Noboru Karashima (1933-2015): A Tribute

Dr Noboru Karashima, the well known historian of medieval South India died yesterday at Tokyo and the field of medieval history stands impoverished today as he was responsible for some path breaking research. In 1996 Professor Burton Stein passed away and with the death of Karashima, a whole generation of stalwart historians has ended. A few years back Dr James Heitzman passed on and I can say that medieval history of Peninsular India will never be the same again.

Dr Noboru Karashima began his study of medieval South India by adopting a new method one that looks at history from the locality or nadu outwards. He studied the inscriptions found in a particular locality and dissected the internal variations in the structure of the inscriptions in terms of social groups mentioned, revenue terms, the titles of the parties involved in the transactions and the personal names of the functionaries mentioned in the record. One of his early publication was a comprehensive computerized data base of personal names found in Chola inscription. One can say that Karashima was a pioneer in the use of machine searchable databases. Another important contribution of Karashima lay in his comparative stusy of the social and economic resources of brhamadeya and ordinary peasant villages, the ur. His pioneering paper on Allur and Isanamangalam still hold the field. Under his leadership micro study of peasant localities became the norm. The work of Mitzhushima on the Nattar in the 18th century was inspired by the methodological implications of Karashima's work. The publications edited by Professor Noboru Karahima under the rubric of the Institute of Oriental Cultures are impressive micro studies based on a wealth of information culled from the archaeological sources. Unlike Burton Stein who raised medieval historiography to  a very high level of theoretical abstraction with the use of the concept of the segmentary state, Noboru Karashima based his analysis entirely on the empirical evidence at hand and eschewed theoretical consideration. I would say that like most Japanese historians, Karashima oriented his work broadly toward material factors. There is no place for oriental notionas of "caste" "identity" and "satic society" in the works of Karashima.

Towards the last phase of his life, Karashima trned his attention towards Vijayanagara History. His book Towards a New Formation and Concordance of Nayakas in Vijayanagara Inscriptions, both pub;lished by Oxford University Press mark important milestones in Vijayanagara historiography. The death of Noboru Karashima is a great loss and those of us in the filed of medieval history will remain indebted to him.

Sir Jadunath Sarkar and his Calling: Historiography on a grand scale

The Calling of History: Sir Jadunath Sarkar and his Empire of Truth
Dipesh Chakrabarthy
Orient Blackswan and Ashoka University, 2015

Dipesh Chakrabarthy, the celebrated author of Provincializing Europe has published an outstanding volume on the life and intellectual climate in late nineteenth and early twentieth century India, even as the stirring of "Indian Nationalism" was gathering strength. Historiography in India has completely neglected the pioneers in the reconstruction of India's past. Labels come easy and handy as a shorthand for dismissing such illustrious pioneers" Imperialist Historian", "Cambridge-Namierist Historian", "Communal Historian","Reactionary Nationalist Historian" etc. In no other society can the serious study of Historiography be reduced to pamphleteering as  unfortunately is the case with India. Historians have become "public intellectuals" and therefore calibrating historical interpretations to the prevailing politcal climate became the order of the day. Consequently serious research into India's tangled and complex past has barely begun.

The book under review is an excellent study of the ideas, methods and contributions of Sir Jadunath Sarkar, the historian who spent the best part of his life collecting documents relating to the Mughal Empire and the Maharattas. Dr Chakrabarthy has documented in great detail the trials and tribulations of this pioneer and the difficulties he encountered. Unlike historians who work in Universities today, Sir Jadunath Sarkar was well equipped to handle the task at hand. He had studies Persian, Dutch, Sanskrit, and French and so was able to reach the materials in the original language rather than rely on the 8 volumes of Elliot and Dowson. The very idea of History was in its infancy during the time when Sir Jadunath Sarkar began his researches and the very idea of reseach as Professor Chakrabarthy points out meant the "quest for truth" and the "verification of facts" drawn from the primary sources. The protocol of Truth and Verification appears naive in the context of Indian historiography today when the inanities   of post colonialism has become enshrined in the University system. Dipesh Chakrabarthy has pointedly argued that the intellectual horizon of Sarkar's work included search for primary sources, drawing facts that can be independently verified, writing the narrative based on the facts and presenting the slice of time as a true and indeed, incontrovertible slice of time. These ideas may appear far fetched to practicing historians today who have inculcated a healthy skepticism drawn from a steady diet of Hayden White and Edward Said. However, Sir Jadunath Sarkar life was spent living up to these ideals and he found meaning for his rather tragic life in these ideals.

As India debates its past more vigorously and historical battles have spilled tonnes of ink and blood, hitorians may draw comfort and inspiration from a historian from a more genteel time, Sir Jadunath Sarkar. His work as I discovered after reading the book under review does not deserve the oblivion to which they have been relegated.