Author: OpIndia Staff
Publication: Opindia.com
Date: October 13, 2021
URL:       https://www.opindia.com/2021/10/historian-vikram-sampath-hits-back-at-historians-trolls-who-attacked-him/

Citing evidence in the form of NCERT books on history, Sampath said obscure and bigoted invaders were devoted disproportionate space while flourishing Indian Kingdoms were either neglected or received scant mention

Historian Vikram Sampath recently took to Twitter to respond to the attacks he has been facing from left historians and online trolls for the remarks he made during his interaction with Shashi Tharoor and Rajdeep Sardesai at India Today Conclave. At the conclave, Sampath had slammed the historians for devoting more space to obscure and bigoted dynasties in India’s textbooks than empires that flourished to the south of Vindhyas, such as the Cholas and the rulers of Travancore.

However, Sampath’s acerbic comments about the skewed nature of India’s history taught in school textbooks did not sit well with the historians and “intellectuals” belonging to the left intelligentsia, who rushed to discredit Sampath, his work and statements made by him in the India Today Conclave.

Sampath hits back at his critics, providing evidence of prejudiced account of history taught in school books

But Sampath, who recently wrote a second volume of his biography of Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, remained undeterred to the denigration by the left trolls and propagandists. In a fairly long string of tweets, Sampath came out all guns blazing against the ‘historians’ and trolls and presented evidence to back the claims made by him during his interaction on India Today Conclave.

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Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Conscious of the fact that a batallion of "professional" historians & some crazy trolls have begun discrediting me, my work & whatever I said at @IndiaToday conclave with Dr @ShashiTharoor & @sardesairajdeep . Selective screenshots of NCERT books (usual ploy!) to prove falsehood+

October 13, 2021
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Sharing the links to the NCERT history books for Class 6, 7, and 8, Sampath said he feels pity for the students of such ‘historians’ for suffering their fakery and sleight of hand on a daily basis.

He cited Class 7 school book to assert how south Indian dynasties such as Rashtrakutas, Pandyas etc. had just passing reference in the book while Hirangyagarbha myth was cited to make Rashtrakutas and their Brahmin priests foolish.

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Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Replying to @vikramsampath
Have been used. If such fakery & sleight of hand can be done on social media pity their students who suffer this on a daily basis!

Given below are links of entire books of NCERT :
Class 6: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?fess1=0-11
Class 7: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?gess1=0-10
Class 8: https://ncert.nic.in/textbook.php?hess2=0-10
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Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Anyone can download entire books & see my point proved amply. Class 7 textbook has merely a map in chp 2, pp 16 that just states names of southern dynasties like Rashtrakutas, Pandyas etc. Some hiranyagarbha myth cited to make Rashtrakutas & their brahmin priests appear foolish

Oct 13, 2021
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Sampath highlighted the dichotomy between the way historians glorified the Muslim invaders and the way they treated Indian kingdoms with contempt and scorn. For instance, he cites the vilification of the Cholas for imposing 400 types of “oppressive taxes” as against no criticism of “jizya”, a tax imposed by the Mughals on non-Muslims.

Sampath said Cholas were disposed of within 3 pages whereas Mahmud Ghazni, the Islamic marauder who invaded and desecrated the Somnath temple multiple times, was given undue coverage by the ‘historians’, who characterised him as a leader interested in finding out more about the people he conquered and even mentioned a book he got Albiruni to write on himself.

Buttressing his claim that Delhi centricity is a hallmark of books used to teaching history to students in school, Sampath pointed out that while great kingdoms in the south are disparaged and disposed of in 3-4 pages, “Delhi Sultans” have got entire chapters after them, even though their contribution to the country is unknown. He further mentioned that even the history of “Delhi Sultans” is adulterated, with sordid facts about their tyranny against the masses conspicuously absent from the books.

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Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Replying to @vikramsampath
Bolstering my point of Delhi centricity while all these great kingdoms are disposed off in 2-3 pgs, chp 3 is fully devoted to the "Delhi Sultans" - what their contribution to this country is no one knows, but their tyranny remains unmentioned +

Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Chp 4 is fully devoted to "Mughal Empire". Chp 5 on "Rulers & Buildings' is also largely about Delhi Sultanate & Mughal architecture/tombs/gardens wt a few temples strewn in between. "Temples and mosques were beautifully constructed because they were places of worship"🤦 (pp 63)

As far as temple destruction is concerned, Sampath says the books provide an elaborate justification for the desecration of temples witnessed during the Muslim rule in India. The books, Vikram says, demonise Hindus to the point that their temple destruction by bloodthirsty Islamists could be justified. Obscure attacks carried out by Hindu kings against Sri Lankan Buddhists are cited to justify how attacking religious places was the norm of the day in medieval India.

Temple destruction hardly merited a mention in the book, but one whole page in Class 7 book is devoted to the Hindu pillaging by Mahmud Ghazni, mentioned so casually so as to give an impression that it was common to destroy and loot places of worship of defeated rulers in the middle ages.

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Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Replying to @vikramsampath

Justification for temple destruction is elaborate by citing apparent Hindu attacks Pandyan king Shrimara Shrivallabha on Srilankan Buddhists- never mind if that demonizes Hindus or creates conflicts between Hindus & Buddhists; Islamic attacks create disharmony in nation building!

Dr. Vikram Sampath, FRHistS @vikramsampath

Mind u just 3 lines on any temple destruction at all as against 1 page of Hindu pillaging & that too mentioned so casually that Mahmud Ghazni was not a v important ruler & in middle ages it was common to destroy & loot places of worship of defeated rulers (p66). No proofs given!

Oct 13, 2021
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