In his article, “The Need for Real History” (Radiance, 26 January), M.S. Qais writes that our Home Minister Amit Shah expects historians to write history from the Indian viewpoint. What does Mr. Shah mean by that statement? Does he want re-writing of the history of India by altering some of its contents to serve his purpose? The history not based on facts and findings of past events but on certain prejudices cannot be considered history and it will fail to give any lesson to the nation and her people. It often gives rise to conflict in society. If a nation wants to learn something from history, it must study real history based on facts and discoveries of past events; or else it would continue to repeat previous mistakes.
Secondly, it was very enlightening to know from the article that Chatrapati Shivaji Maharaj maintained very cordial relations with Muslims. One-third of his army was Muslim and his spy network was commanded by a Muslim named Hyder Ali. One may observe that Emperor Aurangzeb is always portrayed as an anti-Hindu ruler in Indian history. He is mainly perceived to be anti-Hindu because of the jizya (poll tax) he imposed on his Hindu subjects. Nevertheless, it is conveniently forgotten that Zakat (poor-due) had to be paid only by Muslims compulsorily to the exchequer during his reign. Have we ever pondered over how many taxes and excise duties we pay in modern India?
Emperor Aurangzeb was one of the most generous and just rulers for both his Muslim and non-Muslim subjects. It is known that he donated land and property to the temples and gurudwaras. In 1560, the Emperor sent a large army to invade the Ahom Kingdom in Assam. The expedition was commanded by a Hindu general called Ram Singh.
Recently I happened to come across a pamphlet entitled “The farmans of Aurangzeb on Hindu temples” by Dr. Bishambhar Nath Pande (1906-1998). Dr. Pande was a former member of Rajya Sabha, Governor of Orissa and Chairman of Allahabad Municipality. When he was serving as Chairman in the municipality, he was required to settle some disputes over the lands and properties dedicated to some temples. To resolve the disputes, he wrote letters to the mahants (priests) of temples requesting them to produce the documents related to the land and property owned by them. Accordingly, they submitted the documents to him.
Dr. Pande was very much surprised to see that the documents were farmans of Emperor Aurangzeb granting jagirs (rent-free estates) to some great temples like Mahakaleswara-Ujjain, Balaji Chitrakut-Umanda of Gauhati, etc. The farmans issued from 1659 to 1685 CE, also included appointment of mahants to those temples. These documents changed Dr Pande’s earlier impression of Emperor Aurangzeb. They inspired him to the extent that he decided to publish these farmans in the form of pamphlet. I strongly feel that the pamphlet needs reproduction and (free) distribution for the dissemination of Aurangzeb’s generous attitude and magnanimity towards his non-Muslim subjects. This would not only counter the propaganda against Emperor Aurangzeb that he was “anti-Hindu” but also help in spreading communal harmony, which is the need of the hour in India.
[Muhammad Abdus Samad is a retired Associate Professor, residing at Ambari, Dhupdhara, Goalpara, Assam]