The Hindu : Ayodhya's tale

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Mar 18, 2002

Opinion

Opinion - Letters to the Editor

Ayodhya's tale

Sir, — All's well that ends well. There would be, of course, different points of view, but one cannot forget the contributions to peace made by many historical researchers and intellectuals who foresaw trouble even before the Babri Masjid was actually demolished.

I particularly remember hearing Sarvepalli Gopal speak on this issue when he traced back the story to l528 when it was supposed that an old temple was made the site of a mosque by Mir Baqi, a noble under the Mughal emperor, Babar. Dr. Gopal told the audience that it was merely an assumption not supported by hard evidence. Indeed, research has shown that Nawabi rule depended on the collaboration of Kayasthas and that their military force was dominated by Saivite Nagas.

In fact, gifts to temples and patronage of Hindu sacred centres were an integral part of the Nawabi mode of exercise of power.

More revealing were the proofs that present-day Ayodhya was known as Saket before the fifth century. It was renamed Ayodhya by a Gupta king in the late fifth century.

The rise of the area as a major centre of Rama worship is relatively new. Hieun Tsang wrote of Ayodhya as a major centre of Buddhism with many monastries and stupas.

Earlier, the place was also an important centre of Jain pilgrimage and the birthplace of two famous Jain tirthankaras.

"Appropriation of history'' is a continual process in any society. In a multi-religious society like ours, appropriations of history which draw exclusively on communal identities could lead to endless conflicts.

Jaiboy Joseph,

Chennai

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