This blog is written to share my point of view, not to offend anyone. If you think this blog might offend you—which you can guess from the featured image—then you should not continue reading. Instead, you should read, watch, or listen to something else that aligns with your artificial identity and won’t offend you. I have tried to be as politically incorrect as much possible in this blog, so please read with caution.
So, a few years back, I joined an online group and was talking to some people there. I started sharing some facts about history, and one of them said,
‘Why are you bringing up the past, which is sad and negative? It’s not really important, and you shouldn’t talk about such things that could offend someone from a particular religion or place.’
So, I was talking about Indian history, which is one of the most brutal chapters in the book of history. Each line of Indian history is written with ink made from the blood and tears of millions of Indians. But sadly, no one really wants to talk about it except a handful of people because they don’t want to disturb the so-called peaceful times, blame the current generation for the past, or offend people.
In his book The Story of Civilization: Our Oriental Heritage, the renowned historian Will Durant wrote:
“The Islamic conquest of India is probably the bloodiest story in history. It is a discouraging tale, for its evident moral is that civilization is a precarious thing, whose delicate complex of order and liberty, culture and peace, may at any time be overthrown by barbarians invading from without or multiplying within.”
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Islamic invaders and newly converted Muslims killing Indians for not converting or recanting.
I knew a few things about history, and incidents like online discussions and casual conversations with friends in college made me question whether history is really important. After years of reflecting and learning from that day to today, I’ve come to realize that history is indeed crucial. In this blog, I aim to explain why understanding our past is so essential.
Why Discussing and Understanding History Matters
So, what makes us who we are? Is it our body, genes, language, age, or sex? The answer is none of them. The only thing that truly defines us and gives us our identity—the ‘I’ or ‘Me’ we recognize—is our memories. It’s our memories that shape who we are, though the things I mentioned do influence those memories, which in turn impact our personality.
I didn’t focus on those other factors because, for example, you could be born into a family of geniuses, but there’s no guarantee you’ll become one. Tall people may have better chances of success, but not all do. Pretty people are often seen as positive and nice, but the opposite can be true as well. It’s our memories, formed by our experiences, that truly make us who we are. Similarly, history functions as the collective memory of a civilization or country, defining what they become.
Without memory, how could you know you’re the child of your parents, recognize your spouse or children, or remember your friends and the places you’ve been? Without memory, you lose your sense of self, and when that happens, the person you once were—whether John or Jenny—ceases to exist. There’s a condition called Alzheimer’s disease where people lose their memories and forget who they are. In the same way, when a society forgets its history, it loses everything that once defined it.
So, if we don’t learn from our experiences or remember our history, we’re doomed to repeat the same mistakes, leading to our own downfall.
Breaking Arguments Made Against History
History Disrupts Social Harmony
On a superficial level, it may seem that discussing history disrupts social harmony. However, examining history more deeply reveals that it actually contributes to creating a kinder and more understanding society.
Take Germany as an example: during the Nazi era, Hitler’s political party spread hate against Jews, blaming them for the economic struggles faced by non-Jewish Germans. This propaganda fueled division and suffering.
In contrast, the later generation in Germany recognized the horrors of the Nazi regime and took decisive action. They banned pro-Hitler and pro-Nazi ideologies and made it a priority to teach about the Holocaust. This approach has helped shape a society that is more compassionate and informed about its history.
Social harmony is truly disrupted when there are conflicting narratives about historical facts. This division occurs when one group accepts factual history, while another either lacks knowledge of or believes in distorted versions of history. The existence of these conflicting versions can lead to societal conflict. One group adheres to true historical accounts, while another group holds onto false or misleading narratives.
These conflicting histories contribute to ongoing global issues. While some argue that history is subjective, it is crucial to strive for truth. Dedicated historians, committed to uncovering and presenting accurate accounts, can provide a clearer understanding of history, countering falsehoods driven by ideological or financial motives. By embracing and teaching true historical facts, societies can foster greater unity and understanding.
History Spread and Promote Hate Speech
When we look at history from a certain perspective and compare it to today’s global situation, it might seem accurate, but that’s not always the case. Nowadays, society has become very sensitive and easily offended. For example, some people who identify as women, despite being born in male bodies, can feel upset if they are called a man. Similarly, calling an obese person “fat” can be considered offensive. This sensitivity has even led to people calling obese individuals “fit,” and some overweight individuals have become fitness gurus, with even healthy people following their advice, which seems odd.
Why is this happening? It’s because people are avoiding harsh truths to prevent offending anyone or appearing insensitive in a “woke” society. I’m not saying that calling someone fat with the intent to bully or mock is acceptable—that’s wrong. But if you have a friend, family member, or colleague whom you know well, making a light-hearted joke about their weight might not be harmful and could even motivate them to get fit. Sometimes, friendly teasing and roasting can encourage positive change.
In today’s world, people are often divided into various groups, but no single group is entirely correct. When someone speaks the truth, it can sometimes offend others, leading to it being unfairly labeled as hate speech by the media, politicians, and other influencers. However, it’s crucial to recognize that stating facts is not inherently hateful. What matters is that we convey these truths with the right intentions, free from personal bias or any desire to harm others.
We need to understand that calling a spade a spade isn’t necessarily hate speech. If the truth offends someone, it might be more about their sensitivity or societal conditioning than the truth itself. However, it’s crucial to deliver the truth in a respectful manner, avoiding foul language or disrespectful comments. Truth is liberating and when shared with good intentions, it is often well-received and can lay the groundwork for future happiness.
History is only written by the victors, so you can’t always believe it.
Now, there is some truth to this. We can’t always believe the history written by people because sometimes they lie in their books or manuscripts, or they present history from their perspective, which adds falseness to what they are saying. But we have to understand that there are multiple versions of history written by different people, and if we deeply understand, read, and compare both sides of history, then we can easily tell what real history was and what is not.
For example, we do not really know how the ancient Inca people were. All we know is from Western historians and movies, and they often portray them as barbaric and uncultured people. Maybe they did not have modern technology or weapons at the time, but that does not mean they were uncultured or bad people with stupid rituals. They were, of course, way behind countries in Asia and Europe, but that does not mean they were barbaric. What is the term ‘barbarism’? In Europe, women were burned alive just because some guy wanted them to die, and then they were publicly burned, and this was happening in so-called modern cultures or countries around the same time. Europeans have a history of converting people and calling native cultures primitive and bad so that they could have an excuse to convert those people.
When we say, ‘Oh, history is written by the victors, and we should not read it,’ then we are committing a crime against those on the losing side who have also written about history. Just because their books are not popular and widely read doesn’t mean their accounts should be ignored. So find and read history to learn some reality about your people and their struggles.
And you have to understand that these so-called victors, who were truly barbaric yet labeled the other side as barbaric, pagan, and uncultured, were so blinded by their intoxication of power that they documented every atrocity they committed. They recorded their deeds in books, manuscripts, personal diaries, court documents, and more, revealing their true nature. When we read these accounts, we begin to see what kind of people these historical figures really were—far different from how they are often portrayed in movies or TV shows. So, read history, learn from it, and pass on this knowledge because those from the past deserve to have their version, the real version of history, brought to light.
History Serves No Purpose—It’s Meaningless
This argument is made by many people: that history serves no purpose and is meaningless. This same point was brought up to me by a guy in an online group, and on the surface, it might seem to make sense. It makes sense if your life is all about earning money and enjoying it—of course, then history may seem purposeless and meaningless. However, as the ancient Indians wrote in the Mundaka Upanishad, ‘Satyameva Jayate’—’Truth alone triumphs.’ There is indeed power in truth, and no matter how long it takes, it will always prevail. History and truth share a unique relationship—the more we delve into history, the more truth we uncover.
For example, people in Europe and the Middle East once believed that the Earth was flat, as written in their holy books, the Bible and the Quran. But now, the whole world knows that the Earth is round—BhuGol. History is full of such facts about how things evolved and from what they evolved.
Take, for instance, the numbers we use today, from zero and decimals to all other digits. These were invented in India. During the Islamic invasion, the texts that contained these discoveries were translated into Farsi and spread to Persia or the Middle East, where they evolved. In Saudi Arabia, these are still referred to as Hindu numbers. From there, they reached Europe, where they were transformed again into the modern shapes we recognize today. Yet, India doesn’t even get full credit for these numbers or for revolutionary concepts like zero and decimals.
Although I haven’t fully researched this yet, algebra and other mathematical concepts also seem to have origins in India. For instance, the Baudhayana Shulba Sutra (1.12) states: ‘The diagonal of a rectangle produces by itself the same area as the sum of the areas produced by its two sides.’ This is essentially the same principle that Pythagoras later articulated, suggesting that Pythagoras may have been influenced by earlier works inspired by ancient Indian scientists.
So, history definitely serves a purpose—it is a door that opens the way toward the truth. Once that door is opened, you discover truths that you may have been unaware of your entire life.
History is Subjective and Open to Interpretation
There’s some truth to the idea that history is subjective and open to interpretation, and we can’t deny it. When we write or speak in any language—be it Hindi, English, or otherwise—we express ideas that can be interpreted differently based on the reader’s or listener’s experiences and mindset.
For instance, if you say, “The apple is red,” some might think you’re simply describing the color, while others might infer that the apple is fresh or that it will be juicy and tasty. These interpretations may all make sense, depending on the context and intent, but the original statement remains open to multiple interpretations.
This subjectivity of language in which history is written, along with people’s mindsets, is what those who promote a false version of history often exploit. For example, during the Islamic invasions of India, many Hindu temples in northern India were destroyed. The invaders, lacking their own architectural traditions and seeking to instill fear, often repurposed the materials from these destroyed temples to construct mosques on the same sites. Yet, some biased historians claim that the temples were naturally decayed and that the use of the same materials in mosques doesn’t prove deliberate destruction by the invaders. They even go as far as to label these invaders—who committed heinous acts such as mass murder, rape, incest, forced conversions, and the destruction of thousands of temples—as ‘great mughals.
Here is a perfect example of what I mentioned above about how history is distorted by people..
Rocky and Mayur, famous food show hosts, shamelessly called this old Hindu temple ‘Jhulta Minar, Bibiji Masjid’ on their History Channel show and said that some Islamic invader named Qutub something, built this place in the year 1,444 that they are calling mosque. I think they must have bumped their heads on one of the pillars behind them while shooting the video.
Any blind person with basic knowledge of Indian architecture could say, just by touching this place, that it is not a mosque but a temple. But it’s a shame that this lie is being spread on a national TV channel viewed by millions of people.
So, people will always interpret history according to their mindset. However, just because history is open to interpretation doesn’t mean we should accept these distorted versions, like the example I mentioned above. One guiding principle in studying history is to be skeptical of narratives that glorify those who committed atrocities. If someone’s interpretation favors the oppressors and victors of history, there’s a high probability that their version is biased. Instead, seek out interpretations that align with the truth and provide a more accurate understanding of historical events.
Study of History destroy Contemporary Beliefs
This is true because when we delve into history, we often discover that the events or people glorified in books or history lessons were not as great or virtuous as we’ve been led to believe. For example, Christopher Columbus is often celebrated as a heroic explorer who discovered America. In reality, he was a greedy individual who sought a better route to India, aiming to exploit its population due to their lack of modern weapons. By mistake, he landed on a continent we now call America. Columbus’s actions paved the way for the colonization of Native American lands by European powers. Native Americans, mistakenly called ‘Indians’ due to Columbus’s error, were portrayed as barbaric and uncivilized, when in fact, they were victims of European colonization.
Similarly, Mahatma Gandhi is revered in India as one of the greatest figures in human history. However, the more you read about him, the more you uncover aspects of his life that challenge this idealized image. Gandhi’s controversial practices, such as his sexual experiments involving sleeping naked with young women, his refusal to let his wife take British medicine while later accepting it himself when ill, his unnecessary hunger strikes, and his often questionable political decisions, paint a different picture.
While today he is seen as a wise, non-violent leader who defeated the British with peaceful resistance, a closer examination reveals a much more complex and flawed character. Yet, despite these revelations, his role was perhaps necessary for stabilizing a young India politically and socially. By idolizing a non-violent figure, calling him the ‘Father of the Nation,’ and placing his image on currency, a particular influence is exerted on the public consciousness.
But when we read more deeply into history, we realize how different Gandhi was from the figure portrayed in movies and TV shows. Indeed, history often shatters our beliefs, but that doesn’t mean we should avoid learning and exploring it. Instead, we should embrace history as a tool for uncovering the truth, even when it challenges our preconceived notions about people or events.
Conclusion
History is far from meaningless—it is a vital tool for understanding the truth and shaping the present. While some argue that it disrupts harmony or serves no purpose, history, like memory, defines our identity and teaches us valuable lessons. By studying history, we avoid repeating past mistakes and gain deeper insights into the complexities of human experience. Even though it may challenge contemporary beliefs or offend certain groups, history must be studied, discussed, and understood to create a more informed, compassionate society.
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