Indian Historiography – Contradictions, Controversies and Contestation

When history is written it inevitably has to deal with authenticity of sources, interpretation and ideological factors. Archaeological remains are the most authentic factual sources of history. India’s long history is a contested arena because of its ancient sources that are both a mix of facts and mythology. Muslim kings have left behind contemporary accounts by their court historians who also mixed up facts with eulogy, overlaid by religious zeal to subjugate a conquered people. The British brought their own brand of writing history from the European tradition, underpinned by their colonial mentality, prejudices and the imperative to dominate. Post-independent India witnessed a new debate on the new school textbooks which had ideological foundations. This led to a contest that continues to pit historians belonging to the Leftist-Marxist camp and those who are labelle Right-Wing. The debate, per se, is not unwelcome because it generates a better understanding of India’s history. In this article, these aspects of contestations have been discussed with this objective in mind.