MALAYALAM
Historical perspectives of Somnath
K. KUNHIKRISHNAN
SOMANATHA — Oru Charithra Sambhavathinte Aneka Swarangal: Translated by C.V. Raman; DC Books, DC Kizhakemuri Edam, Good Shepherd Street, Kottayam-686001. Rs. 130.
THIS IS a translation of the renowned historian, Romilla Thapar’s ‘Somanatha: The many voices of a history.’ It is a historical fact that the Sultan Mahmud of Ghazni raided the Somanatha temple and plundered its wealth. Historians have reconstructed the raid, viewing it from different perspectives and giving detailed accounts of what happened.
Romilla Thapar analyses the historical complexities and suggests that the raid did not create a dichotomy as some have pointed out. The events at the site have been reconstructed based on Turko-Persian resources. For a complete understanding, sources like local Sanskrit inscriptions, biographies of kings and merchants from various popular narratives have been drawn upon and placed in a historical context.
It is made clear that different perceptions result in diverse reading of the event. Thus the many voices of the history related to Somanatha are showcased, and the analysis brings out the fact that history is linked to the narration of communities and identities.
The author disagrees with the view spread by colonial rulers that since the plundering of the Somanatha temple there have been communal divides. The belief of a “Hindu defeat” at Somanatha is mentioned by Lord Ellenborough, for which there is scant evidence either in textual material or in folk memory. The translation is heavy in style, probably due to the highly packed original research-based text.
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