KARACHI, May 29: The anti-colonial revolt of 1857 — whose 150th anniversary is being celebrated this year — in the subcontinent and its socio-political fallout was the subject of a talk given by eminent historian and academic, Dr Mubarak Ali, at an educational institute here on Tuesday.

The historian succinctly summed up the history, causes and consequences of the event, which, interestingly, is dubbed the first war of independence by Indians while the British refer to it in somewhat more degrading terms as the ‘Sepoy Mutiny.’

Titled ‘1857: New Perspectives,’ the seminar held at Biztek was a crash course for those not too familiar with the events, whereas for students of history it was perhaps a fresh view of the conflict. Dr Mohammad Ali Siddiqui, dean of business management at the institute, delivered the welcome address.

Dr Mubarak Ali started off by cautioning the listeners that when reading history, one must confirm whether the history written was dictated, or if it was indeed a collection of independent, dispassionate observations. He added that the vast majority of whatever has been written about 1857 had been from the English perspective, and even the histories penned by Indians had been heavily coloured by the English viewpoint.

He said that throughout history the victors praised their own achievements while largely glossing over the sufferings of the vanquished. He cited the example of a monument erected by the English in Kanpur (formerly Cawnpore) to commemorate the alleged slaughter of English women and children at that city’s Bibi Ghar well by Indian forces.

Dr Mubarak Ali said that folk literature was very important in preserving the history of the conquered, specifically citing an ode to the Rani of Jhansi, which lionises her bravery.

He said that the events of 1857 were first described as a war of independence by Hindutva ideologue V.D Savarkar in his 1908 book The Indian War of Independence, which was proscribed by British authorities.

The historian was critical of the way the 1857 revolt was portrayed in Pakistan’s history books.

He claimed that a group of English historians had floated the idea that it was a mostly Muslim effort, whereas the Hindus were for the most part docile. This erroneous view, he said, was reinforced by various Pakistani historians.

He also denounced the view that it was an unorganised, shambolic affair, saying that there was a considerable exchange of letters between leaders of the revolt, which proved there was an effort to organise the struggle.

As for the reasons for its failure, he squarely stated that just as there were many Indians who wanted to free themselves from the shackles of colonialism, there were also those who benefited from the East India Company’s presence and wanted to maintain the status quo.

As for the revolt’s consequences, Dr Mubarak Ali said that after the suppression of the revolt, communalism in India flourished, the cultural prominence of Delhi and Lucknow declined, Mughal culture was destroyed, whereas there was a political awakening within the native community as Indian intellectuals came to the conclusion that armed struggle against the British was not a viable option.

In the question-answer session that followed, Dr Mubarak Ali observed that while a lot of work was being done in India to preserve the legacy of 1857, here in Pakistan there was no such effort.

Perhaps, he said, it was because here we tend to dissociate everything that lies east of the Wagah border, even if it is part of our common cultural heritage. He said that the day was not far when we might even disown the Mughals.

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