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The Print
13 hours ago
- Politics
- The Print
Why this Indian archaeologist renamed the Indus Valley Civilisation
The partition of India and Pakistan not only altered the South Asian geopolitics but also caused a profound impact on their shared history. It paved the way for colonial thought to seep through the cracks and widen the divide between the two countries. Seizing the opportunity, renowned archaeologist Sir Mortimer Wheeler, who was the last Director-General of the Archaeological Survey of (undivided) India, wrote a book called Five Thousand Years of Pakistan: an Archaeological Outline . The book was published in January 1950. At a time when the horrors of the Partition were still fresh and Pakistan (and India) was only two years and five months old—how, then, could its history be claimed to span 5000 years? One of the key aspects covered in the book is the first major expedition carried out by Ghosh and his team. This expedition, from 1950 to 1952, challenged Western-centric thoughts about Bronze Age cultures in the Indian subcontinent. Over a hundred sites were mapped under the guidance of Ghosh, which convincingly led him to rename the beloved Indus Valley Civilisation to a more centric and neutral name—the Harappan Civilisation. With a new name, Indian archaeology saw a new dawn. Earlier this month, a book on the life and legacy of Amalananda Ghosh was published by Routledge. Authored by eminent scholar Himanshu Prabha Ray and senior bureaucrat and research scholar at the University of Oxford, Ajay Yadav, it highlights the significant changes in Indian archaeology after Independence. Ghosh was the torchbearer of this change. The history of the land and of the people can not be divided. Yet, around the late 1940s, presumptions made their way into the historical discourse. The talks of the Dark Age in Indian history were already making rounds, and the matter was accelerated when the Aryan Invasion became the main topic of debate. It's fascinating that Wheeler was central to all of these discussions. He actively pushed a narrative through his writings and through his teachings. Famous Indian archaeologist BB Lal, who was Wheeler's student, was also a proponent of the Aryan theory and placed Painted Grey Ware as its material reality. Later, he took back this claim as it lacked hard-hitting archaeological evidence. The narrative set by Wheeler and others was a trick to further the divide. This was an attempt to stake a claim to the first civilisation and reserve its right to our neighbour. With the change of postal address of Mohenjo-Daro, Harappa, Chanhudaro and many such sites, Wheeler and others declared that Pakistan history was 5,000 years old, the home of the first civilisation. Indian archaeologists were silently working to disprove this premature assumption, ironically by using archaeological methods taught by Wheeler himself. A team of archaeologists, including Amalananda Ghosh, Debila Mitra, and Saran Singh, reached Bikaner on 26 October 1950 to start the survey, which corrected colonial wrongdoings. This survey of the Archaeological Survey of India proved with facts, evidence and precision that it's not solely Pakistan or India but both were the home to the five-thousand-year-old civilisation. Also read: From Kashmir to China—Aurel Stein's expeditions helped unlock secrets of ancient civilisations The Rajputana Survey A decade before Ghosh explored the region from present-day Hanumangarh district in the east, extending to the India-Pakistan border in the west, Aurel Stein surveyed this area and beyond (toward Bahawalpur). This was Stein's last survey, and he recorded 97 sites. However, he was unable to relatively date these sites efficiently and was of the opinion that the Ghaggar-Hakra basin lacked ancient settlements that predate the Kushana period. But within a week of Ghosh's survey, the team found many Harappan sites in the area. The survey began from Suratgarh, a town in Ganganagar district in Rajasthan. From Suratgarh, Ghosh and his team marched towards the lower Ghaggar region extending till the India-Pakistan border. During the first leg of the survey, Ghosh sites that were earlier recorded by Aurel Stein were Red (present-day Rer), Kalibangan, Baror, Tarkhanwala Dera, Sardargarh, Binjor, etc. He reported three mounds at Binjor, one of which—Binjor (4MSR)—was excavated in 2014. Over a hundred sites were mapped during two field seasons, out of which 25 were Harappan sites, 20 were grey ware sites (PGW) and over 50 Early Historic sites. The 25 Harappan sites, which were mapped on what is now known as the eastern domain of the civilisation, shattered the illusion that these sites were limited only to the Indus valley, the region which is now in Pakistan. Only two sites—Rupar in Punjab and Rangpur in Gujarat—were known in the newly formed India until then. Ghosh's exploration added 25 more sites in one region alone. This survey also broke the Indus-centric view since the surveyed sites were on the dried bed of the Ghaggar-Hakra River, part of the Saraswati River system. This indicated that the 'Indus Valley Civilisation' was not limited to the Indus region. As per Ghosh, 'the culture extended far beyond the Indus basin, a fact which gives a geographical lie to the term (Indus valley civilisation)'. During the presidential address of the All-India History Congress held at Jaipur in 1951, he expressed concern about still using this term. He warned that if the term is continued to be used, it will perpetuate an error made 25 years earlier. As an alternative, he proposed the term 'Harappan Civilisation' based on archaeological convention where cultures are named after the type site—Harappa. This is the term archaeologists prefer to use to date. Apart from the explorations, Ghosh also conducted trial digs at sites including Tarkhanwala Dera, Rer, Chak 40 GB and Chak 86 GB. These excavations, together with explorations, helped him understand the area, not just from one cultural perspective but also from a regional perspective. His excavations at Tarkhanwala Dera, which is a Harappan site, and Chak 86GB, which is a PGW, were important. These sites, situated across the road from each other, concluded that Harappans in this region predate PGW users, who occupied this area after a considerable gap. He said that they never came in contact with each other, at least in this particular area. Most importantly, the grey ware people (PGW users) broke new ground. To put it simply, the Harappans abandoned this region, which remained deserted till PGW users reoccupied it. When the sites were re-excavated in 2009, the absolute dates and other archaeological evidence reconfirmed Ghosh's assessment. In fact, in 2016, I, along with Sanjay Manjul (who at the time was excavating Binjor—a Harapan craftsperson's settlement), excavated and dated another PGW site, Chak 72 GB. The dates and evidence again reconfirmed Ghosh's assessments. Also read: Early Harappan burial discovery is changing how we understand Gujarat's past Ghosh's legacy This is one of many such projects undertaken by Ghosh in Independent India. His role as the Director General of ASI and his archaeological endeavours have had a lasting impact on many generations of archaeologists. My own research work is largely based on Ghosh's exploration along the dried bed of the Ghaggar River. It's fascinating to note that even after seven decades, his assessments have stood the test of time. Besides, field investigations, Ghosh started the ASI's in-house annual publication—Indian Archaeology–A Review (IAR). The IAR would have briefs of all the sites explored, excavated and conserved in one year. It was the review of all the work undertaken by archaeologists and conservators. Sadly, the last issue was published in 1999-2000, a full quarter-century ago. These examples only begin to illustrate the scope of Ghosh's contributions. His work is not merely part of India's archaeological history—it is a benchmark against which the progress of the discipline must be measured. It's a reminder of how far we have come and how much further we must still go. Disha Ahluwalia is an archaeologist and research fellow at the Indian Council Of Historical Research. Views are personal. She tweets @ahluwaliadisha. (Edited by Theres Sudeep)
Mint
5 days ago
- Politics
- Mint
Arundhati Roy's Azadi among 25 books banned by J&K for ‘false narratives'
The Jammu and Kashmir government has banned 25 books, claiming they promote a 'false narrative and secessionism' in the Union Territory. Among the banned titles are Azadi by author Arundhati Roy, The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012 by constitutional expert A.G. Noorani, and political scientist Sumantra Bose's Kashmir at the Crossroads and Contested Lands. According to a notification issued by the Home Department on Tuesday (August 5), the ban was based on 'credible evidence' that such content—often presented as historical or political analysis—has contributed to 'youth participation violence and terrorism.' 'This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism. Some of the means by which this literature has contributed to the radicalization of youth in J&K include distortion of historical facts, glorification of terrorists, vilification of security forces, religious radicalization, promotion of alienation, pathway to violence and terrorism,' the notification reads. The government has declared 25 books published by various publishing houses — including Routledge, Stanford University Press, and Oxford University Press — as 'forfeited' under Section 98 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023. According to the notification, the books were 'found to excite secessionism and endanger the sovereignty and integrity of India,' thereby invoking provisions under Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023. While Section 98 of the BNSS 2023 empowers the government to declare certain publications as 'forfeited', Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the BNS 2023 relate to 'assault without grave provocation', 'obstruction of public servants', and 'failure to assist them when legally bound', respectively. The government has ordered the forfeiture of 25 books, along with all copies and related documents.
Hindustan Times
5 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
J&K bans 25 books for promoting ‘false narratives and terrorism', including one by Arundhati Roy
The Jammu and Kashmir government has ordered a ban on 25 books including those for allegedly propagating 'false narrative and secessionism' in the Union Territory. Arundhati Roy's 'Azadi'; constitutional expert AG Noorani's 'The Kashmir Dispute 1947–2012'; political scientist Sumantra Bose's 'Kashmir at the Crossroads' and 'Contested Lands' are among the 25 banned books. The government has ordered the forfeiture of 25 books, along with their copies and related documents.(Representative Image) A notification of the Home Department in Jammu and Kashmir issued on Tuesday (August 5), signed by Principal Secretary Chandraker Bharti, said credible evidence shows that false narratives and secessionist literature often disguised as historical or political commentary have played a key role 'behind youth participation violence and terrorism.' 'This literature would deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting culture of grievance, victimhood and terrorist heroism. Some of the means by which this literature has contributed to the radicalization of youth in J&K include distortion of historical facts, glorification of terrorists, vilification of security forces, religious radicalization, promotion of alienation, pathway to violence and terrorism,' the notification reads. The government has declared 25 books by various publishing houses including Routledge, Stanford University Press, Oxford University Press as 'forfeited' under Section 98 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) 2023. The government said that these books have been 'found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India', thereby, attracting the provisions of sections 152, 196 & 197 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. While section 98 of BNSS 2023 gives power to the government to declare certain publications forfeited, Sections 152, 196, and 197 of the BNS 2023 deal with assault without grave provocation, obstruction of public servants, and failure to assist them when legally bound, respectively. The government has ordered the forfeiture of 25 books, along with their copies and related documents. This has come at a time when the Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Friday, August 8, an application seeking directions to the central government to restore the statehood of the Union territory of Jammu and Kashmir. Incidentally, on August 5, 2019, the Centre scrapped Jammu and Kashmir's special status and bifurcated the state into two Union territories.
Time of India
5 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
J&K government declares 25 books on Kashmir forfeited for exciting secessionism and endangering sovereignty of India
The Home Department of the Jammu and Kashmir government has issued a notification declaring 25 books on Kashmir as forfeited for allegedly exciting secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India. The books have been banned under section 98 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023 and sections 152, 196,197 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Some of the authors whose books have been banned include A G Noorani, Sumatra Bose, Arundhati Roy, Maulana Maududi, Pankaj Mishra, Victoria Schofield, Stephen P Cohen, Hasan ul Bana, David Devdas, Hafsa Kanjwal and others. The books have been published by some prominent houses including Oxford University Press, Routledge, Stanford University Press, University of Pennsylvania Press, Harper Collins, Cambridge University Press, Penguin India and other publishing houses. The notification issued by the Home Department, which is under the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha,stated that it has come to the notice of the government that certain literature propagates false narrative and secessionism in J&K. 'Available evidence based on investigations and credible intelligence unflinchingly indicate that a significant driver behind youth participation in violence and terrorism has been the systematic dissemination of false narratives and secessionist literature by its persistent internal circulation, often disguised as historical or political commentary, while playing a critical role in misguiding the youth, glorifying terrorism and inciting violence against Indian State,' read the notification issued on August, 5, 2025, also the sixth anniversary of the abrogation of Article 370 and 35 (A) and downgrading of the J&K into the two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. The notification states that this literature would 'deeply impact the psyche of youth by promoting culture of grievance, victim hood and terrorist heroism.' 'Some of the means by which this literature has contributed to the radicalization of youth in J&K include distortion of historical facts, glorification of terrorists, vilification of security, religious radicalization, promotion of alienation, pathway to violence, terrorism, etc,' read the notification. The notification mentioned that 25 books have been identified that propagate false narrative and secessionism in J&K and need to be declared as 'forfeited' in terms of Section 98 of Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023; and whereas; the identified 25 books have been found to excite secessionism and endangering sovereignty and integrity of India, thereby, attracting the provisions of sections 152, 196 & 197 of Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023. 'Now, therefore, in exercise of the powers conferred by section 98 of the Bhartiya Nyaya Sanhita 2023, the Government of Jammu and Kashmir hereby declares publication of 25 books, forming Annexure 'A' to this Notification, and their copies or other documents to be forfeited to the Government', the notification added. The list of the 25 books banned include, Human Rights Violation in Kashmir by Piotr Balcerowicz and Angnieszka Kuszewka, Kashmir's Fight for Freedom by Muhammad Yusuf Saraf, Colonizing Kashmir by Hafsa Kanjwal, Kashmir Politics and Plebiscite by Dr Abdul Jabbar Gockhami, Do You Remember Kunan Poshpora, by Essar Batool and others, Mujahid Ki Azan by Imam Hasan ul Bana Shaheed, Al Jihad Fil Islam by Maulana Maududi, Independent Kashmir by Christopher Snedden, Resisting Occupation Kashmir by Haley Duschinski, Mona Bhat, Athar Zia and Cynthia Mahmood, Between Democracy and Nation by Seema Kazi, Contested Lands by Sumantra Bose, In Search of Future by David Devadas, Kashmir in Conflict by Victoria Schofield, The Kashmir Dispute by A G Noorani, Kashmir at the Cross Roads by Sumantra Bose, A Dismantled State by Anuradha Bhasin, Resisting Disappearance by Ather Zia, Confronting Terrorism by Stephen P Cohen, Freedom in Captivity by Radhika Gupta, Kashmir by Tariq Ali, Hilal Bhat, Angana P Chatterjee, Pankaj Mishra and Arundhati Roy, Azadi by Arundhati Roy, USA and Kashmir by Dr Shamshad Shan, Law and Conflict Resolution in Kashmir by Piotr Balcerowicz and Angnieszka Kuszewka, Tarikh i Siyasat e Kashmir by Dr Afaq and Kashmir and the future of South Asia by Sugata Bose and Ayesha Jalal.
Hindustan Times
23-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Hindustan Times
Review: Muslim Identity in Hindi Cinema by Mohammad Asim Siddiqui
The pervasive influence of new information and communication technology has transformed culture, literature, the fine arts, and other forms of entertainment into powerful transnational productions. Now, cinema serves as a reflective mirror to our rapidly evolving social landscape, illuminating and informing us about significant societal shifts. Ranveer Singh as Khilji in Padmavat. 'An unprecedented surge in structuring films on themes related to Muslim rulers reveals a sense of naivety on the part of the directors, who seem to believe that retelling the past or the imagined past settles the question of cultural identity.' (Film still) Films with their vivid characterisation, intriguing visuals, and gripping storylines transcend fantasies of desire and reveal what lies beneath the vicissitudes of life. Cinema appears to be the site of every twist in collective life, upending our settled understanding of lived experience. The postmodern era has given rise to transformational cinema, queer cinema, and politically charged films that lend a voice to subcultures, fostering a sense of empathy and inclusivity. 185pp, ₹3145; Routledge The widely admired portrayal of fervent nationalism has given rise to a new notion, 'cine patriotism,' which is essentially a stagnant concept. It resonates with Bollywood, which often constructs identity within a particular national and religious context. Identity is a slippery and multilayered concept, and when it pertains to those people who, in Franz Fanon's vivid phrase, are without any anchor, without horizon, and colourless, it becomes more complex. For Indian cinema, national identity can only be constructed if it is contrasted with a less-than-desirable, if not loathsome, other. It is the other's ghostly presence that goes well with the gullible audience. In cinematographic projection, the other is the Muslim, who is fictionalised and plays the assumed role. The narrative and visuals fix him in violence, hostility, and aggression. His story is constructed through fantasy, myth and falsification, which leaves him experiencing himself as the other. The portrayal is done through two vectors – cultural difference and social rupture. Negotiation of identity among Muslims remains a shifting motif, serving as a potential tool for othering by contemporary Hindi cinema. Right now, this is how our film industry treats the second-largest Muslim population in the world. How does the expropriation of cultural and religious identity hinder the understanding of a community? Indian cinema addresses this by focusing on a simplified and often distorted representation that fails to capture the complexity of identity. An unprecedented surge in structuring films on themes related to Muslim rulers reveals a sense of naivety on the part of the directors, who believe that retelling the past or the imagined past settles the question of cultural identity. Pran and Amitabh Bachchan in Zanjeer. 'The issue of the Muslim gangster is explored in the fourth chapter, which provides a close reading of Zanjeer (1973), Angaar (1992), and numerous other films.' (Film still) The diacritics of cinematic aporia call for an objective delineation and insightful analysis, and it is what Asim Siddiqui's recently published book, Muslim Identity in Hindi Cinema does with academic rigour. The author rightly considers cinema a site of hybridity, diversity, and splitting, where relations, assimilations, and syncretizations are negotiated and renegotiated. Hindi films also did this in the portrayal of Muslim identity over the last eight decades. Now, however, the situation has changed. This book attempts to analyse 'how the inclusive vision presented in films like Mughal-e Azam (1960) has been replaced by a Hindutva vision in many films using history as a backdrop where Muslims appear in the image of the other.' Comprising six terse and incisive chapters, the book provides a panoramic yet invigorating view of the representation of Muslims in new social settings and idioms. Siddiqui discovers, excavates and discusses the changing perception of Muslim identity from the historical films of the 1940s down to the recent movies that perpetuate stereotypical notions of Muslim identity. With critical acuity and social and cultural sensitivity, he unravels the representation of global Muslim identity in a post–9/11 world and emphasises the need for a more nuanced understanding. The first chapter, From History to Circus: Politics of Genre and Muslims' Representation in Hindi Films enumerates historical, political, social and cultural aspects of Muslim identity, and discusses issues relating to Partition, to Muslims into a secular nation, interreligious marriages, ever growing communalism, militancy in Kashmir, and the subjugation of Muslim women. The second chapter goes well beyond the paraphrasing of themes and cursory interpretation of visuals, costumes, lyrics, music, and sound effects. The author sensitively reads the films of Raja Kumar Hirani and Zoya Akhtar, where the predictable markers of identity hardly work. A dispassionate analysis is presented in the third chapter, which examines the portrayal of Hindu-Muslim hostility and violence in films. Author Mohammad Asim Siddiqui (Courtesy the subject) The issue of the Muslim gangster is explored in the fourth chapter, which provides a close reading of Zanjeer (1973), Angaar (1992), and numerous other films. The figure of the gangster has now been replaced with that of a terrorist and has produced the terrorist genre of Hindi films. The author takes pains in chewing over the globalisation of terror and the setting of terrorist films in Afghanistan, Turkey and London. The last chapter provides a panoramic view of the representation of Muslim women characters in Hindi cinema. 'Muslim women also appear in many interreligious romances where the man usually happens to be a Hindu and the girl a Muslim,' Siddiqui correctly points out, adding that the pattern 'guided by the demands of political correctness and market forces, reveals deep-rooted sexual anxiety about protecting and preserving women from defilement.' In sum, the book presents an insightful and multilayered analysis of the representational aspects of Hindi cinema. Shafey Kidwai, a bilingual critic, is the director of Sir Syed Academy, Aligarh Muslim University.
