Author: Rana Siddiqui
Publication: The Hindu
Date: February 16, 2007
URL: http://www.thehindu.com/thehindu/fr/2007/02/16/stories/2007021601190300.htm
Introduction: New Delhi gets a peep into history
through Francois Gautier's exhibition.
Not often does an exhibition of Indian paintings
serve a historical purpose. Hardly a painting exhibition in Delhi now has
any recall value either. The only recent venture that comes to mind is Mahakranti,
an insightful exhibition of 120 historical cartoons covering the period from
1855 to 1860. Mounted by Professor Pramila Sharma, it aimed at showing the
conspiracy that triggered the 1857 Uprising. This exhibition, Pramila claims,
was the first of its kind in the world. Also, in the last year, the city saw
artist Veer Munshi's much forgotten exhibition of paintings and installations
depicting the pain of the uprooted Kashmiri Pandits and extremist activities
in the Valley.
But of late, there has been an interesting
turn of artistic events in the Capital. Some exhibitions are not only likely
to raise a debate, but also have nostalgia value. One of them is Sabia's works
on the romantic side of Ghalib's life. It just concluded at India Habitat
Centre. And the next is an exhibition of watercolour works and drawings on
"Aurangzeb, as he was, according to Moghul Records". This exhibition
now mounted at Open Palm Court from this Friday till coming Tuesday, is brought
by famous French journalist and historian François Gautier. It highlights
the cruel side of Aurangzeb, Emperor Shah Jahan's sixth son.
If in one exhibit you see Shah Jahan being
imprisoned by Aurangzeb, the other shows his son, Aurangzeb's brother, prince
Dara Shikoh being taken a prisoner while fleeing to Persia. Dara, said to
be Shah Jahan's favourite son, was imprisoned by Aurangzeb because he opposed
his atrocities on the Hindus. The disgraceful burial of Shah Jahan on Aurangzeb's
command, the demolition of Hindu temples and so on are portrayed in other
canvases. Banning of established Hindu schools and public worship, re-employment
of Jaziya tax on the Hindus, Shivaji's son Shambhaji's execution, and his
acceptance of "hard labour" that he put in to capture Shivaji, and
much more form the other exhibits. All these works are accompanied with dates
as sourced from various historic documents including Persian Maasir-i-Alamgiri.
Unknown painters
These works are made by some known and some
unknown miniature artists from Jaipur including well-known artist Sumeendhra.
Professor V.S. Bhatnagar of Jaipur University along with Gautier gave details
of the events to the painters to bring alive the barbaric events.
The exhibition is the part of a two-year project
under Gautier's Foundation Against Continuing Terrorism - FACT, formed in
Delhi in 2003. Through this exhibition, the works will travel across the globe.
Gautier aims at "portraying Aurangzeb as a terrorist".
Says Gautier, an Indophile living in India
for 35 years and an expert in Indian history, "I don't understand why
Indians treat Aurangzeb as a noble man. Why do Indians refuse to accept history
as it is?"
But at the same time, many agree that he has
conveniently forgotten the good deeds of the emperor in the form of huge donations
for temple building at Banaras and Allahabad. "Its authentic documents
are in Banaras math. Also Pandit Vishwanath Pandey, former Governor of Orissa,
saw authentic documents procured by Municipal Chairman of Allahabad,"
says Bhatnagar. At the same time, he seems to care little about the religious
frenzy India is known for.
Counters Gautier, "I had certain exhibits
showing his good side too. But because of paucity of space I am not exhibiting
them. People ask me why I am bringing alive the buried ghosts. Sometimes I
fail to understand why I have done that. I am a Westerner and a non-Hindu.
I just wish that it raises a healthy debate among the right thinking people."
