Kosambi’s ‘An Introduction to the Study of Indian History’ Translated into Telugu

Source: The New Indian Express

Delhi University retd professor Uma Chakravarti and Veekshanam editor N Venugopal in conversation before her talk on DD Kosambi’s approach to history at the release of the Telugu translation of ‘An Introduction to the Study of Indian History’ in Hyderabad on Monday | A RADHAKRISHNA

HYDERABAD: DD Kosambi is the first historian to adopt a logical approach to Indian history and his books reflect his ideas, which are very different from other historians, according to Prof. Uma Chakravarthi, a retired history faculty of the Delhi University.

Speaking at the launch of the Telugu translation of noted mathematician and Marxist historian DD Kosambi’s classic, ‘An Introduction to the Study of Indian History,’ here Monday, Uma felt that, even after five decades, Kosambi’s work still stands as a landmark in the field of history.

“Many scholars pick some paragraphs from his books and make an entire thesis out of them, but I don’t think they follow the method he followed,” she opined. Though his work in history is considered to be one of the best, interestingly, he never pursued it as his full-time profession. He wrote all his papers while working as a mathematics teacher, she added.

Kosambi was also the first historian to talk about caste and gender in ancient India. Most of the historians begin Indian history only from 16th or 17th century while Kosambi begins his reference way back from the 12th century, Uma explained, adding that chapters on Buddhism are her favourites among Kosambi’s works.

Prof Inukonda Thirumali, chairman of the joint action committee of the Telangana Praja Sanghalu, described Kosambi’s book as an ‘eye-opener’ which shows the difference between truth and myth. He said such ideas should be brought to light and the book should be translated into as many languages as possible. “This is the reason why Geeta Ramaswamy of Hyderabad Book Trust decided to bring out the Telugu translation,” he added. Translated by N Venugopal, editor of Veekshanam magazine, the Telugu translation titled, ‘Bharata Charitra Adhyayananiki Oka Parichayam,’ was jointly published by Hyderabad Book Trust and Veekshanam.

‘Kosambi broke with the past, pioneered a new methodology’

Source: The Hindu 

Historian Uma Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic

Eminent historian Damodar Dharmananda Kosambi made path-breaking contributions to historical analysis through his methodology, noted well-known feminist historian and civil liberties activist Uma Chakravarti.

During her talk on Kosambi’s Approach to History here on Monday, Prof. Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic. 

This was stated in an introduction to a Telugu translation of D.D. Kosambi’s An Introduction to the Study of Indian History by N. Venugopal.

Though emerging as an antidote to the colonial narrative, the problem with nationalist history was that it constantly evoked a “glorious past”, and its reluctance to look at caste and gender meant disengagement with the present, Prof. Chakravarti noted.

Indologists who narrowed down their tools to texts have typically left the history before 1200 AD to the realm of mythology, which offered nothing in terms of caste and gender.

In contrast, Kosambi, a mathematician by profession, was incredibly eclectic and used all tools at his disposal, including numismatics, statistical derivatives and archaeology to study ethnography, and brought out a set of questions that had not been seriously considered before 1956.

The observation that India did not need slavery thanks to its caste system and debt bondage, and that the Indus Valley could have been a static civilisation as its script remained unchanged for 800 years, were remarkable examples of his historical understanding. His study of Buddhism and State formation were brilliant, Prof. Chakravarti remarked.

“I don’t think Kosambi should be treated as God. The method he followed made him open to analysis…Nobody has adopted his methodology, but just want to follow the line he gave,” she pointed out.

She also noted that Kosambi made a gendered analysis of history in Myth and Reality , even though gender was a dimension much ignored.

I don’t think Kosambi should be treated as God. The method he followed made him open to analysis…Nobody has adopted his methodology, but just want to follow the line he gave

Prof. Uma Chakravarti

Historian

Historian Uma Chakravarti said Kosambi was a pioneer in social history at a time when the basic writing of history was either colonial or nationalistic