Islam, Icons and Urdu verse
March 21st, 2001 The reason for the destruction of the Bamiyaan Buddhas was iconoclasm. The anti-iconic attitude of Islam stems from Arabic history.
Category: Itihaas Articles
These are articles published under the Itihaas heading over multiple decades and in different newspapers
A Lament for the Bamiyan Buddhas
March 19th, 2001 [The Bamiyan Buddhas installation] was vandalised and destroyed by the Taliban of Afghanistan. The followers of Islam are embarrassed as never before. Their enemies , the RSS/VHP/BJP Shiv Sena the Akalis and the U. S. of A. are delighted. The vandals of 6th December 1992 who destroyed the Babari Musjid under the… Continue reading A Lament for the Bamiyan Buddhas
Dillee as Capital of the British Empire: The idea of what constitutes a sacrilege
March 9th, 2001 Around 1800 when most of India had been conquered by the East India Company, the British deliberately set about creating the tools necessary to perpetuate their rule. The Marquess of Wellesley created a new ‘native’ language which was to be learned at Fort William by young Britishers required to administer India. The… Continue reading Dillee as Capital of the British Empire: The idea of what constitutes a sacrilege
Remembering Lala Har Dayal [Oct 1884-March 1939]
March 4th, 2001 It is now seventy years since Lala Har Dayal died in exile at Philadelphia, USA. 4th of March 1939. He was not quite fifty-three years of age. In this short lifetime this obscure Indian from an enslaved country had become an international figure, a celebrity. His dazzling intellectual genius had made him… Continue reading Remembering Lala Har Dayal [Oct 1884-March 1939]
Khwaja Qutbuddeen Bakhtiyaar Kaakee
February 15th, 2001 25th February 1234 [ 10th Rabi-ulawwal 633 Al.Hijri] was marked by an event which continues to be celebrated annually although nearly eight hundred years have passed . This was the Wisaal of a great Sufi saint Khwaja Qutubuddeen Bakhtiyaar ‘Kaakee’.
Review of: THE MILLENNIUM BOOK ON NEW DELHI
Review of: THE MILLENNIUM BOOK ON NEW DELHI Edited by B.P.Singh and Pavan K. Varma February 9, 2001 In the area of celebration Indians can hold their own against any comers. Take the festivals of Christmas [25th December] and New Year [ the first day of the calendar of any year as reckoned by the… Continue reading Review of: THE MILLENNIUM BOOK ON NEW DELHI
Why the British Communalised Indian History
February 8th, 2001 We return to the accusation that ‘Itihaas’ suffers from prejudice, partiality and lack of balance. Perhaps it would be as well to provide some details of the machinations of British historians of the 19th Century.
Aminuddin Dagar 20th October 1922-29th December 2000
Obituary January 10, 2001 Ustad Nasir Aminuddin Dagar died on the afternoon of 29th December 2000 in Calcutta. The death occurred on Eid-ul-Fitr, a day of celebration and of rejoicing . A gentle soul, a revered Guru, a Prince of a musical dynasty serving Dhrupad for nineteen generations had passed on. Disciples who had dedicated… Continue reading Aminuddin Dagar 20th October 1922-29th December 2000
How Rana Hammeer Won Chittor
Column for 6th July 2003 This story is about [Rana] Pratap’s ancestor Hammeer winning back Chittor (Chittaudgarh) for his clan, the Sisodias. Hammeer started his reign by forbidding the growing and harvesting of crops in his realm. Chittor and Mewar became an area without income, profitless and untenable. The Dillee Sultans fief holder, Rao Maldeo… Continue reading How Rana Hammeer Won Chittor
Hammeer, An Ancestor of Maharana Pratap
29th June 2003 A theme that occurs again and again in Mewar (Meywaad) history to provide for tales of heroism and panegyric is based upon the fort of Chittor (Chittaudgarh). Its capture and recovery were matters of great consequence in the history of India.