The Notre Dame has been included in many works of literature and cinema – most notably in Victor Hugo’s novel – making it a part of the heritage of humankind.
A three-pronged scholarship is according the Mahabharata its rightful place, cleaning it of colonial contaminations, bringing India’s definitive text back to the people of India.
Removal of the Congress president from Jallianwala Bagh trust is part of a larger trend of the ruling party’s attempts to distort history and mythicise lies.
The petroglyphs, giant images carved on rock by chipping away parts of it, could date to between 10000 BCE and 3000 BCE, falling right in the middle part of India's Stone Age period.
Peter Manuel's ‘Cassette Culture’ showed the booming Bhakti music during the '80s and '90s when Anoop Jalota, Gulshan Kumar achieved success by singing the sanitised Bhajans.
Economists say there are weaknesses in India’s GDP data. But statisticians claim the accusations are based on flawed understanding, saying while GDP has problems, the economists are looking in the wrong places.
I guess your opening statement should read as mother of “distorted” Indian history. And clearly you are a recent aid to her. No one hates her, we clearly disagree with her distorted Marxist history.
Romila Thapar – The mother who gave birth to all untruths about India with her distorted opinions and fabricated ideologies. As truth unfolds, she will be remembered for sure – more as a distortionist of Indian history than a historian. Sorry to say, I am aghast at myself of having touched the books that you authored (I never had any regard for your written gibberish anyway!). Your untruths will never be forgotten. Shameful pseudo-intellectuals carrying hatred and bias pretend as scholars and seers of the truth. Ms. Thapar, as you age and prepare for impending departure from this world, my request is: Please learn to speak the truth.
Do you have an idea how much damage you have done, because of your selfish agendas, fame and greed? Loathsome!
She is critical case of Stockholm syndrome, where people start romancing there abusers. She was only popular because in past Congress wanted to appease Muslim votes by destroying Hindu religion.
Basically she gained her popularity in the dark ages of Indian democracy. She wanted to appease the western scholars so that she could get tributes. As she always say she sees the history in modern times. And that’s the issue. we all know a decent proverb, be a roman in Rome. so in order to look indian history we need to think as an Indian. And the Indians before the so called Latest history are all Hindus (including Atheists as atheism is considered a form of Hindu Tatva.) The scholars at present accept the reality of the Battle of ten kings as a fact but she merely says it is for cattle….Hippocrates. it is the first ever recorded battle of world where even elephants are used. So elephants are used for mere cattle war? So print, if you want to be a great journal, you need to grab you facts.
With due respoect tp age whocxh she deserves, Ms Thapar has bene the cheerleader for the fictitious AIT, the whitewasher of various Islamic invasions. I accept that attacking countries was common those days and so was killing people. But when it was carried out in name of religion and it is not even acknowledged, when attack and sack on Somnath Temple, destruction of deity is treated at par with attempt to sack temple with no religious motive, people are bound to ask questions. There are deep social scars which were made worse by these attempts to whitewash the atrocities. A hisotirans job is to record what happened, not give it an ideological slant. When Ghuri / GHazanavi’s own historians are speaking of attacks on Kaffrs and conversions and templke destruction, how can it be described as anything else
A novelist and a historian have the same task – to narrate a story, except that Historian is supposed to be honest and stick to facts. These eminent historians forgot that.
Romila Thapar is a Mission to denigrate Sanatani History of Bharat . Her eminence as a Historian is fed by her Congress background and western support that she draws by her extolling everyone except the Sanatani history of Bharat . She claims Bharat to have no history at all whereas Bharat is the only nation which has a genuine Human History . Bharat was already at the highest state of Humanity when the rest of the world was still a savage bloodsucker camp . In fact Defiling the history of Bharat makes Romila a narrow unfair History Manufacturer . Bharat and its Sanatan flow of culture gradually including diverse modern cultures have always been the most tolerant civilization. Others have taken this advantage and have exploited it through the centuries . Bharat has never been an invader . It has never imposed its religion on others either . Romila has exposed herself . We the people of Bharat can well understand what is up her sleeve.
She (Romila Thapar) has also questioned the existence of lord Rama. And stated that The Ramayana was just a small skirmish between 2 Tribes, and It got transformed into the Ramayana from the imagination of people over a period time.
The title of this article itself has a flaw. If some one questions Romila Thapar then do not necessarily be a lapsed liberal or a right winger. No one is above criticism including god that’s what Hindu philosophy teaches us. We need to be rational and unbiased as much as possible in life. History is always subjective unlike archaeology which is based on facts. In any society winners write history.
If she is an historian, then I am actor Shah Rukh Khan. The way she oppose any attempts to review the histories, makes her partisan historian. Her claims that ancient Indians weren’t good at historical records and the Puranas and Epics are figment of imaginations, makes her hated by most. How can she discount Indian records (the Puranas) without even looking at them?
Does she know Sanskrit? Without knowing the language and script, a historian would be blind as a bat!
It’s not understood why she blindly follows the British construct and ignores everything Indian? Is that her own deep-seated inferiority complex?
Doesn’t she know that History, never remains constant and changes with each new input, findings, discoveries and evidences? Has she ever tried to go beyond her own self-concieted knowledge?
She said Aryan invasion exist but it did not
she said temple is not there but it did exist
Indian history for 1000 years is mostly Hindu which is the golden age of India but she has an ideology against it so she dont want to acknowledge it and also she takes most of her stuff from British who are racists we need our history and culture as it is
Muslims history can also be taught as it is but dont malign and distort our history to praise Islamic and British rule
Wow! My previous comment got deleted.. just want to hear good about fake mother India. Twisted facts, hatred against Hindus ( by taking money obviously) is her propaganda. Exact one year u wrote this article and today’s findings in excavation of Janam Bhoomi is enough to tell why she should be hated.
Hope the Admin doesn’t delete this one two under their own understanding of “Freedom of Expression”.
21 May 2019 u wrote this shitty about a bulshit propaganda spreader. Today, 21 May 2020 exact one year and you should know why is she being hated( hope you have come across the news of excavation of Shri Ram Janam Bhoomi and the findings there) she’s nothing but a witch whose only propaganda from beginning is to spread hate against Hinduism and alter history about Hindus . These people are concerned about getting money by any means. No need to tell source of money for them
This article was less informative about her genuine work and was more about the glorification of a historian. There were plenty of historians and their job is to uncover the history and not fabricate it. Hope this will change with time.
So far I have gone through her works, from ancient history to modern day India, she has proved her objectivity and a subjective approach in comprehending facts and discerning truths out of a heap of trash. Her contribution how to write history is a turning point for those who assumes truths first, then starts proving them evidencialy.
The doyen of Indian history is Sir Jadunath Sircar. And the “dean” of Indian history is Prof. R C Majumdar.
Ms. Thapar is neither the “father” nor the “mother” of Indian history. She undoubtedly is an eminent historian but to paint her as the only quality historian this nation has ever produced is a gross distortion of Indian history. But then Indian Marxists are known for twisting history to suit their ideological aims and ends.
No one hates Ms. Thapar. But a huge majority of Indians do not agree with her opinions and theories regarding Indian history, culture and society. Is disagreeing the equivalent of hatred? I don’t think so.
Prof. Thapar along with Prof. Bipan Chandra, Prof. D N Jha and Prof. Irfan Habib are the acme of the Marxist school of history in India.
Romila Thapar is a colonial collaborator and a congressi darbar historian who did an admirable job of propagating the distorted nehruvian version of the modern Indian history. But in the end, truth will always win. A new India is rising, which will decimate the concocted history of Thapar and her ilk. In 50 years from now, history will judge Romila Thapar very harshly, for being a professionally and intellectually dishonest academic and for serving as a propagandist of her political masters.
The upper caste mother of upper caste Indian history is both amusing and infuriating. She almost suggests that untouchables/outcastes are born out of bastardization in her vol The Aryan… highly offensive speculation on the character of the upper caste woman. Mommy does not read any languages ancient nor Phule nor Ambedkar. And what is this difference between Hindutva and Hinduism …well, very upper caste amusements here.
I read a lot of academic stuff which challenges her claims esp. with regards to caste & not only that she herself has asked for a local caste histories rather than grand caste narratives about India but does her change gets reflected or mentioned clearly in any news or media articles ?
She is introducing her readers to her methodology & it’s evolution because she wants to come off as a transparent & honest scholar as she did created ideologically biased history in early part of her carrier but in case of contrary evidences like the powers artisans enjoyed which varied from kingdom to kingdom which she has mentioned in one of her talks, so she can change her stance without being accused of ideological bias.
Oh yes, she is the mother of history because she created indian history based on her ideology and not based on facts, whatever the European masters and left propagated to justify colonialism of india.
She fabricated such a marvelous story that people started believing it to be indian history.
Romilla Thappar has not shown professional honesty ion writing history. There is no reason to hate her as an individual, but there is a lot of her work that needs to be undone. Scientific evidences have to to considered in the writing of history. There has to be more of objectivity and less of subjectivity. How can she be mother of Indian history? That is eulogising her too much. Let there be calm moderation with maximum leverage on scientific evidence. There is no place for a fight.
Author of this article lives in oblivion. Who writes “The breaker of chains, the first of her name, and indeed the mother of history in India ” other than someone lives and beleives in fantasy except G R R Martin. We are talking about Indian History and not some winterfall where fantasy is more important than actual facts. History is what historian told us. So, they had a responsiblity to fulfill which clearly she wasnot able to fulfill. Her emphasise was only on last 400-500 years but this country is standing tall from way more than 3000 years. People without without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. So, people need to know their history and if they are reading it now from some other sources than why she is worried. Nobody hates her. People just realised that there is much more to our history then what we are reading from her books. But she had her own political connections for whom she worked and now crying foul.
How many books have you read by Professor Thapar? Just curious since, she is regarded as one of our more eminent historians of ancient history? She is well regarded by some of the more eminent scholars in the field across the world and not just by a fringe of ignoramuses without credentials. Her doctoral thesis was on Ashoka and she has written most eloquently on Vedic cultures as well, so that your comment on her “ignorance” of India’s ancient past, is at best ignorant and at worst, typical of the ideology you represent.
muslims invaded india and subjugated india to slavery, thts a fact. why js it not highlighed. u morons can end up being last in class and read history and become historians with low iQ, thts what u are . students with top brains become MBA, doctors , engineers , scientists, economist. some one who is slightly smarter among nincompoop s become eminent historians . we can read history through earlier masters . sir jadunantj sircar and RC majumadar, hell ! u just have to go to qutb minar complex to see it was built after razing a temple. hampi, kashi vishwanath mandir, dwarka, somanth temple. u may be an idiot we are not. and we have elected ( democratically) the govt for the peopleand by the people .
A PhD doesn’t suit her since she summarily discounted most of the ancient Bharata records, Puranas, Epics, literature and a host of other works. In fact she makes us all feel utterly stupid that we talk of Ramayana and Mahabharata among others.
Her “history” mirrors Sir William Jones, Max Müller and others who no stone unturned to discredit Indian past.
If glorifying one’s past is a sin, then calling her “Mother of Indian History” too would be a din by the same value.
Thanks @Dipanjan Maitra. I can bet on my last penny, that none of these people who comment on Romila Thapar with derision have ever read anything written by her.
How Tarek Fatah is right winger? Are islamist right always Left?
She reads and is a scholar. She stands for democratic values and had posed emergency. A country that is run on policies against people who think question and debate cannot prosper.
Answer to the caption is very simple.She has her head and heart filled with hate and poion for Hindu religion and culture, since it is the main obstacle to the commies plan to convert India to communist country. Hence we hindus hate her,it is that simple . The article is nothing but idiotory.
I guess your opening statement should read as mother of “distorted” Indian history. And clearly you are a recent aid to her. No one hates her, we clearly disagree with her distorted Marxist history.
Romila Thapar – The mother who gave birth to all untruths about India with her distorted opinions and fabricated ideologies. As truth unfolds, she will be remembered for sure – more as a distortionist of Indian history than a historian. Sorry to say, I am aghast at myself of having touched the books that you authored (I never had any regard for your written gibberish anyway!). Your untruths will never be forgotten. Shameful pseudo-intellectuals carrying hatred and bias pretend as scholars and seers of the truth. Ms. Thapar, as you age and prepare for impending departure from this world, my request is: Please learn to speak the truth.
Do you have an idea how much damage you have done, because of your selfish agendas, fame and greed? Loathsome!
She is critical case of Stockholm syndrome, where people start romancing there abusers. She was only popular because in past Congress wanted to appease Muslim votes by destroying Hindu religion.
Writer really lacks professionalism
Basically she gained her popularity in the dark ages of Indian democracy. She wanted to appease the western scholars so that she could get tributes. As she always say she sees the history in modern times. And that’s the issue. we all know a decent proverb, be a roman in Rome. so in order to look indian history we need to think as an Indian. And the Indians before the so called Latest history are all Hindus (including Atheists as atheism is considered a form of Hindu Tatva.) The scholars at present accept the reality of the Battle of ten kings as a fact but she merely says it is for cattle….Hippocrates. it is the first ever recorded battle of world where even elephants are used. So elephants are used for mere cattle war? So print, if you want to be a great journal, you need to grab you facts.
With due respoect tp age whocxh she deserves, Ms Thapar has bene the cheerleader for the fictitious AIT, the whitewasher of various Islamic invasions. I accept that attacking countries was common those days and so was killing people. But when it was carried out in name of religion and it is not even acknowledged, when attack and sack on Somnath Temple, destruction of deity is treated at par with attempt to sack temple with no religious motive, people are bound to ask questions. There are deep social scars which were made worse by these attempts to whitewash the atrocities. A hisotirans job is to record what happened, not give it an ideological slant. When Ghuri / GHazanavi’s own historians are speaking of attacks on Kaffrs and conversions and templke destruction, how can it be described as anything else
A novelist and a historian have the same task – to narrate a story, except that Historian is supposed to be honest and stick to facts. These eminent historians forgot that.
In future she known as history manipulator. She worked against hindu for money.
History Cheaters !
Romila Thapar is a Mission to denigrate Sanatani History of Bharat . Her eminence as a Historian is fed by her Congress background and western support that she draws by her extolling everyone except the Sanatani history of Bharat . She claims Bharat to have no history at all whereas Bharat is the only nation which has a genuine Human History . Bharat was already at the highest state of Humanity when the rest of the world was still a savage bloodsucker camp . In fact Defiling the history of Bharat makes Romila a narrow unfair History Manufacturer . Bharat and its Sanatan flow of culture gradually including diverse modern cultures have always been the most tolerant civilization. Others have taken this advantage and have exploited it through the centuries . Bharat has never been an invader . It has never imposed its religion on others either . Romila has exposed herself . We the people of Bharat can well understand what is up her sleeve.
She (Romila Thapar) has also questioned the existence of lord Rama. And stated that The Ramayana was just a small skirmish between 2 Tribes, and It got transformed into the Ramayana from the imagination of people over a period time.
The title of this article itself has a flaw. If some one questions Romila Thapar then do not necessarily be a lapsed liberal or a right winger. No one is above criticism including god that’s what Hindu philosophy teaches us. We need to be rational and unbiased as much as possible in life. History is always subjective unlike archaeology which is based on facts. In any society winners write history.
If she is an historian, then I am actor Shah Rukh Khan. The way she oppose any attempts to review the histories, makes her partisan historian. Her claims that ancient Indians weren’t good at historical records and the Puranas and Epics are figment of imaginations, makes her hated by most. How can she discount Indian records (the Puranas) without even looking at them?
Does she know Sanskrit? Without knowing the language and script, a historian would be blind as a bat!
It’s not understood why she blindly follows the British construct and ignores everything Indian? Is that her own deep-seated inferiority complex?
Doesn’t she know that History, never remains constant and changes with each new input, findings, discoveries and evidences? Has she ever tried to go beyond her own self-concieted knowledge?
She said Aryan invasion exist but it did not
she said temple is not there but it did exist
Indian history for 1000 years is mostly Hindu which is the golden age of India but she has an ideology against it so she dont want to acknowledge it and also she takes most of her stuff from British who are racists we need our history and culture as it is
Muslims history can also be taught as it is but dont malign and distort our history to praise Islamic and British rule
Wow! My previous comments got deleted..?
Wow! My previous comment got deleted.. just want to hear good about fake mother India. Twisted facts, hatred against Hindus ( by taking money obviously) is her propaganda. Exact one year u wrote this article and today’s findings in excavation of Janam Bhoomi is enough to tell why she should be hated.
Hope the Admin doesn’t delete this one two under their own understanding of “Freedom of Expression”.
21 May 2019 u wrote this shitty about a bulshit propaganda spreader. Today, 21 May 2020 exact one year and you should know why is she being hated( hope you have come across the news of excavation of Shri Ram Janam Bhoomi and the findings there) she’s nothing but a witch whose only propaganda from beginning is to spread hate against Hinduism and alter history about Hindus . These people are concerned about getting money by any means. No need to tell source of money for them
This article was less informative about her genuine work and was more about the glorification of a historian. There were plenty of historians and their job is to uncover the history and not fabricate it. Hope this will change with time.
So far I have gone through her works, from ancient history to modern day India, she has proved her objectivity and a subjective approach in comprehending facts and discerning truths out of a heap of trash. Her contribution how to write history is a turning point for those who assumes truths first, then starts proving them evidencialy.
The doyen of Indian history is Sir Jadunath Sircar. And the “dean” of Indian history is Prof. R C Majumdar.
Ms. Thapar is neither the “father” nor the “mother” of Indian history. She undoubtedly is an eminent historian but to paint her as the only quality historian this nation has ever produced is a gross distortion of Indian history. But then Indian Marxists are known for twisting history to suit their ideological aims and ends.
No one hates Ms. Thapar. But a huge majority of Indians do not agree with her opinions and theories regarding Indian history, culture and society. Is disagreeing the equivalent of hatred? I don’t think so.
Prof. Thapar along with Prof. Bipan Chandra, Prof. D N Jha and Prof. Irfan Habib are the acme of the Marxist school of history in India.
Romila Thapar is a colonial collaborator and a congressi darbar historian who did an admirable job of propagating the distorted nehruvian version of the modern Indian history. But in the end, truth will always win. A new India is rising, which will decimate the concocted history of Thapar and her ilk. In 50 years from now, history will judge Romila Thapar very harshly, for being a professionally and intellectually dishonest academic and for serving as a propagandist of her political masters.
The upper caste mother of upper caste Indian history is both amusing and infuriating. She almost suggests that untouchables/outcastes are born out of bastardization in her vol The Aryan… highly offensive speculation on the character of the upper caste woman. Mommy does not read any languages ancient nor Phule nor Ambedkar. And what is this difference between Hindutva and Hinduism …well, very upper caste amusements here.
I challenge her based upon her own statements & on basis of other Academic sources –
https://www.business-standard.com/article/news-ians/i-write-what-i-think-is-right-give-my-evidence-take-it-or-leave-it-historian-romila-thapar-ians-interview-118030500324_1.html
I read a lot of academic stuff which challenges her claims esp. with regards to caste & not only that she herself has asked for a local caste histories rather than grand caste narratives about India but does her change gets reflected or mentioned clearly in any news or media articles ?
For example note her changing stance regarding Aryan debate –
https://scroll.in/article/912945/romila-thapar-who-were-the-aryans-is-a-less-important-question-than-what-it-meant-to-be-aryan
https://www.livemint.com/Leisure/gEiq0KunnBtBMBHoQsGJrN/The-many-worlds-and-wonders-of-Indian-history.html
She is introducing her readers to her methodology & it’s evolution because she wants to come off as a transparent & honest scholar as she did created ideologically biased history in early part of her carrier but in case of contrary evidences like the powers artisans enjoyed which varied from kingdom to kingdom which she has mentioned in one of her talks, so she can change her stance without being accused of ideological bias.
I hope ThePrint also publishes a similar sized article on historians such as R C Majumdar to highlight the other side of the story.
After reading these comments Can someone tell me how many history researches are here to comment? Indus Valley people
Oh yes, she is the mother of history because she created indian history based on her ideology and not based on facts, whatever the European masters and left propagated to justify colonialism of india.
She fabricated such a marvelous story that people started believing it to be indian history.
Romilla Thappar has not shown professional honesty ion writing history. There is no reason to hate her as an individual, but there is a lot of her work that needs to be undone. Scientific evidences have to to considered in the writing of history. There has to be more of objectivity and less of subjectivity. How can she be mother of Indian history? That is eulogising her too much. Let there be calm moderation with maximum leverage on scientific evidence. There is no place for a fight.
Kaveree, who can be the “mother” of history except history itself! Are you trying to say Romila Thapar is already history? Just kidding
Author of this article lives in oblivion. Who writes “The breaker of chains, the first of her name, and indeed the mother of history in India ” other than someone lives and beleives in fantasy except G R R Martin. We are talking about Indian History and not some winterfall where fantasy is more important than actual facts. History is what historian told us. So, they had a responsiblity to fulfill which clearly she wasnot able to fulfill. Her emphasise was only on last 400-500 years but this country is standing tall from way more than 3000 years. People without without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots. So, people need to know their history and if they are reading it now from some other sources than why she is worried. Nobody hates her. People just realised that there is much more to our history then what we are reading from her books. But she had her own political connections for whom she worked and now crying foul.
How many books have you read by Professor Thapar? Just curious since, she is regarded as one of our more eminent historians of ancient history? She is well regarded by some of the more eminent scholars in the field across the world and not just by a fringe of ignoramuses without credentials. Her doctoral thesis was on Ashoka and she has written most eloquently on Vedic cultures as well, so that your comment on her “ignorance” of India’s ancient past, is at best ignorant and at worst, typical of the ideology you represent.
muslims invaded india and subjugated india to slavery, thts a fact. why js it not highlighed. u morons can end up being last in class and read history and become historians with low iQ, thts what u are . students with top brains become MBA, doctors , engineers , scientists, economist. some one who is slightly smarter among nincompoop s become eminent historians . we can read history through earlier masters . sir jadunantj sircar and RC majumadar, hell ! u just have to go to qutb minar complex to see it was built after razing a temple. hampi, kashi vishwanath mandir, dwarka, somanth temple. u may be an idiot we are not. and we have elected ( democratically) the govt for the peopleand by the people .
A PhD doesn’t suit her since she summarily discounted most of the ancient Bharata records, Puranas, Epics, literature and a host of other works. In fact she makes us all feel utterly stupid that we talk of Ramayana and Mahabharata among others.
Her “history” mirrors Sir William Jones, Max Müller and others who no stone unturned to discredit Indian past.
If glorifying one’s past is a sin, then calling her “Mother of Indian History” too would be a din by the same value.
Thanks @Dipanjan Maitra. I can bet on my last penny, that none of these people who comment on Romila Thapar with derision have ever read anything written by her.
How Tarek Fatah is right winger? Are islamist right always Left?
Thapar is a little less irrelevant than the medium she chose for her diatribe: The New York Times.
She reads and is a scholar. She stands for democratic values and had posed emergency. A country that is run on policies against people who think question and debate cannot prosper.
Answer to the caption is very simple.She has her head and heart filled with hate and poion for Hindu religion and culture, since it is the main obstacle to the commies plan to convert India to communist country. Hence we hindus hate her,it is that simple . The article is nothing but idiotory.
She is a mother of Marxist history which is bogus and based on ideology and not facts!