Rendezvous with history at Sirpur

History has always been a boring subject for many students especially those who do not want to get lost in remembering dates ,wars and genealogical trees.In fact i found that the subject in itself is not boring but the way it is taught in our schools has made it uninteresting.Stories are always liked by the children right from the pari katha to chanda mama ki kahanis.Children have always got a reason to sleep: they are told stories.These stories ,the paris,rakshas,prince and princesses,jadugars have always enriched their dreams.History if taught like stories will not only facilitate learning among the students but also the others .Afterall who doesnt wants to know about the past.If people knew the past and learned from it they would have not repeated the same errors.Anyways on my visit to Sirpur ,as there was annual mela there on mahashivratri,i got surprised by the findings of the archeological excavations there.History of Sirpur which was actually sripur, is the story of one Mahashivgupta Balarjuna a somvanshi king .He was so proficient in using arms (bow and arrow) in his childhood that he earned the titile of Bala-arjuna.His father was Harshagupta and mother Vasata.He was a great king and secular in his religious beliefs.His mother Vasata after becoming widow constructed a temple for god Hari the LaxmanaTemple.Thus his parents were vaishnavites he himself being shaivite Mahashivgupta didnt hesitate to donate for building many buddhist monasteries.HeinTsang describes that there were 100 monasteries,70 temples and 1000 monks living in them at Sirpur.In fact Sirpur was one of the greaty buddhist learning centres of ancient time.The monks of mahayana sect used to come from far flung areas to learn.monasteries wre buit from bricks and inscription refer to a monk named Anand Prabhu,on whose name a monastery was named.On watching the architecture of the excavated sites one cant remain unamazed by the architectural knowledge and mastery of those who had built these buildings.Well structured designs,intricate carvings of pillars well designed drainage,lavish pools etc.


















Sripur was very prosperous kingdom at the time of Mahashivgupta ,the sripur dynasty used to call themselves Kesari(lion) but after him or his old age.Sharabhpuria rules captured Sripur and Mahashivgupta's son Mahabhavagupta.Unfortunate Mahabhavagupta had to run with his family and walk along the mahanadi and conquer Kalinga from trikalinga dynasty and settle at katak(cuttak).

History or His-Story

Citizen of a nation are like Mountaineers,they seek a peg or a support which is stable.This peg/support is necessary for a mountaineer because he doesnt knows whether the place he is going to put his next step is stable or not.A stable peg/support assures him a safe point where he can return in case the place is unstable.
Same is the case with the citizens ,it is quite difficult for citizens to move forward without a definite history behind them.This history is like a psychological peg/support to which they can return in case the future might not be condusive.
History of a nation serves more than that,it is not only the collection of facts and artifacts.People look towards their history of seek their identity ,to find purpose of the collective group,to understand what they are today and why and similar other questions.History is like an old grandmother to whom her grand children keep asking what,why,how ,when.....then...what happened then....
As an Indian i too tried to know what is our history.But the more i searched, the more i got confused.History books tell we are the descendents of the Aryans who came some where from Central Asia,but not all agree to this .Hindu Nationalists rubbish this argument are instead propese we are original inhabitants of this country.According to them this whole "Aryan invasion theory" is created to press the european dominance.
There is also various versions of our own freedom struggle. While Winston Churchill didnt considered Indian freedom struggle as really a struggle,a warfreak Churchill believed that in a bloody war can only be called a struggle.While Indian Historians have tried to explain how our struggle for independence was result of a strategy and deliberate struggle.Congress,Gandhi and others have been credited for uniting the people as a nation and inspiring them to seek freedom from the British.But the British Historian like Vincent A. Smith write that India was given freedom because The Britsh themselves believed in the ideals of freedom and self governance.British had a strategy and a time table,the congress only helped to prepone the timing.They blame the hasteness of Congress for a divided nation and the violent situation at the time of independence.While indian historian describe at length the atrocities,exploitation and agressions of various Viceroys and Governor Generals,British Historian write paean of benevolence, administratively acumen and long sightedness these gentlemen .Both sides support their argument with ample data and facts.
Not only that Indian Historians and their Pakistan counter parts too have their own version of Independence struggle.The Two Nation Theory ,the Role of Muslim League ,Partition are some areas where they differ totally and tell heir citizen their respective version.The history of Kashmir has led to two wars and still an undeclared war is going on.
It can be reasoned that every side whether indian ,british or pakistanis has molded HISTORY such that it shows themselves as true and ethical before their citizens.But what actually happened ,i think, we will never be going to know.
It seems atleast that the Indian can count upon the version told by our historians as a right version,for sake of psychological stability and national feeling ,but matter is still remains confusing.Indian historians have tried to provide a version which answers many quesions and has remained for a long time.But Indian historians belonging to communist camp like Irfan Habib have described Congress and Gandhi as spporter of Rightists,capitalists and elites.They have their own set of facts to show how indian elites' interests were secured by the Congress.They allege that Congress has used its sway over power after independence to indoctrinate people with its own version of history and obscure other facets.Another group of historians called Subaltern Group as interpreted history from iew point of subalterns(lower strata of society),they too differ from mainstream Historians.RSS and Hindu Nationalists have their own story to tell.As a citizen to whom one must belief especially when every side is euipped with its strong argument and data to support .Even if one is doctrinated to one version it is difficult in this information technology age to keep his ears closed for other versions . More informaion often contradictory is present making things more confusing.

An old wisdom says that "forget what happened just move forward in life".But while moving forward may be easy it is not quite easy to forget ones past .The past haunts ,it comes before you in a new cloak and poses the same quetion which you always tried to avoid.