Latest news with #Kolezhuthu
Time of India
27-04-2025
- Politics
- Time of India
MGS, the conoclast who questioned, critiqued, and rebuilt history
Kozhikode : "In high school, I used to despise history because if was filled with endless lists of massacres, genealogies, and war statistics. Later what I aspired to do away with these tedious elements and instead nurture history into a social science- enriching it with engaging and fascinating human stories, incorporating philosophy and economics. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now I thought and read a lot along that path. The book `Introduction to the Study of Indian History' by DD Kozambi published in 1956 showed me a new path. Even before that, I used to like Karl Marx 's economic interpretation. However, I found his dialectics to be entirely foolish," these reflections of MGS in his autobiography 'Jalakangal: Oru Charithranweshiyude Vazhikal, Kazhchakal' capture both his scientific approach towards history and also his unabashed questioning zeal. As a historian, MGS Narayanan was profoundly iconoclastic, boldly challenging entrenched deeply beliefs that many earlier historians had accepted without question. True to the academic nonconformist in him, he broke boundaries, sparked controversies, by not mincing words even while voicing political opinions and left an indelible mark for himself in the realm of history itself. MGS constantly defied intellectual orthodoxy and the uncritical adherence to prevailing notions in history—-not for the sake of rebellion, but out of a core belief that the pursuit of historical truth be rooted in meticulous research and scholarly rigor. That vision of MGS significantly shaped the development of historiography in Kerala. To collect and analyse historical evidence, MGS went to extraordinary lengths. He mastered various scrips including Vattezhuthu, Kolezhuthu, Sanskrit and Tamil and had an 'open-air approach to history', by travelling far and wide and collecting inscriptions, visiting monuments, reading and re-reading and interpreting inscriptions. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now He refused to accept traditional narratives without scrutiny and always tried to peel back the layers of myth to reveal the realities of Kerala's early medieval past. MGS took a critical approach rooted in epigraphy and he also took evidence form archaeology, literature and through socio-economic analysis. His PhD thesis on 'Perumals of Kerala' was groundbreaking, and represented one of the earliest serious attempt by a historian to write and interpret Kerala history on the basis of epigraphic evidence. The research was a meticulous exercise of empirical reconstruction of the history of Kerala under the reign of the Cheras of Makotai (Mahodayapura) between the eighth and twelfth centuries. Eminent Indologist Prof A L Basham, who was one of the external examiners didn't limit words while lauding the work by saying that it was '...one of the ablest and most thorough Indian theses that I have examined'. The thesis not only filled important gaps but also corrected many premises put forward by his mentor Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai. For instance, using epigraphical evidence disproved the accounts of a 100 years' war between Cheras and Cholas, a premise which was put forward by his Elamkulam himself. Historian A M Shinas said MGS could be regarded as the first true professional historian of Kerala. He noted that Kerala histeriography can be clearly divided into periods before and after MGS. "There had been many who had written about Kerala history before MGS like KP Sankunni Menon, an administrator, K P Padmanabha Menon, a lawyer, and Elamkulam Kunjan Pillai who was a linguist. But MGS was the first who rigorously followed historical methodology, including scientific identification and analysis of primary and secondary sources and wrote history on the basis of evidence," said Shinas. Shinas added that instead of simply dismissing many legends and myths as absurd, MGS examined their social function. For example, he interpreted the myth of Parashurama reclaiming the land of Kerala from sea by throwing his axe was one designed to reaffirm the land rights of Brahmins. MGS re-interpreted the Keralolpatti chronicle and suggesting- based of circumstantial evidence from inscriptions and literary works- that the the last Perumal's conversion might have taken place at a much later date in AD 1122. MGS also conducted extensive research on Bhakti Movement in South India and also on the early history of Thamizhakam which too brought out fresh insights and reshaped understandings in these fields. Perhaps the lasting contribution of MGS in Kerala historiography would been the generations of historians he had trained in his long teaching career. Many of his students such as Keshavan Velluthat, Gopalankutty, have themselves become eminent historians.. MGS was also a true institution- builder. Under his leadership the department of history at Calicut University rose to national prominence. It hosted Indian History Congress for the first time in South India, after Mysore and Thiruvananthapuram, in 1976 which was attended by 1200 delegated including from foreign countries. Under his reign as head noted historians like Romila Thapar, Bipin Chandra, and R. Champakalakshmi were frequent visitors to the campus. For EMS Narayanan there were no sacred cows who was above criticism. He showed the intellectual courage to counter even CPM ideologue and state's first chief minister EMS Namboodiripad on Marxist ideology and practice. Though MGS accepted historical materialism, he rejected the idea that Marxist historiography could serve as a total explanatory framework for all historical processes. He also frequently clashed with CPM on issues including politization of universities and academic spaces and suppression of alternative views. At one point. his pension was withheld by Calicut University for 10 years, an act he described as a vindictive move orchestrated by the Left establishment. While the appointment of MGS as ICHR chairman in 2002 was seen by Left circles as a reward for his anti- Left stance, he soon fell out of favour with the Central government and was removed from the position in 2003. MGS had reacted strongly to the removal saying that some bureaucrats and Sangh Parivar academics, are promoting obscurantist policies in the field of history in India and he was removed because he fought against the communal agenda and stood strongly for the cause of historical research.
New Indian Express
27-04-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
MGS is a historian who salvaged Kerala history from myths and legends, says KKN Kurup
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The 92-year-old historian who departed on Saturday, has scripted a new chapter in secular historiography that has a scientific approach. Born in the last decades of our nationalist movement, was able to cherish echoes and ethos of leaders like K P Kesava Menon, K Kelappan, EMS and K Damodaran. MGS arrived on the scene when the studies on Kerala were handled by experts in Malayalam, and scientific historiography was camouflaged by myths and legends. The unification of Kerala in 1956 inspired him to trace the history and culture of Kerala, reconstructing the later Chera Kingdom with exact chronology from different epigraphical relics. He mastered early scripts like Kolezhuthu and Vattezhuth and wrote his magnum opus 'Perumals of Kerala', a doctoral study under the guidance of Prof P K Narayana Pillai. Indian History Congress was held at the fledgling Calicut University in 1974 with more than 700 delegates including top-ranking historians which was inaugurated by K P Kesava Menon. In fact, this meeting of scholars and teachers inaugurated an era of new learning, writing, and teaching of history. This trend could carry on to the present even after his career as chairman of Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR). I have seen many scholars in India and abroad who are specialised in their respective areas. But MGS was one who was able to share his ideas and knowledge in every channel of human creativity and intellectual achievements. For instance, MGS wrote a masterly foreword for my cultural anthropological work, The Cult of Theyyam and Hero Worship in Kerala (Calcutta, 1973). In his early years he wrote poems, cultural articles and guided doctoral dissertations in different areas like traditional historical accounts to the Punnapra-Vayalar agrarian movement. Only a versatile genius can deliver such different goods according to the needs of the client. I do remember his arguments in academic seminars, committee meetings and witnessed his true love and affection to the student community. He encouraged all, including outsiders, to freely air their views and was untouched by personal or academic rivalries. On one occasion he recommended a centre for Kayyur for Peasant Studies in Kasaragod. At the same time, he could write an article for the public on the achievements of our Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Being highly influenced by the humanism of writer M Govindan in his youth, even in the career as an academician and administrator, he followed benevolent humanism and rationalism. I have more occasions than any other academician to make him a role model, and evaluate him as a student, fellow delegate, speaker, writer, and researcher in different conferences in India and abroad. His academic experiences in Russia, Japan, the US and the Oriental Institute, London, were helpful to his colleagues, students and even the public. MGS could shed light on Indian historiography and deconstruct the Euro-centric, colonial historical writing. William Logan had written in Malabar Manual about scholars who can be branded as 'Sons of Soil' who could write the scientific history of a region to help their historical progress and development. Surely MGS belonged to this category.
The Hindu
26-04-2025
- General
- The Hindu
Historian MGS Narayanan passes away
Celebrated for his unflinching confidence, which garnered both laurels and animosity, prominent historian and former chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), Muttayil Govinda Menon Sankaranarayanan, better known as M.G.S. Narayanan or simply MGS, died at the age of 92 at his residence in Kozhikode on Saturday (April 26, 2025) morning. Proficient in Vattezhuthu, the syllabic alphabet of South India and Sri Lanka as well as Kolezhuthu, the syllabic alphabet of Kerala used for writing Malayalam language, he had also possessed a deep knowledge of Sanskrit. In 1996, he had published his laboriously researched thesis titled 'Perumals of Kerala,' exploring the complex political and social dynamics of Kerala from 800 to 1124. Often, he had demonstrated his understanding on this subject. Also read: Windows into the past His other notable published works include Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala (1972) and Calicut: The City of Truth Revisited (2006). With an admirable scholarly legacy, MGS fearlessly confronted Left-leaning and pro-Marxist historians, resolute in his unshakable convictions, and engraved an indelible mark on the historical narrative at the national and State levels. Born to Dr. K.P. Govinda Menon and Narayani Amma in Ponnani on August 20, 1932, MGS channeled his early hardships into love for poetry and painting after the loss of his mother at a young age and his father's remarriage. His early education took place in various schools and colleges in Kerala and erstwhile Madras, obtaining the first-rank in history from the University of Madras in 1953. Subsequently he earned a Ph.D. from the University of Kerala. He headed the Department of History at Calicut University from 1976 to 1990. Also read: MGS launched new age in Kerala historiography: scholar MGS was elected general secretary of the Indian History Congress during 1982-85 and later its president at the Madras annual conference. He was also a Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, London, in 1974-75, and a Visiting Professor at universities in Moscow, Leningrad, Tokyo, and Mexico. Incidentally, MGS's academic activism continued even after his retirement. He had a stint as Member Secretary of the ICHR from 1990-1992 and later became its Chairman from 2001-03. He authored several books in Malayalam, including India Charitra Parichayam (1969), Sahitya Aparadhangal (1970), Kerala Charitrathinte Atisthanasilak (1971), Kozhikodinte Katha (2001), and Janadhipatyavum Communissavim (2004). He also conducted research studies that shed light on various aspects of South Indian culture, such as Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala (1972), Aspects of Aryanisation in Kerala bi (1973), and Calicut the City of Truth Revisited (2006). His perspective on history is outlined in Charitrakarante Darsanam (2011). Not content with mere intellectual discourse, MGS was also a man of action, spearheading social movements aimed at addressing the problems faced by ordinary people, such as the campaign for the development of the Mananchira-Vellimadukuunnu road in Kozhikode city. He is survived by his wife Premalatha and their two children, Vijayakumar and Vinaya. The cremation will be held at Mavoor Road crematorium at 4 p.m.
