Delhi Darshan by Giles Tillotson

 Political Pamphleteering

Political Pamphleteering

This book is sub.-titled: The History and Monuments of India’s Capital. The jacket describes the author as someone who has taught at the University of London (discipline/School/ Department not specified) and one who currently “writes and lectures on a wide range of Indian art and architecture, from the sultanate and Rajput period to the colonial and modern eras.” What the jacket does not mention is that he is also a political pamphleteer. Because this is what he does in the opening pages of this, his slim book.

From pages 4 to 11, he makes repeated references to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and to its nationalist politics. Consider these illustrations:

[1] “It is ironic that nationalist politicians, eager to cleanse the country of traces of colonialism, have changed the hybrid but euphonious names of many other cities, such as Bombay, Calcutta and Bangalore, replacing them with pedantic transliterations from the original languages, but they have been content to leave the name of the national capital in its mangled form.” (Page 4)

What then should we do? Change ‘Delhi’ to the Hindi version ‘Dilli’ or the Urdu version ‘Dehli’ and continue to be charged with the guilt of pedantic transliteration. Or should we celebrate our colonial past by going back to ‘Cawnpore’ for Kanpur, ‘Oudh/Oude/Oudhe’ for Awadh, ‘Seringapatam’ for Srirangapatna, and a million other vulgarized forms introduced by the British to not only place names but the entire vocabulary of our myriad languages? Why not instead refer to the British resident in Afghanistan, Sir (later briefly Lord) William Hay Macnaghten as ‘Lat-e-Jangi’ as he was known in Afghan circles, while writing British history of the period? Why go back to his pedantic name which conveys nothing about his skull duggery? The Afghan synonym for this gentleman which translates roughly to ‘Big Boss of the War’ surely describes his predatory character better.

[2] On the site of the Purana Qila, the author writes (Page 7), “At its heart, perched on top of a rather uninspiring interpretation centre, is an enormous bronze equestrian statute of Prithviraj, bow and arrow at the ready, all set to reconquer. Even the pigeons-its most numerous devotees- look restless. The whole complex was inaugurated by L.K. Advani, at the time minister of home affairs in the central government, and a prominent member of the Bharatiya Janata Party, which was then (as now) widely perceived as adept at harnessing Hindu religious sentiment.”

All this in a chapter which supposedly describes the architectural features of the remains at Purana Qila. In the paragraph which precedes the one containing this sentence, the author makes the following admissions. (i) There is a traditional scholarly view that the first fortification wall in this area was built by the Tomar Rajputs in the eleventh century. (ii) Some time in the twelfth century this fort was captured by the Chauhans. (iii) Prithviraj, who also goes by the name Rai Pithora, the most well-known of the Chauhans doubled the size of the fort and renamed it after himself as Qila Rai Pithora. (iv) Subsequently, he lost the fort to the invading armies of Muhammad of Ghur.

If this indeed is the scholarly view, why is this author objecting to the Prithviraj statue? More importantly, Prithviraj Chauhan is a hero to all Indians, not just the Hindus.

[3] Referring to the destruction of 27 Hindu and Jain temples of the Tomar period to provide material for the building of the Quwwatu’l-Islam mosque, the author goes into a long sermon about the nervousness in academic circles in “building up episodes of this kind”. This is because, the violent demolition in 1992 by “Hindu fanatics” of a mosque in Ayodhya has caused the “Hindu-Muslim relations has itself become a battlefield”. He refers to L.K. Advani again in the context of the Ayodhya movement, and then goes on to give sage advice to devout Hindus to desist from any actions now.

There are three printed pages of this nonsense out of a total of 17 pages meant to explain the architecture of this period.

[4] There is a somewhat detailed description on the use of the spoilage from temples in the construction of the mosque referred above. Now hold your breath, suspend your belief. Go to Page 18 and read what this author writes.

“From the outset, the architecture of the Delhi Sultanate was an act of syncretism and assimilation.”

Going by this standard, the discovery in July 2023, of the rubble of a synagogue destroyed by the Nazis, and used for construction of a dam, is a sign of the syncretic architecture of Nazis and the assimilation of the Jewish community in the development projects of Germany.

A conclusion such as this in a German publication will send the author to jail for holocaust denial. However a similar conclusion in the Indian context earns the author plaudits printed on the back cover from his peers.

It is only fair that the Author is made to realize how his book sounds to an ordinary reader in India. For instance, in a book on classicism in British architecture, if the (Indian?) author were to make the following observations on the Conservative Party, how would it sound? Read on.  

London under Mayor Sadiq Khan of the Labour Party has been reeling under waves of protest led by pro-Palestine groups. These Islamist groups crowd into all the public places in London showing scant respect for the symbols of liberal British values. They have made little effort to cloak the antisemitic nature of their protests, and have repeatedly desecrated the war memorials that are so sacred to the British citizens. To counter this aggression, the Conservative Party, has made concerted attempts to coopt the British Hindus. This effort started quite some time ago. During her state visit, the then PM Theresa May, padded up in a green and gold saree, complete with red tilak, and visited an ancient Hindu temple in Bangalore. In a departure from the old hyphenated India-Pakistan or Hindu-Muslim policy, she kept away from the holy Muslim sites. It was a calculated move knowing that the photo-ops provided by the temple visit made a favourable impression on the well connected Hindu citizenry of this technologically advanced city which has traditional family links with various cities in the United Kingdom.

When her re-election gamble failed, her successor Boris Johnson, made a temple run of the prominent Hindu places of worship in the United Kingdom, and gained the Conservative Party nomination for the prime minister’s post. This included the support of the most prominent Hindu politician, Rishi Sunak. However, Sunak soon brought down the Government by resigning from the cabinet, and offered himself for the leadership of the Conservative party. Sunak, who is reportedly wealthier than his king, garnered the support of a majority of Conservative MPs, although the wider party membership chose Liz Truss over him. On his second bid however, Sunak was successful and moved into the PM’s office. He celebrated Diwali at 10, Downing Street, and served a vegetarian meal to his party supporters, in a powerful symbol of the consolidation of the Hindu votes under the Conservative Party. The Party hopes that the Hindus will decisively move into British public life, and rein in the hard core Islamists, in a repeat of what has happened within India.

Factually accurate, does this sound convincing? Well, not quite, would say any British citizen. Tilloston’s book makes a similar impression on his Indian readers. But then we are too polite to tell him so.

In conclusion, this book only adds to the cacophony of book publishing in India. It can be added to the Avoid List of book lovers.

1857 The Real Story of the Great Uprising by Vishnu Bhatt Godshe Versaikar (Translated Mrinal Pande)

 

A travelogue without a map

After his defeat by the forces of Henry Havelock in July 1857, Nana Saheb fled Cawnpore (now Kanpur). He was never captured despite the long campaign over Central India by the Company’s Field Force which left Delhi to relieve Lucknow. Do you know what route Nana took to evade the Company forces? A clue to the trajectory of his flight can be obtained from the travelogue of two most unlikely individuals.

Vishnu Bhatt and his elderly uncle, self-described beggar-Brahmins, leave their native village Versai (in present day Raigad district, Maharashtra) and depart for Hindustan (a popular term to denote Central and North India). The year is 1856. The motive to undertake such a mammoth journey by foot and bullock cart? To earn money to pay off family debts. How did they plan to earn money? By using their knowledge of scriptures to conduct religious rituals in the families of the rich, and royal houses of the powerful Marathas and their feudatories. The immediate destination? Mathura, where the dowager Queen of the royal house of Gwalior was planning a grand Yagnya, and giving away several lakhs of rupees in charity and fees to the Brahmins.

Death by snakebite, and robbery by thugs were well known hazards of travel into Hindustan, and our protagonists were witness to both fairly early in their travels. But imagine their surprise when they ran into renegade soldiers from the army camp in Mhow, who warned them of cataclysmic events to come! The influential Marathas including the Shindes (Scindias), Holkars, Gaikwads, and other minor feudatories had promised the Angrez (British rulers) to support the introduction of the new greased cartridges. The soldiers were bent on mutiny suspecting the Angrez of wanting to convert the whole of Hindustan to Christianity by forcing the soldiers to bite into the hated greased cartridges.

 The date for the mutiny had been set for the 10^th of June. When our travelers cross the Satpura mountains and arrive at Mhow on that very same day, the whole camp was burning. The fleeing soldiers killed the driver of an oncoming mail carriage, and set fire to the mail. Our travelers were forced to travel with the mutineers for their own safety and reached Ujjain. From Ujjain to Dhar to receive alms on the occasion of the death of the ruler of Dhar. As the mutiny was unlikely to end soon, our travelers push on and reach Gwalior, only to find that the grand Yagnya had been called off, due to the disturbed state of the country. By then the mutineers had won and lost Cawnpore, the Nana Sahib had fled, and Lucknow was unsafe. The mutineers had made Kalpi their own, and had established a civilian administration there under the leadership of Tantia Tope. A large number of travelers were fleeing to Jhansi, considered safe and impregnable. Having received generous alms from the Queen of Gwalior, our heroes too set out for Jhansi, where the elder of the two travelers had earlier been employed by the royal house.

The stay in Jhansi started well and ended in a nightmare. The British attacked the fort relentlessly, and finally broke in forcing the Rani to flee with her adherents. The city was mercilessly sacked. The book gives the most detailed narration of the sacking of a city- first the British who make away with gold, silver, and other precious objects, followed by the Indian soldiers who make off with brass and copper ware, then the thugs and free booters who snatch whatever else is left. What is not of value such as clay pots and pans are broken and smashed, fruit trees cut, and the wood carted away. Trees of no value are carted away for firewood, until the city is left bereft of fuel to even cremate the dead. All this is done under the close supervision of the British “Commissioner”. Much before this, all males of the age 5 to 80 are slaughtered. Our protagonists spend the days in underground hideouts along with women and children, and survive the catastrophe. At the end of the sacking, the two clothed in rags, with a rope and a clay pot take the road to Kalpi, where the mutineers hold out the promise of safety from the white man (see Route Map 1 below). However the British after defeating the rebel forces at Charkari, had arrived at the gates of Kalpi in hot pursuit of the Rani, Nana and Tantia Tope. This time our heroes left Kalpi before the British entered, and made for the Ganga at Bithoor, which had by then already been sacked. Even in the midst of serial disasters, our duo do not forget their ritual baths, prayers, temple visits, religious discourses, and conduct the Shrad ceremonies for their ancestors in the Holy Ganga. From here, our travelers go to Chitrakoot, where Lord Rama had spent a few years in exile. However the British come snapping at their heels yet again, and they had to flee to Banda. From Banda to Jalaun, this time again in the company, and dubious protection of the mutineers. From Jalaun, they turned back to Banda to collect alms from the ruler of Chitrakoot who was imprisoned there by the British. With 75 rupees collected, they plan to go to Kashi, but are looted by robbers and, forced to join an army of mutineers led by the Peshwa himself (p. 156). With the onset of monsoon and the sky heavily overcast, our heroes lose all sense of direction and end up trailing Nana’s party, first going to Jaipur, and then Baroda. At each of these places, the Peshwa seeks assistance of the local rulers. Some pay money, others prevaricate, yet others have openly aligned with the British. The Peshwa has to flee with his considerable army now numbering over 20,000 to Bundi (Route Map 2 below). From Kalpi to Bundi, they had by now travelled 2500 kms. The Peshwa’s forces defeat the Raja of Bundi and seize his treasury. The Peshwa turns southwards believing the Nizam of Hyderabad would help the mutiny. At this point our heroes, not willing to give up their aim of visiting Kashi part ways, and travel back to Bithoor! (See Route Map 3 below.)

After more ceremonies at Bithoor, their second visit to the Holy Ganga, they depart for Ayodhya via Lucknow. There is a fascinating account of the birth place of Lord Rama in Ayodhya (p. 184):

“The fabled spot is merely a large waist-high platform in an open area. It is made of limestone and surrounded by a wall about three or four feet high. Grasses and weeds grow all over, and in the distance one can see the remains of what must have been the walls of an old fort.”

This description of the holy spot, matches with the Wikipedia account of the site, and most amazingly the platform cited by these travelers appears to have been constructed around the same time. The Wikipedia account is quoted below:

“The site of the Babri Masjid has been claimed to be the birthplace of Rama since at least 1822. Hafizullah, a superintendent at the Faizabad court submitted a report to the court in 1822 in which he claimed, "The mosque founded by emperor Babur is situated at the birth-place of Ram."^[2][3] In 1855 local Muslims became convinced that the nearby Hanuman Garhi Temple was built over the site of a former mosque, and became resolved to demolish the temple, resulting in violent clashes leading to the deaths of many Muslims.^[4] In 1857, a chabutra (platform) was erected in the courtyard of the Babri Masjid at the supposed site of Rama's birthplace.^[5]” (emphasis added).

The violence at Ayodhya in this period became a bone of contention between the Nawab Wajid Ali Shah of Lucknow, and the Resident James Outram. This was one among other reasons cited to support the eventual annexation of Oudhe (Awadh) (see Llewellyn-Jones, The Last King in India).  

After spending 22 days in daily prayers, Vishnu Bhatt- the younger of the two, feels an urge to taste the pleasures of life. He convinces his uncle to stay in Ayodhya in prayer, and himself goes to Lucknow. Gone are the ritual baths and prayers. For a fortnight in Lucknow, he walks the streets in search of women, visits dancing girls, and indulges himself in a city in which the mutiny by now has been fully put down. He then returns to Ayodhya and his uncle, and resumes his normal life. From here they move to Kashi, and then on to Prayag, the holiest of the holy towns. More rituals and prayers. He collects two pots of water to be carried all the way back to his native village for the ritual purification of his parents.

The pair now return back home by means of Bithoor, Gwalior, Jhansi, Sagar, Hoshangabad, Nemad, Indore, Dhule, Malegaon, Khandesh to Pune (Route Map 4 below). The return journey is by a route different from that traversed on the way out. The journey is uneventful, as the British have begun to exercise control over the whole country, reined in outlaws, established safe routes for travel, and constructed rest houses. There is only one hazard the new rulers could not provide for. The moral hazard of promiscuous behavior. However, our travelers by the dint of their piety overcome this admirably, and reach home to the joy of all. The original aim of earning money? They have utterly failed, for it is fated that scholars shall forever live a life of penury!  To conclude, this is a delightful book to read, part biography, part history.

Route Map 1. The first phase of the journey (1739 kms).

Route Map 2. The second phase of the journey from Kalpi to Bundi (2547 kms). The journey from Gwalior to Bundi was completed as a part of Nana Saheb’s camp.

Route Map 3. The third phase (1951 kms). The return journey begins at Prayagraj.

Route Map 4. The return journey completed (1291 kms).