History in Hyderabad

What I learnt from the History Literature Festival? 

Not long after Eesha and I reached the venue I realised that the impromptu decision to take leave from school and book seats on the only available train to Hyderabad to attend a literature festival focussing on history was a good one. At the school students often ask us why they need to learn history at all - in other words why we are doing what we are doing! Incidentally we also teach history!

Over the course of 3 days we listened to people talk about not only the history of the Deccan but also history of businesses, history of music, history of cinema, history of  arts, history of WW2, and other facets of history. It was also heartening to see some of the students (especially grade 8) of HPS (the venue) actively participate, to make use of the opportunity at their doorstep. The overall vibes were positive - vibes we could not have experienced online.

Some of the speakers were (for lack of another term) high quality and one could make it out from the quality silences and attentive postures around. As I listened, at times, I got on wondering how little I knew or how I wished that I had visited (or revisited) a particular site or loitered (more) in a particular town or read (or reread) a particular book and such. I realized that the manner in which we perceive history is changing, that we are filling up some of the gaps in our understanding of history and as we continue to peel away layers we need to be ready for more surprises.  

Some snippets from the sessions stayed with me longer than others. These I share below ~ 

History : General

History is messy, complicated and often goes back and forth. Archaeology complicates the narrative further - it is not uncommon for the archaeological findings to not be in sync with our understanding of history. And, of course, history continues to harbour a good potential to be written and taught badly.

State policies and large investments have a major impact on the society beyond their time. We realise this with the wisdom of time. Would we have such grand films from Hyderabad without the 2,000 acre film city? Has any other state been able to replicate this despite repeated attempts?

History : Ancient

The inscriptions dramatised the kings then and the movies are doing the same now. Neither inscriptions nor movies talk about the potter or the sculptor - they remain unnamed. These kings are the tips of the icebergs or rather the penguins sitting on those icebergs - knowing about them tells us precious little about the times, the society, the majority people. And inscriptions were akin to the media of the earlier times!

Why do we talk about timelines and geographical boundaries in black and white, clear terms when that was seldom the case? Kingdoms kept getting smaller and larger, rulers bounced back or took names of previous rulers and such! Also, why do we generalise - why for example are all actions during the period that Cholas reigned referred to as by the Cholas or of the Chola period?

These days we talk a lot about the trade that used to take place between India and other countries during earlier times. So what. Does this in any way indicate that we had more empathy (compared to today!) then for those who were not like us? 

We need to learn more about arts to read the paintings, the sculptures and as a corollary to understand the history better. And, of course, we cannot not pay attention to the aesthetic! One sculpture too can tell us a lot! 

A lot of artefacts that we come across tell us the stories of the earlier times but through the Buddhist and Brahmin lenses - lenses of the dominating religion (faith, belief system!). The religion in power went further - it not only adopted deities from other religions but also claimed victories over other religions. 

History : Modern

The Bengali Bhadralok has been saving the Chotolog since the times of Raja Ram Mohan Roy and the likes of Satyajit Ray have continued this narrative. This is a narrative that needs to be looked at with a critical lens. 

Our stories of the 1940’s move around Gandhi, Patel, Nehru and Bose. We hardly touch upon WW2 (the blackouts and exoduses it resulted in ~) and the impact it had on our country then (inflation ~) and in the longer term (on our armed forces ~).

Major policy reforms took place during 1969 (Indira Gandhi) and again during 1991 (Manmohan Singh). On either of these occasions the decisions had more to do with pragmatism than with ideology - the political scored over the moral. 

The days when our (film) hero was an underdog have passed long since. Today, the hero is an able and well-to-do person to begin with - he only grows bigger and becomes a leader of sorts in the course of the film. Caste and money surely have had a role here!

Also, initially the hero would bash up the local gunda but he only could grow bigger so he moved to the regional gangs, then to the national level politicians and then he even beat the international mafia or the neighbouring countries. After that the only option for him was to come back home. Home is a difficult frontier to conquer - here you cannot just go and bash anyone. 

Before I end, a quick glance at the event:

• Scale - friendly, did not make one feel overwhelmed 

• Venue - well suited, open environs with large trees and silences

• Sessions - appropriate,  time (1.5 hours) and panel size (3 humans)

• Registration - non fussy 

• Compering - direct, alive, succinct

• Charges to attend - none

• Corporate sponsors - none

• Stalls selling miscellaneous paraphernalia at venue: none

• Book stalls with curated books - multiple, housed in a hall teeming with grandeur

• Organizers - grace to have a baithak (final session) where the team not only sought feedback but also listened without jumping to respond, and of course their smiles and eyes then said it all.