When someone, especially a westerner who has spent some time roving around the subcontinent, says they know INDIA, I cant but smile. It is impossible to know INDIA, even for people who have been born there and lived there.
But you can savour India and it is certainly the most diverse country on earth, and that is another reason why outsiders cannot "Know" India.
On my forays into the Gulf states, mainly Oman and Qatar, the drivers or the hotel personnel would turn out to be from that sub continent of a million varieties, I politely enquire, where are you from ? The answer is INDIA.. then I would say, ah, you are from Nagaland, and a puzzling look comes over their face. They are acknowledging the European concept of who an Indian is! like much of what we eat as "Indian food" in the west, is the imagination of the western mind and/or the curried versions of Persian food !! and always cooked by Bangladeshis from Sylhet!
When I began visiting India, I chose to visit one place and get to know as much about the place as possible. The selection of the town was obvious to me, as jew, I would go to Cochin and learn about the vast history of the place in which a small Jewish community played an important part for the millenia.
I was to discover many interesting facts about India during my visits to Cochin. The majority of the people embrace INDIANNESS and the idea of INDIA as a political democratic entity but the identities are rooted in their ancestral origin, regardless of the geography. Thus Gujaratis who have lived in Cochin for centuries still identify themselves as Gujeratis. The notion of who is a Malayalee is limited by geography. as well as the language and culture but not religion. Also a person living in Cochin has no great affinity for people from a distant part of India. Someone from Punjab may as well be from Greece, and Northeastern regions are beyond their imagination.
The concept of who is a Malayalee (Malayalam is the native tongue of Kerala State) is similar to who is English. You can be an immigrant and live for generations in London, you do not become English, but you can become British which is a legal nationality. In contrast, in France, you are either French or non-French according to whether you speak French and reside in France, regardless of your national origin (somewhat polemic at the moment). Thus jews of Algerian origin (Enrico Macias, Jacques Derrida, Jaques Attali etc) are considered French as is Claude Challe, Albert Memmi (from Tunisia). I really liked the idea that in France, they did not have French-Algerian, French-Khmer sort of nomenclature, as one finds Polish-Americans or Indo-Americans and myriad of other hyphenations in the USA.
So, I am going to write a short piece about one small bit of history of India. Let us how many of those people who say they know "India" have heard of it, let alone know it.
Because of my interest in Persia, I am interested in the persian influence from Armenia to India and my Persian friends would remind me often that much of the North Indian cuisine is of Persian origin. Urdu is written in Persian script. Much of Afghanistan and Pakistan was under Persian influence for centuries.
In the 13th century of the Common Era, there was a notion of an Indo-Persian empire that would go from the extremes of asia to Bengal. The ruler was the Ghaznavid, Muhammad Ghuri. It was a custom to hold Turkish slaves and their slave commanders were very powerful Turks. Early Ghaznavid tradition did not follow hereditary succession of rulers but devolved to the sovereign's slave. On his death in 1206, four principal slave commanders, Aibek, Tughril, Qubacha and Yildiz fought for supremacy and it was thought Qubacha with his splendour at Uch with his connections by sea and land to the west would become the begetter.
A freak polo accident killed Aibek and his favourite slave was Iltutmish. A powerful warrior,by 1227 he had established the Delhi sultanate and unified Punjab, Sind, Bengal and Rajashtan.
Three historic facts helped his power and the emergence of Delhi as one of the most diverse and richest cities in the known world.
The waning Ghurid influenced was extinguished by a central asian sultanate Khwarazm, thus freeing Delhi from the threat of Kabul.
Secondly Genghis Khan personally marched across Asia to punish the impudent monarch of Kwazaram. This precipitated a deluge of Muslim townspeople, artisans and semi-nomadic people into India where the newly founded Muslim Sultanate of Delhi under Iltutmish warmly welcomed them (a lesson for modern leaders who resist refugees and immigrants) to help him govern his vast holdings. While the Mongol incursion caused a holocaust for the people of Central Asia and Middle East it was an indirect boon to the Muslim Turkish ruler of Delhi.
Thirdly the powerful Abbasid Caliph in 1229 recognized the Delhi sultanate as the legitimate ruler of the eastern part of the Islamic world, thus conferring legitimacy to the Turkish Slave.
A contemporary traveller, 1215-1219, estimated that Delhi contained 21 neighbourhoods, gardens stretching for miles, Madrassas numbering in the hundreds, 70 hospitals , multiple bazaars. The city at that time also contained one of the stunning minarets on earth- the Qutb Minar, begun by Aibek around 1195. Iltutmish was to enlarge the elaborate Minaret.
Aibek was born in Turkestan, Kazhakstan 1150-1210 died in Lahore.
( while I was reading Medicine in London, had a chance to visit Turkestan on a day trip from Chimkent/Shymkent. This is the mausoleum of Sufi Kwaja Ahmed Yasawi)
here is a story about him.( from Notes on Indian History)
Muhammad Ghori had no children except one daughter. So he took great pleasure in purchasing Turkish slaves and educating them. He once said, "Other monarchs may have one son, or two sons: I have so many thousand sons, namely my Turk slaves who will be the heirs of my dominions, and who, after me, will take care to preserve my name in the Khutbah throughout those territories". Qutub-ud-din was the most distinguished among them for his courage and liberality. Ghori had purchased him from some merchants of Ghazni at a high price. Since his little finger was broken he was called Aibak. During an entertainment at court, Ghori gave rich presents to his adherents and servants. Qutub-ud-din also received his share, but he divided his share among his companions and servants. When Ghori heard this, he asked Aibak the reason. He replied that 'all his wants were so amply supplied by his Majesty's bounty, that he had no desire of burdening himself with superfluities, provided he retained his sovereign's favour'. This reply pleased the Sultan so much that he immediately gave him an honorable post in the court and later he was appointed Master of the Horse (Lord of the Stables).
Just a grain of the history of this magnificent and diverse country on earth, which gave us Yoga Sutras of Patanjali as well as Gautama Buddha.
In the small town of Cochin, which has become place of solace for me ( Bristow Lighthouse Bungalow by the sea is the place to stay) and strong friendships carved over the years. I have enjoyed Malayalee hospitality over and over again, syrian christian generosity, and the unique cuisine of the city (sorry, no western restaurants serve "Indian" food of this calibre). Even though I am 9 1/2 time zones away to the west, i have daily updates from my friends in Cochin and for that I thank you. Muchas Gracias. Toda Raba.
I am very interested in the Persianate India and had written how the history of India may have been different if Dara Shukoh had become the Mughal emperor rather than his brother Aurangazeb!
https://medicoanthropologist.blogspot.com/2015/10/cultural-identity-in-emerging-world-of.html
Prince Dara Shukhoh heir apparent to Emperor Shah Jahan, was defeated by and his throne usurped by his brother Aurangazeb. History of India and Pakistan would have been totally different when it comes to religious tolerance had Dara Shukoh had become the rightful emperor.
when you write a historical article you have to look into so many resources and i have not acknowledged all the resources but there are many!
