A review of the book 'Rama and Ayodhya' written by Dr. Meenakshi Jain.
From the late 1980s, Left historians have been in the forefront of the campaign against the Rama temple. They have argued that Rama worship was an eighteenth-nineteenth century phenomenon and the present day Ayodhya acquired its standing and identity only in the fifth century AD, during the rule of the imperial Guptas. According to Left academics, the identification of the Ram Janmabhumi in Ayodhya was a matter of faith, not of historical evidence. They also rejected any possibility of the Babri Masjid being built on the site of the Janmabhumi temple.
The writings of Left academics, the findings of the ASI, the extended arguments in the Allahabad High Court and its eventual verdict-all form the subject of this study.
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Coming up: A review of the book 'Rama and Ayodhya' written by Dr. Meenakshi Jain.
Namaste Friends. My name is 'Shinil Subramanian Payamal' and you are listening to the Historylogy podcast.
Before I proceed, a full disclosure: This book was bought with my own money and not been provided to me by the author or publisher.
Little bit about the author:
Meenakshi Jain is a historian interested in cultural and religious developments in Indian history. In 2020, she was awarded Padma Sri by the Government of India for her contributions to the field of literature and education. Her recent publications include The Hindus of Hindustan (2023); Vasudeva Krishna and Mathura (2021); Flight of Deities and Rebirth of Temples (2019); The Battle for Rama: Case of the Temple at Ayodhya (2017); Sati: Evangelicals, Baptist Missionaries and the Changing Colonial Discourse (2016); and Rama and Ayodhya (2013).
Let me read a brief description of the book:
This work briefly examines the antiquity of the Rama Katha and spread of the Rama cult over the Indian subcontinent in the context of claims of Left academics on its late popularity. Its main focus is the conflict at Ayodhya over the Ramjanmabhumi temple allegedly destroyed by the Mughal Emperor, Babar, in 1528. It examines the accounts of foreign travellers in the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, and British administrator-scholars in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries which testify to Ayodhya’s continuing importance as a pilgrimage centre associated with Rama’s birthplace. The extended litigation over the Ramajanmabhumi/Babri Masjid in colonial times further attests to the persistence of the claims to the Janmabhumi.
From the late 1980s, Left historians have been in the forefront of the campaign against the Rama temple. They have argued that Rama worship was an eighteenth-nineteenth century phenomenon and the present day Ayodhya acquired its standing and identity only in the fifth century AD, during the rule of the imperial Guptas. According to Left academics, the identification of the Ramjanmabhumi in Ayodhya was a matter of faith, not of historical evidence. They also rejected any possibility of the Babri Masjid being built on the site of the Janmabhumi temple.
Excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) proved the inaccuracy of these assertions. And finally, the judgement of the Allahabad High Court (Lucknow Bench) marked a decisive moment in the dispute over the Janmabhumi. The writings of Left academics, the findings of the ASI, the extended arguments in the Allahabad High Court and its eventual verdict-all form the subject of this study.
The book has fourteen chapters and is just over 300 pages. It starts with the introduction of the Ayodhya case and ends with some judicial pronouncements on Ayodhya.
In between, it talks about the following:
1st ─ The literary, sculptural and the epigraphic evidence on the antiquity and popularity of the Rama cult.
2nd ─ The early history of Ayodhya
3rd ─ A history of the Conflict on Ayodhya
4th ─ Left historians on Ayodhya and the ASI report followed by them in the Court
5th ─ As a leader of the freedom movement, Gandhi repeatedly stated that Swaraj would be Ramarajya. The term meant the “reign of ideal justice,” “perfect democracy” and the “reign of self-imposed law of moral restraint.”
6th ─ Patrick Carnegy, the first British Commissioner in Faizabad, stated that after the seat of the Awadh Nawabs shifted from Ayodhya to Faizabad in 1740, Ayodhya started to grow as a “Hindu city.”
Carnegy also wrote:
QUOTE
“It is locally affirmed that at the Mahomedan conquest there were three important Hindu shrines… at Ayodhya.” These were the Janmasthan, the Sargadwar Mandir and the Treta-ka-Thakur.
On the first of these Babar built the mosque which still bears his name… On the second, Aurangzeb did the same… and on the third that sovereign, or his predecessor, built a mosque, according to the well-known Mahomedan principle of enforcing their religion on all whom they conquered.
Carnegy stated that the Janmasthan marked the place where Rama was born; the Sargadwar the gate through which he passed into heaven; and the Treta-ka-Thakur the site where he performed a great sacrifice.
7th ─ In a memorandum submitted to the UP Home Minister, Lal Bahadur Shastri, in January 1950, the Gandhian Akshaya Brahmachari described his visit to Ayodhya soon after the installation of the image. He wrote,
Thousands of people started pouring in for darshan into the city in cars and public carriers… Inflammatory speeches were made before them saying that the Congress was destroying Hinduism… It was also said that most Congressmen subscribed to these views, but Jawaharlal Nehru and a few others were siding with the Muslims.
8th ─ The attack in Court was spearheaded by Left historians Jaya Menon and Supriya Varma, both of whom accused the ASI of having created the pillar bases. The accusation stunned the Court, which noted that the excavations had been conducted in the presence of the plaintiffs, their experts, nominees and advocates and also supervised by Court appointed observers.
9th ─ Professor Irfan Habib questioned the Court’s “easy acquiescence in the results brought about by manifestly criminal acts.” It had given “full legitimacy” to the placement of idols in the Masjid in 1949. Indeed,
The entire demolition of the Masjid has in effect been treated by the Court as an advantageous deed for creating conditions necessary for its decision to transfer two-thirds of the disputed land in equal shares to the VHP and the Nirmohi Akhara.
I would like to end with what Narada Muni told Valmiki of the brave and illustrious Rama, born into the clan of Ikshvaku. He said,
The story of Rama is edifying and bestows merit. Anyone who reads it is freed of all sins. The man who reads the Ramayana will be honoured along with his sons, grandsons and companions when he dies and goes to heaven. The Brahmin who reads this tale will become eloquent, the Kshatriya will become the king, the Vaishya’s trade will prosper and even the Shudra will flourish in his own caste.
The book is in hardcover format and also has 18 colour plates showing terracotta figures, seals, different views of the excavated trenches by the ASI at the Ramjanmabhumi site. Also of Artefacts and black stone pillars used in the Babri Masjid along with Maps of the disputed site.
I give the book 4.75/5 and highly recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the history of Ayodhya and the Ramjanmabhumi/Babri Masjid dispute.
The printed price of the book is Rs. 795/- but is available for around Rs. 615/- on Amazon India and for Rs. 775/- on Flipkart. But I highly recommend that you buy the book from the publisher Aryan Books website where it is available for only Rs. 595 with excellent packaging and free shipping. And it is available for $19.95 USD on Amazon USA. The book is not available in Kindle or Audible format. I have given the respective buy links in the show notes. Please check them out for the latest prices.
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