History's Long Shadow

People unaffected by certain historical events find it hard to understand why others seem to care so much about those events, why they seem affected even today decades or centuries later, when they were never even directly affected by it? Why can’t they let go of the past?

 

I got a part of the answer to those questions during our trip to Rajasthan via the contrasting attitudes towards Muslims. At Chittorgarh, the undercurrent of anger towards Muslims was evident in our guide’s narrative. At first sight, it seems strange – why let such ancient events affect today’s perspective? But then as we saw the vandalized temples in the fort, I could understand. An atrocity, a massacre, a graphic event (like the mass suicide of Padmini and the women of Chittor) will eventually feel old and fade in the emotion it evokes (or even be forgotten altogether). But a monument that stands till today, with very easily visible signs of the acts of yesteryear can end up serving as a continuing reminder. Especially if the structures in question are places of worship that are still standing, one can begin to understand why the anger persists even today.

 

At the Udaipur fort, on the other hand, there was no bitterness, no festering anger, just pride in the warrior who had fought and lost to the Mughals at the famous battle of Haldi Ghati – Maharana Pratap. Losing at war probably evokes sadness, but not bitterness and hatred.

 

At the Amer fort in Jaipur, the history is of the alliance between the Mughals and the Rajputs, facilitated by Akbar’s marriage to Jodha. Therefore, the two sides were allies, with the Rajputs even fighting as part of the Mughal army and sharing the spoils of victory. That alliance is reflected in the art and architecture of the Amer palaces which have a combo of Persian (brought by the Mughals) and Rajput styles. Our guide pointed us to a painting of Lord Ganesha with a side-view, a perspective never used in Hindu renderings (which only has front-facing Ganesha’s) but a standard feature of Mughal art. I can’t think of a better “proof” of the kind of relations they must have had, to let the other side’s art form influence the rendering of one’s own gods.

 

A variety of historical experiences in the same state, within the same broad Rajput community, can thus lead to very different views today.