Why Indian History Was Manipulated By Britishers?

Colonial Suppression of Indigenous Indian History: A Forgotten Legacy

The colonial era in India, marked by nearly two centuries of British rule, saw widespread suppression of indigenous Indian history. British administrators, historians, and scholars deliberately reconstructed India’s past to serve their imperial interests. This process marginalized India’s rich historical and cultural heritage, sidelining its ancient achievements and imposing a Eurocentric narrative that continues to influence historical interpretations today.

Understanding the Colonial Agenda

When the British East India Company gained control over vast parts of India by the 18th century, they recognized that controlling not just the land but also the minds of its people would strengthen their rule. Colonial administrators sought to reshape India’s history by creating narratives that legitimized British authority and portrayed India as backward and uncivilized. This facilitated the concept of the British “civilizing mission” and provided moral justification for colonial dominance.

Strategies of Historical Suppression

Colonial suppression of indigenous Indian history involved several calculated strategies aimed at rewriting India’s past:

  1. Control Over Historical Records:
  • British administrators took control of key historical records, manuscripts, and archives. Many valuable texts were taken to Europe, leaving Indian scholars with limited access to their own historical sources.
  • For instance, ancient Sanskrit, Tamil, and Persian texts were removed from temples, libraries, and private collections.
  1. Distorted Historical Narratives:
  • British historians portrayed India’s history as fragmented and chaotic. James Mill’s The History of British India (1817) classified Indian history into Hindu, Muslim, and British periods, creating a simplistic and divisive narrative.
  • Mill, who never visited India, described Indian civilization as stagnant, superstitious, and in need of British intervention.
  1. Dismissal of Indigenous Texts:
  • Ancient Indian texts such as the Vedas, Upanishads, Ramayana, Mahabharata, and Puranas were dismissed as mythology rather than historical records.
  • Important historical works like Kalhana’s Rajatarangini (a chronicle of Kashmir) were overlooked because they did not fit the colonial framework of historical writing.
  1. Manipulation of Education Policies:
  • The British implemented a Western education system designed to create a class of Indians loyal to British rule.
  • Lord Macaulay’s Minute on Education (1835) declared that traditional Indian knowledge systems were inferior. English became the primary medium of education, marginalizing indigenous languages like Sanskrit, Tamil, and Persian.
  1. Orientalism and Selective Interpretation:
  • While some British scholars, known as Orientalists, admired India’s ancient culture, they often interpreted texts through a colonial lens.
  • The Asiatic Society of Bengal, founded by Sir William Jones in 1784, translated several Indian texts but focused on religious and literary works rather than political or historical records.
  1. Archaeological Exploitation:
  • British archaeologists conducted extensive excavations, but discoveries were often presented in ways that emphasized British superiority.
  • For example, the Indus Valley Civilization was described as a “lost civilization” unrelated to contemporary Indian culture, minimizing its significance in India’s historical continuity.
  1. Destruction of Cultural Symbols:
  • The destruction of temples, ancient structures, and libraries, either directly or through neglect, led to the loss of invaluable historical records.
  • The library of Nalanda University, one of the world’s greatest centers of learning, had already been destroyed in earlier centuries, but colonial neglect further hindered its study and restoration.

Impact of Historical Suppression

The colonial rewriting of India’s history had long-lasting consequences:

  1. Eurocentric Historical Framework:
  • British narratives established a Eurocentric view of Indian history, portraying British rule as a modernizing force that rescued India from a supposed “dark age.”
  1. Loss of Indigenous Knowledge:
  • Important works in areas like mathematics, astronomy, medicine, and philosophy were disregarded. India’s significant contributions, such as the concept of zero, advancements in surgery, and astronomical theories, were minimized.
  1. Cultural Alienation:
  • Generations of Indians were taught history through a colonial lens, creating a sense of cultural inferiority.
  • Indian rulers like Chandragupta Maurya, Ashoka, and the Cholas received less attention than colonial-era figures in school curricula.
  1. Historical Amnesia:
  • Entire historical periods, such as the ancient and early medieval eras, were overshadowed by colonial-era accounts focusing on Muslim and British conquests.
  1. Communal Divisions:
  • The Hindu-Muslim-British framework popularized by British historians contributed to religious and communal divisions in Indian society. It simplified India’s history into a series of conflicts, reinforcing colonial ideas of a divided society.

Post-Independence Reclamation Efforts

Since India’s independence in 1947, efforts have been made to reclaim and rewrite its history through indigenous perspectives:

  1. Rediscovery of Ancient Texts:
  • Scholars like R.C. Majumdar, K.A. Nilakanta Sastri, and D.D. Kosambi have extensively researched India’s historical texts and archaeological findings.
  1. Archaeological Advancements:
  • The Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) has conducted excavations across India, uncovering ancient sites like Dholavira, Lothal, and others linked to the Indus Valley Civilization.
  1. Revival of Traditional Knowledge:
  • Indigenous knowledge systems, including Ayurveda, Sanskrit literature, and Vedic sciences, have gained renewed respect and global recognition.
  1. Curriculum Reforms:
  • India’s educational curriculum has undergone revisions to incorporate indigenous perspectives. However, debates over historical interpretations remain politically sensitive.

Conclusion

The colonial suppression of indigenous Indian history left deep scars on the nation’s cultural and historical consciousness. Through systematic distortion, exclusion, and marginalization, British administrators reshaped India’s past to serve imperial interests. However, India’s rich historical legacy, preserved in its ancient texts, archaeological sites, and oral traditions, continues to inspire efforts toward historical reclamation. The journey toward rediscovering India’s true history is ongoing, driven by scholars, historians, and cultural enthusiasts determined to uncover a narrative free from colonial bias.

Comments are closed.