DWS Extra

I am halfway through The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857 by William Dalrymple. So far it has struck me as a book that’s written quite like a novel. And so easy to read. For someone like me who would rather spend the nights reading science fiction, this makes it a bit easier. Even then it drags in some portions – but I suppose that is my own laziness to get into the details much. But I have so far resisted the temptation to flip through pages.

The most interesting, and surprising fact revealed in the book is the entire religious angle to the 1857 uprising. I suppose it should have occured to me – but the strong anti-Christian aspect of the First War of Independence never occured to me at all so far. I guess it was my own shallow thinking. It is common to demonise everything about the enemy during times of revolt. And the British were obviously Christian, so the anger turned towards Christianity too.

Of course that is not the entire story, as Dalrymple explains. In The Last Mughal: The Fall of a Dynasty: Delhi, 1857, there are detailed descriptions on how religious fundamentalism was on the rise among the British, as well as among Hindus and Muslims. What comes across to me is a country where people form alliances of convenience – so even if the Muslim and the Hindu were suspicious of each other, they looked at the Christian as even worse. The one who was out to destroy your religion and caste. Padre Jennings and friends in Delhi gave them all the more reason to think so. People would join hands with anyone who would help in the war against the latest great enemy.

Somehow I think that ambivalence of communities towards each other
continues even now in India. Are we really tolerant of each other? I am not sure. There are historical insecurities that still exist, caste and religious prejudices – the ones that existed during the times of the Last Mughal, Bahadur Shah Zafar.

And the rioting. And looting. How the criminals of Delhi quickly attached themselves to the sepoys and the overall mayhem. The moment law and order breaks down, an antagonistic society goes to pieces. That happened in 1857, that happens in 1947 and 1984, in Gujarat, and it can even now. We have antagonistic societies across the country, and all you need is a little spark to light the fire.

One thought that occurred to me was, say the cops vanish for a day from Delhi. Or Mumbai. What would happen?

I suspect instant mayhem, nothing much different from the rioting that happened during those days. I am sure the area where I live, relatively upper class and posh, would be instantly targeted. The rewards are huge, in wealth and women, to be had. And have it they will. That is what happens when there is simmering anger.

Somehow I don’t think that would happen in my native state of Kerala, though. This widespread anger is not there. The frustration is directed towards USA and imperialism! The upper middle class guy next door went to school with the lower class man, and they understand each other.

I might be wrong though. This is only a quick post, as this blog says, and I have not thought this through.

Back to Dalrymple and the Last Mughal. Someone told me that the historian Mushirul Hasan rubbished the book. Said that Dalrymple’s version of what happened during the 1857 mutiny was wrong. Did he? If anyone has any idea, and could point me somewhere where I can find out about what he said, I would be really grateful.