Question

Mahatma Gandhi said, "Communal harmony could not be permanently established in our country so long as highly distorted versions of history were taught in her schools." State your views on this statement and justify it by giving examples.

Answer 1

The way Indian history was interpreted during that time contributed to the rise of communal thinking among Hindus and Muslims.

1. Some British and communal historians divided Indian history into Hindu and Muslim periods. The rule of Turks, Afghans, and Mughals was called "Muslim rule," where the rulers were said to follow Islam, and their subjects followed other religions. In the so-called Hindu period, Muslim rulers were labelled as foreign invaders.

2. These historians ignored India's mixed culture and tried to create a divide between the two communities. They did not understand that diversity in India was more about class and region than religion.

3. Some communal historians wrongly claimed that Indian society and culture were at their peak in the ancient period but declined during the medieval period under Mughal rule. They did not recognise the contributions of the medieval period to India's economy, religion, art, literature, culture, and society.

4. This communal bias was spread through poetry, drama, novels, short stories, newspapers, and other forms of media.