However, there is little mystery. For there are two pillars of progressive history writing in India: first, to fabricate evidence that will establish Hindus to be intolerant; second, to respect and show an empathetic understanding of Islamic communalism. And the litmus test of whether you are committed to secular history writing is whether you are prepared to stand up for Aurangzeb!

-Sri Arun Shourie in his book “Eminent Historians – Their Technology, Their Line, Their Fraud”

Above were the iconic remarks by Sri Arun Shourie after an analysis of the history of Aurangzeb written by “Eminent Historians” going by the likes of Satish Chandra and K M Shrimali. To this category of ‘eminence’ belongs Audrey Truschke, Prof. Chandra, Prof. Eaton, M A Ali and their league.  Their only fame to eminence is their standing up for Aurangzeb and whitewashing his tyranny.

Predominantly during their primary and secondary education, generations and generations of Bharatiyas have been taught that the invaders of Bharat ruled us within the boundaries of “Rajadharma”.  Of the invaders who ruled us, the Islamic invaders – the creed of which comprised the Mughals – ruled us the most in terms of the years they exercised their power and authority upon us. The Indian education system has gone on to inculcate the young minds that we were ruled by a great tribe, deifying the Mughals as Greats, relying on the work of some of the “eminent historians”.   The Mughal Emperor Aurangzeb (born CE 1618, died CE 1707) happens to be the idol in chief for these “eminent historians”.  If awarding the title of “greatness” to Akbar was not enough, these “eminent historians” have always tried to whitewash the sins of Aurangzeb the tyrant.  The whitewashing continues to this day thereby setting a distorted narrative.

Scholar Saurabh D Lohogaonkar in his book “Aurangzeb – Whitewashing Tyrant, Distorting Narrative” published by Evincepub Publishing, demolishes all those works which whitewash the crimes perpetrated by Aurangzeb. 

Primary sources are the foundation pillars for history to be accurate and truthful.  Relying on primary sources and conveying the facts without distortion is one of the main responsibilities of a chronicler of history, historical events and historical characters. While relying on primary sources it is also the responsibility of the chronicler to correctly interpret the contents of the sources, examine the accounts of contemporaries and also meticulously analyse the events and happenings prior to and subsequent to the main event getting chronicled to arrive at why the central event must or must not have occurred.  To accomplish this, rigorous painstaking research needs to be carried out.  Saurabh Lohogaonkar has achieved this very thing and his scholarly book is proof of his monumental efforts.

The book is not a biography of Aurangzeb but is definitely a counter to the established narrative set by the “eminent historians”.  The book demolishes each of the wrong claims prevailing regarding the reign of Aurangzeb, his policies and the tyrant himself.  Commencing from the war of succession to the fall of Aurangzeb and his demise, from the levying of jizya to the mythical claim that Aurangzeb was a temple-protector, each and every falsehood, fake narrative, spins and twists in interpretation to suit a motivated narrative is exposed threadbare by Lohogaonkar.

The author takes up every single area where the “eminent historians” glorified Aurangzeb and whitewashed his tyranny and disprove their assertion by providing concrete evidence, sources and analysis.  The impressive list of source material gives the reader an idea of how the author has gone about a mammoth task.  Some examples of fake assertions by Audrey Truschke, one of the “eminent historians” and the counter by Lohogaonkar is provided herewith.

From the above examples, the reader can gauge the extent to which facts can be twisted, sources can be misinterpreted deliberately and a narrative can be scripted to suit the objective and ideology of a certain vested interest. 

Lohogaonkar’s book stresses the importance of primary sources and their interpretation.  It also brings out the reason for whitewashing the tyranny of most of the Islamic invaders turned rulers, especially of tyrants like Aurangzeb, thereby denying true history.  This is exactly what Sri Koenrad Elst termed as “Negationism”.  Whitewashing the misdeeds of Islamic invaders and rulers against the Hindus, denying their motives, ignoring the facts and blaming fringe phenomena are the classic methods and ways of Negationism employed by the “eminent historians”.  The author through his counters highlights the aforementioned techniques.

Was Aurangzeb a protector of temples? Did not the reign of Aurangzeb witness the forceful conversion of Hindus to Islam? Did Aurangzeb conquer Deccan and defeat the Marathas? The myth and the efforts of the “eminent historians” try to prove everything in favour of Aurangzeb but the facts do not. The author has provided exhaustive facts coupled with detailed annexures in support of his case. Though subject-heavy, this book is a must-read for anyone interested to ascertain the truth.  After reading the book, the reader can conclude that the history as chronicled by the “eminent historians” is as truthful as the Sun rising in the West!

Every Hindu knows how cruel and what an iconoclast Aurangzeb was. Yet the Hindu voices have been subdued owing to the treachery of the “eminent historians” and Hindu ‘Intellectual Kshatriyas’ getting summarily cancelled as communal by the secular brigade.  Sri Jadunath Sarkar, Sri Sita Ram Goel, Sri Ram Swarup, etc were those ‘Intellectual Kshatriyas’ who were summarily cancelled for speaking the truth. Personalities can be cancelled but truth cannot be, for Truth has an uncanny habit of emerging even from the ashes and right into our faces. Lohogaonkar emerges as one of the true ‘Intellectual Kshatriya’ through this phenomenal work.

“History will always be written by hunters unless the lions learn to write.  But who stopped the lions from writing it? A few among them who sold their souls to the hunters” - Quote from the trailer of Prachyam’s Indic movie “Sahebs Who Never Left”.

Lohogaonkar shows us the mirror as to who are/were those who sold themselves to the hunters.

Image Credit: https://saurabhbooks.com/