of which 95,000 were put to death through execution by the firing squad.

Source: “Church Schism & Corruption” by Lulu. com

By 1930s Joseph Stalin was already very powerful & that’s when churches began to suffer the most. Many of the Orthodox Church members were killed or sent to labor camps. Amid 1927—1940, the number of Orthodox churches in the Russian Republic reduced from 29,584 to a bit lesser than 500.

In year 1929, Soviet brought a new legislation in place which had provisions for the harsh anti-religious persecution which would become prominent in 1930s.

With intent to weaken church further the USSR government conducted a massive purge of Christian intellectuals. Most of them ended up dying in either camps or in prison.

Stalin’s USSR ensured that many religious tracts would be circulated as illegal literature or samizdat.

Stalin took numerous other measures with intent to weaken the church. He would effectively made illegal to have religious activities of any sort outside of liturgical services within the walls of the few churches that would remain open. But even they weren’t alien from any harassment.

Source: Father Arseny 1893-1973 Priest, Prisoner, Spiritual Father. Introduction page. vi - 1

Let’s see ahead @Udhaystalin , what Joseph Stalin did to Christianity which you are so proud of (in show off at least).

The League of the Militant Godless (LMG), which worked under Yemelyan Yaroslavsky, was the main instrument of the anti-religious (read Christian) campaign.

Post 1929 and through the 1930s, there was sudden significant rise in the closing of churches, mass arrests of the clergy and persecution of people for attending church.

Source: A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory, and Practice, and the Believer, vol 2: Soviet Antireligious Campaigns and Persecutions” by Dimitry V. Pospielovsky, page 41

The LMG deployed various terror tactics against Christians in the guise of protecting the state or prosecuting law-breakers. Stalin got the clergies declared as foreign spies. He initiated the trials of bishops in which their clergy & the lay adherents too were dragged in who were reported as “subversive terroristic gangs”.

Source: A History of Soviet Atheism in Theory, and Practice, and the Believer, vol 2: Soviet Antireligious Campaigns and Persecutions” by Dimitry V. Pospielovsky, page 66

The official propaganda under Stalin was completely anti-Christian and seemed it’s complete banishment. Stalin’s persecutions of clergies, bishops had clear intent to assist the goal of eliminating religion.

Between 1932 to 1937, Joseph Stalin had a “five-year plans of atheism” wherein the LMG was entirely responsible for eliminating all religious expression in the country especially Christianity.

Sources: 1)

2) Letters of Metropolitan Sergii of Vilnius

Came the 1934 and the persecution of the Renovationist sect (once had support of Stalin) began to become as normal as the persecution of the old Orthodox Church.

Source: Levitin-Krasnov, Likhie gody (Paris: YMCA Press, 1977) page 256

Is it @Udhaystalin not perturbed that on whom he is named did worse during the purges of 1937 and 1938. According to the church records around 168,300 Russian Orthodox clergy were arrested & 106,300 among them were shot.

Hope Stalin duo of father and so have heard of “new martyrs and confessors of Russia”.

Source: (2002). “A Century of Violence in Soviet Russia” by Alexander N. Yakovlev , page 165.web.archive.org/web/2012031318…

Apart from the Christian persecution Udhay Stalin must know that Joseph Stalin persecuted around 20 million people.

Imagine one having name Hitler? How many did he kill?

Now @Udhaystalin , before I jump to EVR (whom you call Periyar), let’s go to understand how Sanatan Dharm is root of Tamil identity. One of the oldest literature ( Tolkāppiyam in Sangam) where Tamil identity is spoken of talks of Vedas (attached image-1). It talks of Aintiram, one of the oldest Sanskrit school which even Panini talks of.

The oldest reference to Onam celebration comes from Maturaikkāñci, yet another Sangam literature. Where Vishnu worship of hailed and Vedas are spoken of.

I can go on and on.

Vaidik rituals was very much part of Tamil tradition in Sangam era which is prevalent from Puranānūru’s poems. Not only this we have evidences that Dharma Sāstra was in use. Specially Manu and Yājñavalkya’s text were the most followed judicial texts.

The technical language of these texts were used verbatim in judicial pronouncements, as seen in the Tamil records from earlier than the 7th century.

The judges were selected after having passed an examination on Dharma Śāstra.

The records show that Individual Grhya Sūtra texts like Āpastambha and Baudhāyana were the guiding principles of family life.

According to the Patiṛṛupattu poems in ancient era the Tamil Kings were student of Vedas, Vedāngas. Those poems also tell us that those Tamil Kings performed the Vaidik Rituals regularly as described in Pañca Mahā Yajñas of Vaidik tradition.

Avvaiyar one of the greatest known poetess of Sangam era talks about three crowned Tamil kings praising them for performing Vaidik Yajñas.

The records clearly show that the ancient Tamils followed the Vaidik rituals during birth, marriage and death etc.

The ancient Tamil Kings, the Chief ministers had Brahmins appointed granted them lands called “Brahma dāyas.”

Let’s again go back to Tolkāppiyam.
It followed Bharata Muni’s Nātya Śāstra in the division of landscape as aintinaikaḷ. The segregation of poetry into Aham and Puram was entirely based on Śriṅgāra and Tāṇdava (Āviddham) - puram of Nātya Śāstra.

One of the most popular text Silappadikāram, composed to glorify Karpu (chaste) form of Vaidik Marriage as prescribed in Vaidik Tradition, is a Nāṭaka Kāvyam (dramatic composition) based on Nātya Śāstra. In story, Kaṇṇaki the female protagonist is married as per the Vaidik Rituals.

Saint Jñānasambandar who can be considered as one of the greatest contributor to Tamil Music along with devotional literature was a Chaturvedi (one who knows four Vedas) and performed Vaidik Rituals regularly.

Saint Appar who was an agriculturist, did render several Vaidik passages, especially Śrī Rudram into Tamil.

Heard name Nammaḻvār's Thiruvāymoḻi @Udhaystalin ? His poems are literally called “Vedas rendered in Tamil.”

The process of elections to Village Assemblies, the subcommittees called Vāriyams and the Paruṭai (pariṣad) system were indeed the spine of village life.

According to the epigraphies found in Tamil Nadu, the Sabhā system of the Vaidik tradition was widely spread throughout the province.

Read

So Tamil identity is nothing without Sanatana Dharm @Udhaystalin

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Aabhas Maldahiyar 🇮🇳

@Aabhas24

Sep 2, 2023

#SadarPranam to Ishvara within you @MujtabaAasif .

Well it is open challenge to you to prove that Hindus destroyed #Buddhist Stupas with primary sources.

But before you do so, and repeat same mistake as any other Hindu hater, read this instance of exchanges between SR Goel (SRG) and Prof Romila Thapar (RT) where he explains as below in response to likes of RT when they showed concern for the book “Hindu Temples: What happened to them , vol-1”—

“We have cited from eighty histories written by Muslims over a period of more than one thousand years.

We have also cited several Islamic inscriptions which confirm what the historians say. The citations show how Hindu temples continued to be destroyed over a vast area and for a long time. We have added no editorial comments and given no communal twist to the events that took place. All along, we have kept to the actual language used by the Muslim historians. We wonder if the professors will dismiss as a mere listing of dates the evidence we have presented. What we expect from the professors is that they will come forward with historical analysis and
interpretations so that the destruction of Hindu temples mentioned in the Muslim narratives gets explained in terms of economic or political or any other non-religious motives.

We stick to our position, namely, that it is the theology of Islam which offers the only straight-forward and satisfactory explanation of why Muslim conquerors and rulers did what they did to Hindu places of worship. We have provided full facts about that theology, as also about the history of how it took its final shape. It would be most welcome if the professors come out with their comments on the character and meaning of this theology. In fact, we look forward to a Marxist explanation of it.

What were the concrete material conditions and objective historical forces which gave rise to this theology in Arabia at that time?

Next, we refer to the second point which the professors had made in their letter to The Times of India. They had said that acts of intolerance have been committed by followers of all religions. A subsequent
sentence clarified what they meant; they had in mind the Buddhist and Jain monuments and animist shrines destroyed by Hindus. As we have said, we do not share their philosophy of separating the
Buddhists, the Jains and the Animists from the Hindus. But we agree to use their terms for the time being and request them to produce

1. A list of epigraphs which record the destruction of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines by any Hindu, at any time;

2. Citations from Hindu literary sources describing destruction of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines by any Hindu, at any time;

3. The Hindu theology which says or even suggests that non-Hindu places of worship should be destroyed or desecrated or plundered, or which hails such acts as pious or meritorious;

4. A list of Hindu kings or commanders whom Hindus have hailed as heroes for desecrating or destroying or converting into Hindu places of worship any Buddhist or Jain monuments or Animist shrines;

5. A list of Buddhist and Jain monuments and Animist shrines which have been desecrated or destroyed or converted into Hindu places of worship in the remote or the recent past;

6. The names and places of Hindu monuments which stand on the sites occupied earlier by Buddhist or Jain monuments or Animist shrines, or which have materials from the latter embedded in their masonry;

7. Names of Buddhist, Jain and Animist leaders or organizations who have claimed that such and such Hindu monuments are usurpations, and demanded their restoration to the original occupants;

8. Names of Hindu leaders and organizations who have resisted any demand made by Buddhists or Jains or Animists for restoration of the latters’ places of worship, or called for legislation which will maintain the
status quo, or cried Hinduism in danger, or staged street riots in support of their usurpations.

Asking those questions, @MujtabaAasif , SRG further writes:

“We think that this sort of concrete evidence alone cane decide the question of the limits to the logic of
restoration of religious sites. There seems to be no other way. Sweeping generalizations based on slender or dubious evidence are no substitute for hard facts.

We hope that the professors will not resort to the hackneyed swear-words such as Hindu communalism, reactionary revivalism, and the rest. Swear-words offer no solutions.

In any case, the time when swear-words carried weight has passed. It is no use inviting the other side to hit back in a similar manner.”

Note @MujtabaAasif what he says:

“If the professors fail to come out with answers to questions posed by us, and to present the evidence in support of their statements, we shall be forced to conclude that far from being serious academicians, they are cynical politicians hawking ad hoc or plausible explanations in the service of a party line. In fact, we shall be justified in saying that they are not Marxists but Stalinists. Marxism is a serious system of thought which offers consistent explanations. Stalinism, on the other hand, is an exercise in suppressio veri suggestio falsi in pursuit of a particular end.

Hindu scholars, leaders and organizations have so far ignored the loud and large-scale talk in the mass media, academia, and political circles about Hindu intolerance towards the Buddhists and the Jains
and the Animists. Much damage has already been done to the image of Hinduism, and much more damage is likely to result if this talk is not challenged and stopped. How loose and irresponsible this talk can be is illustrated by the following instance.

I attended a seminar on the Mandal Commission Report held in the Gandhi Peace Foundation in October, 1990. One of the participants who spoke in support of the Report was Shri Hukam Dev Narain Singh Yadav, an MP of the Janata Dal at that time and a Minister in the Chandra Shekhar Government some time later.

Speaking of Brahminical tyranny, he referred to the time when rivers of the blood of Buddhist monks were made to flow in the Buddhist monasteries (jab bauddha vihãroñ mêñ bauddha bhikSuoñ kê rakta kî nadiyãñ bahãî gayî thîñ).

The following dialogue took place between myself and the speaker at
the end of the latter’s talk:

I: Could you kindly name the Buddhist monasteries where it happened, and also the time when it happened?

Speaker: I will not pretend that I know. I must have heard it from someone, or read it somewhere.

I: I give you six months for finding a single instance of Hindus murdering Buddhist monks. I am demanding only one instance, not two.

Speaker: I will try.

The speaker looked to me to be one of the finest men I had ever met. His voice had a ring of sincerity in whatever he said. His humility in presenting his point of view was more than exemplary. I expected him to remember my question and provide an answer. But two and a half years have passed and there is no word from the eminent politician occupying a high position in the public life of this country.

I know that the evidence demanded by me does not exist. It is a Big Lie being spread by Hindu-baiters. Hindus have never done what they are being
accused of. My only point in mentioning the incident is that even honest people can become victims of hostile propaganda which is not countered in good time.

SRG further writes:

“When the first edition of this book came out, I sent a copy of it to Professor Romila Thapar of the Jawaharlal Nehru University in her capacity as the doyen of the Marxist historians. I also addressed to her the following letter on 27 June, 1991:

‘I have posed a questionnaire for the school of historians which you lead. Please turn to pp. 438-441 of my recently published book (Hindu Temples: What Happened to Them, Volume II: The Islamic Evidence),
a copy of which is being sent to you by registered post.

You may also read pp. 70-103 and p.i which also discuss the position of your school.

I am drawing your attention to these pages so that your school does not plead ignorance of them while
maintaining silence. Of course, you are free to ignore the questionnaire as coming from a person who has had no standing in the academic world. I, however, feel that there are many people still left in this country
who care for truth more than for position.’

She was kind enough to reply by a letter dated 10 August 1991 which said:

‘Your letter of 27 June was awaiting me on my recent return to Delhi.

As regards the issues raised in the questionnaire included in your book, you are perhaps unaware of the scholarly work on the subject discussed by a variety of historians of various schools of thought. May I suggest that for a start, you might read my published lectures entitled, “Cultural Transaction and Early
India”.

I wrote back on 31 August 1991, and stated my position as follows:

‘I acknowledge your letter of August 10.

I wish you had refrained from striking the pose of superiority which has been for long the hallmark of your school of historians. It does not go well with academic discipline.

For your information I have been primarily a student of ancient India’s history and culture, and gone through a good deal of source material, literary as well as archaeological. One of the reasons I have wandered into India’s medieval and modern history is that I want to know what happened to Hindu
heritage at the hands of latter-day liberators.

May I request you not to suggest any further reading of your stuff? You threaten to do so when you use
the words for a start while recommending your present pamphlet. I am pretty familiar with the patent lore.

I am sorry to say that your pamphlet has added nothing to my knowledge or perspective. The method of
selecting facts and floating fictions is very well known to me. Christian missionaries have done far better with lesser fare.

I am not commenting on the various propositions put forward in your pamphlet. The Questionnaire which I have addressed to you was framed in a particular context. In your letter published in The Times of India dated October 2, 1986, you had stated that handing over of Sri Rama’s and Sri Krishna’s birthplaces to the Hindus, and of disused mosques to the Muslims raises the question of the limits to the logic of restoration of religious sites. How far back do we go? Can we push this to the restoration of Buddhist and Jain monuments destroyed by Hindus? Or of the pre-Hindu animist shrines? In my book I
have welcomed the statement and said that the question can be answered satisfactorily only when we are prepared to face facts and a sense of proportion is restored.

I have gone ahead and compiled historical and theological data about Islamic iconoclasm from whatever
Islamic sources I could lay my hands on during the last four years. More may follow as I get at more of this source material. In an earlier volume I have provided, in a preliminary survey, a list of around two thousands Muslim monuments which are known to stand on the sites of and/or have been built with the materials of Buddhist, Brahmanical and Jain temples. The list is likely to get enlarged as I continue to look into more archaeological reports.’”

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