Sanatan Archive

Amongst the many flaws in the teaching and writing of Indian history is the fact that we have been obsessed with the exploits of the invaders rather than the deeds of the brave defenders. This is a bit curious, unique and sad, because in most countries one finds that the defenders have been glorified even if they were defeated in war. The problem gets compounded in India by the fact that we tend to ignore the history of the regions far away from Delhi or the big cities.

For any true Hindu and a lover of Bharath Varsh, the study of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj’s life is awe-inspiring.  Over and above being a great and ferocious warrior and in many ways a fore-runner in counter-Jehadi-terrorism  in 17th century Bharath, Shivaji was a devoted son to his mother Jijau , a devoted Seeker (Bhakt) of Goddess Bhavani, and a champion protector of the weak and innocent. The daring exploits of this proud Maratha warrior king are extra-ordinary.

The history of India is full of rulers -- both men and women -- who combined bravery with a strategy to repulse attacks by foreign invaders down the ages. Members of royal families were known to have shown exemplary courage when the situation demanded.

Mistaken by history and forsaken by destiny, Netaji Subash Chander Bose, is indeed one of biggest unsung heroes of Indian freedom struggle and that’s why whenever we discuss him or his brainchild Indian National Army (INA), we get to learn something new. Not only Netaji’s, but life of his companions in INA were equally intriguing and invite great interest from the people

The antiquity of Assam dates back to several thousand years. Assam finds mention as ‘Pragjyotishpur’ in the Ramayana, Mahabharata, Puranas and other ancient Indian scriptures. Later, the kingdom was named ‘Kamrupa’, which also finds mention in several scriptures. Nidhanpur and Doobi inscriptions talk about the kings of the dynasty of Naraka, Bhagadatta and Vajradatta and their descendants, who ruled for 3000 years. The Allahabad inscription of Samudragupta mentions Kamrupa as a frontier territory.

We have all learned and studied about the shrewd and vicious conqueror Timur Lang (Taimur) who ruled from Samarkand city in (Modern day Uzbekistan) his capital and conquered West Asia, India and Central Asia, in our history books. However, our history books do not mention the courageous, fearless, and warrior girl Rampyari Gurjar Chauhan who was just 20 years old when she with other warriors suppressed the Timur’s army and saved their country from a ruthless conqueror.

The Swadhinata Sangram of Bharat saw the mass participation of women on an unprecedented scale, but unfortunately, several of them remain invisible, unknown and unsung in the heap of our history textbooks that have been written in post-Independent India. Such is the story of Ropuiliani of the Lushai Hills (present-day Mizoram). It goes back to the time when the British were establishing their authority through either territorial annexation or forcible military occupation of one province after the other. It needs to be mentioned here that Mizoram was officially known as Lushai Hills until 1952. Christianity is the predominant religion in Mizoram today. On Sundays, the numerous Churches dotting the enigmatic landscape of Mizoram become all agog with different activities pertaining to a religion that came to be known here only in 1894.

Union Minister for Railways, Ashwini Vaishnaw, took to Twitter on Sunday to share the first glimpses of the ‘Shri Ramayan Yatra,’ a rail circuit specifically designed to promote religious tourism in places associated with the Ramayana.

Ramchandra Manjhi may have won the Padma Shri, India’s fourth-highest civilian award and Sangeet Natak Akademi, but his biggest achievement is something else.