(Oldncert) Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School
(Oldncert) Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School
(Oldncert) Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School
In the previous article, we saw the two sources of Ancient India: (1) literature
(2)material (coins, mounds etc.). In this article, we see about the Modern Historians
and their approach towards Ancient Indian history.
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
He had even written to Secretary of State for India, The ancient religion of
India is doomed, and if Christianity does not step in whose fault will it
be?
According to the Christian book of Genesis, the world started at 4000 BC.
Max Muller tried to fit Indian history within that timeframe, even where
events had taken place before 4000BC. Other writers- William Jones, Vincent
Smith et al also followed the same approach.
Lacking any firm basis of his own and rejecting every Indian evidence, he
arbitrarily dated the entire Sanskrit literature taking the earliest i.e. RigVeda
to be of 1500 B.C., once again within the safe limits of Christian Genesis
chronology.
Monier-Williams
famous for his Sanskrit- English and English-Sanskrit dictionaries
He wrote: when the walls of the mighty fortress of Brahmanism
[Hinduism] are encircled, undermined and finally stormed by the soldier
of the Cross, the victory of Christianity must he single and complete.
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
Thus, we can safely say that most of the works done on Indian history during the
eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were:
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
Vincent Arthur Smith, An ICS officer serving the British Government in India
Book: Early History of India in 1904.
As a loyal member of the civil service, he emphasized the role of foreigners
in ancient India. Hence his approach to history writing was pro-imperialist.
Alexanders invasion accounted for almost one-third of his book.
His racial arrogance is obvious when he writes, The triumphant progress of
Alexander from the Himalayas to the sea demonstrated the inherent
weakness of the greatest Asiatic armies when confronted with European
skill and discipline
He gives the impression as if Alexander had conquered whole of India from
Himalayas to seas while the fact is he only touched the north-western borders
of India hence his Indian-victory was a virtual non-event.
V.A Smith said, India as a land of despotism which did not experience political
unity until the establishment of British rule. Autocracy is substantially the
only form of government with which the historians of India are concerned.
His book served as a textbook for nearly fifty years and still used by scholars.
Metaphysician What is Europe really but a sterile trunk which owes everything
Schelling to oriental grafts?
Nationalist Approach
The educated Indian intelligentsia of the nineteenth century was horrified at
the distortions of the ancient Indian history by these European Historians.
They decided to reconstruct Ancient Indian history in such manner- to make a
case for social reform, self-governance and Hindu revivalism.
In the late nineteenth century some scholars like Rajendra Lai Mitra, R.G.
Bhandarkar, and V.K. Rajwade tried to look at the ancient Indian history from
the Indian point of view.
The contributions of all these great scholars helped in clearing the mist built
by the missionaries and the imperialist historians.
(More on them given in appendix)
1. Primitive Communism
2. Slavery
3. Feudalism
4. Capitalism
5. Communism.
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
These stages were defined by Karl Marx and F. Engels, the propounders of
Communism. They were influenced by F.W. Hegel and Lewis Henry Morgan
the stages of history proposed by Marx and Engels was based on their
understanding of European history.
But Before we come to Indian Marxist historiography it is important to know
as to what Hegel and Marx said about Indian history and civilization.
1. Bipan Chandra
5. Satish Chandra
2. Romila Thaper
6. D.D. Kosambi
3. R.S. Sharma
7. D.R. Chanana
4. Irfan Habib
Non-Political historians
They questioned the wisdom of looking @ancient India with modern point of
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
view.
Past should be read out of curiosity and pleasure, free from the prejudices.
Example; AL Basham: Wonder that was India.
Multi-disciplinary Approach
In the last ten years due to the huge accumulation of data from various
disciplines like archaeology, paleontology, anthropology, astronomy and
space research, there has been renewed interest in studying the ancient Indian
history.
Many scholars have broken the shackles of the old molds and have been
looking at ancient Indian history in the light of data obtained from different
disciplines. This is known as the multidisciplinary approach
Conclusion
Few Indian writers still magnify the role of religion, believe everything is
good and great, originated from their country
Western writers no longer insist that all such things came to India from
outside.
But they underscore the divisive features responsible for stagnation in India-
religious ideas, rituals, caste, kinship and tradition. Hence Underdevelopment
is integral part of Indian character. Thus, they use Indias past to present its
present progress.
Rajendra Lal Book: Indo Aryans. Took rationalist approach. Showed that in
Mishra Ancient times, People took beef.
Vishwanath
evolution of marriage system in India, Maratha history.
Rajwade
D.R.
His books on Ashoka and on ancient Indian polity helped in
Bhandarkar
clearing many myths created by imperialist historians.
(1875-1950)
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12/14/13 Mrunal [OldNCERT] Ancient India: Modern Historians of Ancient India: Utilitarian School, Marxist School, Nationalist School Print
in the next article, we see about Geographical influences on Ancient Indian history.
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