Rakhal Das Banerjee And The Horse Politics
Birendra K Jha
An appeal before reading:
(भ्रामक इतिहास का परिवर्तन एक पुण्य एवं आवश्यक कार्य है. कोई ७० वर्षों से मार्क्सवादी इतिहासकारों ने एक ऐसी विकृत पीढ़ी तैयार की है जो भारत के लिए खतरनाक है. हमनें एक बहुत बड़ा मूल्य भी चुकाया है. सभ्यता संस्कृति रक्षक संसद हमारे वैदिक हिन्दू समाज का प्रतिनिधित्व तभी कर सकते हैं जब सांसद सबल होंगें. निर्बल ज्ञान शून्य सांसद आपका तथा इस देश का कभी भला नहीं करते.
History correction is an important activity. During
the last 70 years the Marxist historians have made a deformed generation, which
is dangerous for India. We have paid heavy price for that. The Parliament, the
protector of our Vedic Hindu civilization and culture, shall only be strong
when we have good educated members. Poor member aligned from the Vedic
Civilization neither serve your culture nor this country.)
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Rakhal Das
Banerjee, is the real hero behind the excavation of the Mohenjo-Daro site at
present in Pakistan in 1922- 1925. His name remained side cornered in the
presence of Sir John Marshall. He did not agree with most of the reports
prepared by John Marshall. In the Bengali Basumati (BS 1331) he revealed what
he felt about this Civilization. He was Indian his understanding was 100 times
better, clear and perfect than Sir John Marshall, who was a foreigner and
trying to understand culture and civilization of this country what the
Intelligence department of the British Government had fixed.
Nobody knows Bengal and Orissa much better than RD Banerjee. His book The Palas of Bengal (1915), The Temple of Siva at Bhumara (1924), Pakshantar (1924), Pashaner Katha (1914), Karuna (1917), Shashanka (1914), Dharmapala (1915), Mayukh (1916) and the Bangalar Itihas (History of Bengal)(1914 and 1917) all describe India in the vivid ways.
Marshall did not know much about Mohenjo-Daro till May 1924. RD Banerjee first visited this site in the beginning of 1925. When he finished almost all the excavation work, Sir John Marshall visited the site in the dawn of 1926. He quickly collected all the reports and documents from him. On the matter of horse and Aryan Invasion he had lot of difference with Marshall. But that was difficult period. The Aryan Invasion Theory (including the non-availability of horse) was the official account of the British Raj. Going against it means, suspension or even termination from the job or severe wrath from the Christian missionaries, if you are Christian. Marshall was aware of such danger and difference, rather than sending Banerjee to Harappa, he was moved to Calcutta in bad way. The upset Banerjee wrote to Suniti Kumar Chatterjee in a very painful but emotional letter for his help. He writes:
“See, they (the British government authorities) will not allow me to publish anything on Mohenjo-Daro. But you can write something. I am handing over to you all the material I have and all photographs. You just write something on it and publish my interpretations. This may be a record for future generation".
That day never came. Neither Suniti Kumar Chatterjee said anything, nor RD Banerjee was asked to reveal. But RD Banerjee was not an easy man. He started giving lecture and appeared before seminar. In one such discourse he said:
There is ample evidence for believing that Parikshit (Mahabharata) was a real king and not the mere shadowy creation of a poet. Chandragupta ac-cessation if is placed at 322 BC, as given by the authorities, then the ac-cessation of Parikshit is placed at 1412 BC. His descendant Janmejay performed Horse Sacrifice ( ashwamedha yagya ), which says much before 1500 BC India knows Mahabharata and the horse.
Marshall was aware, what RD Banerjee had stated in his seminar and discourse . Banerjee while at Mohenjodaro had brought a report from Colonel Sewell on the horse. When John Marshall published his report the Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilization, at page 28 he carried the thought of Banerjee. He wrote :
"Of the Equus Caballus Linn ( horse ) Colonel Sewell notes that it was probably of the same stock as the modern country bred of Western India and closely akin to the Anau Horse. So far, therefore , as the breed is concerned , this is precisely the animal that might be expected at Mohenjo-Daro. On the other hand , the absence of any representation of a horse among the many animals portrayed here and at Harappa, points to the bones of the Equus Caballus...For the camel too is unrepresented, though the discovery of a bone of this beast at a depth of 15 feet in the SD Area leaves little doubt that it was known as far back as the Intermediate Period." In the footnote he puts " A rough terra -cotta figurine recently unearthed by Mr Mackay (at Harappa ) might perhaps be intended for a horse".
.
These two lines are the essence part of the report. Even Marshall tried to overcome the fear of the British authority and declared here that horse and camel are both unrepresented on the seals, but all these two species are known and available at Mohenjo-Daro. This was his post thought. But when he published his report many of his old prepared reports ignoring the horse evidence appeared. Among them two pieces are particularly important.
The first one is about the horse from the Chaturanga game. Marshall tried to ignore the frequently available chess game terracotta of horses. He just passed a casual comment that it is of some modern age period. In 1953, another Harappan site, Lothal was excavated by DR SR Rao. He found horse from terracotta figurine used in playing chess game, what was known in the Mahabharata period as the game of the Chaturanga. The terracotta of chess game horse found at Lothal was same what Marshall had found at Mohenjo-Daro. But he did not mention any fair report about it. Here, Dr Rao, apart from the horse figure also found an instrument for measuring angles what was used in the Sulva-Sutra ( Hindu Geometry ). This proved the animal horse, the Sulva-Sutra and the game of the Chaturanga were existing in the Mohenjo-Daro from time immemorial. In 1964 at Surkotda, another Harappan site, JP Joshi excavated also bones of horses. In 1927, at Sutkagendor, another Harappan site, RL Stein, an European archeologist, further excavated evidence of horse. Lastly in 2018, the Sinouli site gave way of the Mahabharata war warriors with their horse drawn copper chariots.
In the Mahabharata, Chaturanga refers to four divisions of an army, namely elephantry, horse chariotry, cavalry and infantry. This was the ancient battle formation, using four different forces - Chaturanga. The Game of Chaturanga is a Mahabharata period game, which is played over "ashtapada" format. The ashtapada format means house of 64 squares. This Sanskrit word becomes corrupted where letter "c" becomes "s" in the Persian as "Satranj". This game of Chaturang remains incomplete without horse. In our story Krishna playing Chaturang with his wife Rukmini do not come accidently. (The first picture is the painting from Rajasthan depicting Krishna playing Chaturang with Rukmini )
The second proof what Marshall has ignored is from the report of Dr Earnest Mackay. Mackay being aware with the Marshall mindset did not reported fairly about a horse depicting rare seal at Harappa. This is called Seal No. 453. A clear picture photographed at Pakistan from the Pakistan Museum has been given in the second panel picture. Nearby it in the second panel, a dotted like picture is seen from the book of The Deciphered Indus Script by Dr Jha and Dr Rajaram. They reported first time about the politics of horse in our Indian history. Though the image is of poor quality then available with Dr Jha and Dr Rajaram. Downside, in third panel Dr Jha and Rajaram had given an artist imagination, if the seal had not been broken then what would have been the impression. It was clearly horse representation. Only neck side was broken but entire body was intact.
The seal No. 453 as reported in the clear picture from Pakistan keeps, the animal represented on the seal as separate from the Unicorn animal. If you see Unicorn animal the belly side is different where genital part is clearly visible in the mid part of the belly. But in this seal belly is like of horse where genital part is not seen. This is the whole-body part of horse.
This made lot of noise among the Marxist historians. They started beating chest. Prominent were Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib and Witzel from the Harvard University. Witzel is a very confused person. His record so far does not inspire confidence in his unbiasedness. His contribution is also negligible. He is known more for his personal attacks on Indian scholars, especially Dr Jha and Rajaram than any substantial contribution. Why Witzel is here! He wants to demonstrate that the Indian scholars like Thapar and Habib are not capable of writing Indian history of their own country. His fellow worker Steve Farmer even charged Harappans that they were uneducated and illiterate.
Who will tell all these ignorant people that the Harappans are no other than our Krishna of the Mahabharata. This is also challenge for the Harvard University to introspect and examine why it is funding poor people like Witzel at its University.
Nobody knows Bengal and Orissa much better than RD Banerjee. His book The Palas of Bengal (1915), The Temple of Siva at Bhumara (1924), Pakshantar (1924), Pashaner Katha (1914), Karuna (1917), Shashanka (1914), Dharmapala (1915), Mayukh (1916) and the Bangalar Itihas (History of Bengal)(1914 and 1917) all describe India in the vivid ways.
Marshall did not know much about Mohenjo-Daro till May 1924. RD Banerjee first visited this site in the beginning of 1925. When he finished almost all the excavation work, Sir John Marshall visited the site in the dawn of 1926. He quickly collected all the reports and documents from him. On the matter of horse and Aryan Invasion he had lot of difference with Marshall. But that was difficult period. The Aryan Invasion Theory (including the non-availability of horse) was the official account of the British Raj. Going against it means, suspension or even termination from the job or severe wrath from the Christian missionaries, if you are Christian. Marshall was aware of such danger and difference, rather than sending Banerjee to Harappa, he was moved to Calcutta in bad way. The upset Banerjee wrote to Suniti Kumar Chatterjee in a very painful but emotional letter for his help. He writes:
“See, they (the British government authorities) will not allow me to publish anything on Mohenjo-Daro. But you can write something. I am handing over to you all the material I have and all photographs. You just write something on it and publish my interpretations. This may be a record for future generation".
That day never came. Neither Suniti Kumar Chatterjee said anything, nor RD Banerjee was asked to reveal. But RD Banerjee was not an easy man. He started giving lecture and appeared before seminar. In one such discourse he said:
There is ample evidence for believing that Parikshit (Mahabharata) was a real king and not the mere shadowy creation of a poet. Chandragupta ac-cessation if is placed at 322 BC, as given by the authorities, then the ac-cessation of Parikshit is placed at 1412 BC. His descendant Janmejay performed Horse Sacrifice ( ashwamedha yagya ), which says much before 1500 BC India knows Mahabharata and the horse.
Marshall was aware, what RD Banerjee had stated in his seminar and discourse . Banerjee while at Mohenjodaro had brought a report from Colonel Sewell on the horse. When John Marshall published his report the Mohenjodaro and the Indus Civilization, at page 28 he carried the thought of Banerjee. He wrote :
"Of the Equus Caballus Linn ( horse ) Colonel Sewell notes that it was probably of the same stock as the modern country bred of Western India and closely akin to the Anau Horse. So far, therefore , as the breed is concerned , this is precisely the animal that might be expected at Mohenjo-Daro. On the other hand , the absence of any representation of a horse among the many animals portrayed here and at Harappa, points to the bones of the Equus Caballus...For the camel too is unrepresented, though the discovery of a bone of this beast at a depth of 15 feet in the SD Area leaves little doubt that it was known as far back as the Intermediate Period." In the footnote he puts " A rough terra -cotta figurine recently unearthed by Mr Mackay (at Harappa ) might perhaps be intended for a horse".
.
These two lines are the essence part of the report. Even Marshall tried to overcome the fear of the British authority and declared here that horse and camel are both unrepresented on the seals, but all these two species are known and available at Mohenjo-Daro. This was his post thought. But when he published his report many of his old prepared reports ignoring the horse evidence appeared. Among them two pieces are particularly important.
The first one is about the horse from the Chaturanga game. Marshall tried to ignore the frequently available chess game terracotta of horses. He just passed a casual comment that it is of some modern age period. In 1953, another Harappan site, Lothal was excavated by DR SR Rao. He found horse from terracotta figurine used in playing chess game, what was known in the Mahabharata period as the game of the Chaturanga. The terracotta of chess game horse found at Lothal was same what Marshall had found at Mohenjo-Daro. But he did not mention any fair report about it. Here, Dr Rao, apart from the horse figure also found an instrument for measuring angles what was used in the Sulva-Sutra ( Hindu Geometry ). This proved the animal horse, the Sulva-Sutra and the game of the Chaturanga were existing in the Mohenjo-Daro from time immemorial. In 1964 at Surkotda, another Harappan site, JP Joshi excavated also bones of horses. In 1927, at Sutkagendor, another Harappan site, RL Stein, an European archeologist, further excavated evidence of horse. Lastly in 2018, the Sinouli site gave way of the Mahabharata war warriors with their horse drawn copper chariots.
In the Mahabharata, Chaturanga refers to four divisions of an army, namely elephantry, horse chariotry, cavalry and infantry. This was the ancient battle formation, using four different forces - Chaturanga. The Game of Chaturanga is a Mahabharata period game, which is played over "ashtapada" format. The ashtapada format means house of 64 squares. This Sanskrit word becomes corrupted where letter "c" becomes "s" in the Persian as "Satranj". This game of Chaturang remains incomplete without horse. In our story Krishna playing Chaturang with his wife Rukmini do not come accidently. (The first picture is the painting from Rajasthan depicting Krishna playing Chaturang with Rukmini )
The second proof what Marshall has ignored is from the report of Dr Earnest Mackay. Mackay being aware with the Marshall mindset did not reported fairly about a horse depicting rare seal at Harappa. This is called Seal No. 453. A clear picture photographed at Pakistan from the Pakistan Museum has been given in the second panel picture. Nearby it in the second panel, a dotted like picture is seen from the book of The Deciphered Indus Script by Dr Jha and Dr Rajaram. They reported first time about the politics of horse in our Indian history. Though the image is of poor quality then available with Dr Jha and Dr Rajaram. Downside, in third panel Dr Jha and Rajaram had given an artist imagination, if the seal had not been broken then what would have been the impression. It was clearly horse representation. Only neck side was broken but entire body was intact.
The seal No. 453 as reported in the clear picture from Pakistan keeps, the animal represented on the seal as separate from the Unicorn animal. If you see Unicorn animal the belly side is different where genital part is clearly visible in the mid part of the belly. But in this seal belly is like of horse where genital part is not seen. This is the whole-body part of horse.
This made lot of noise among the Marxist historians. They started beating chest. Prominent were Romila Thapar, Irfan Habib and Witzel from the Harvard University. Witzel is a very confused person. His record so far does not inspire confidence in his unbiasedness. His contribution is also negligible. He is known more for his personal attacks on Indian scholars, especially Dr Jha and Rajaram than any substantial contribution. Why Witzel is here! He wants to demonstrate that the Indian scholars like Thapar and Habib are not capable of writing Indian history of their own country. His fellow worker Steve Farmer even charged Harappans that they were uneducated and illiterate.
Who will tell all these ignorant people that the Harappans are no other than our Krishna of the Mahabharata. This is also challenge for the Harvard University to introspect and examine why it is funding poor people like Witzel at its University.
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