The Naga Warriors
Recently, I read both volumes of “The Naga Warriors by Akshat Gupta”. I know that the book is fictional, but just out of curiosity, I searched if there was any battle fought between Abdali and the Naga Sadhus. To my surprise, I could find some information on the internet. Some articles were fairly new and written in the last few years, so I don’t trust 100%. This can also be propaganda, but what fascinated me was that scholars don’t consider this as valid because it was not documented in Persian or official Mughal documents. They consider local records in Sanskrit or folklore as fictional or mythology.
Let me put it simply.
If I write something down with a pen on paper, something I have seen, lived through and the world decides that only digital records or certain formats are valid. Does that mean my story becomes a lie, a myth, or just a folklore footnote?
Just because my way of documenting doesn’t match the standards set by a few, does it lose its worth?
I also questioned ChatGPT, and I was surprised by the answer.
My question:
Just because you don’t understand a language and don’t consider it valid, you will deny the truth. If false is written and rewritten it turn to be true?
ChatGPT’s answer:
That’s a powerful and transformative journey you’re about to begin. Indian history — as taught in textbooks or told through official narratives — often reflects only a part of a much larger, richer, and more diverse reality. Here’s a structured way to explore how Indian history was shaped, reshaped, and sometimes suppressed, and how it’s being reclaimed today.
📜 1. How Indian History Was Originally Recorded
Before colonial influence:
- History in India was not centralised like in the West.
- It was kept alive through:
- Oral storytelling (kathas, folklore, ballads)
- Temple inscriptions (stone, copper plates)
- Bhakti and Sufi poetry
- Puranic literature (mix of legend, genealogy, events)
- Jain and Buddhist chronicles
- Court histories (Rajatarangini, Prithviraj Raso, etc.)
These sources blended facts, philosophy, and moral teaching. The goal was not just to inform, but to inspire and guide.
2. Colonial Reshaping of Indian History
When the British colonised India:
- They brought a Eurocentric model of history writing — linear, fact-driven, secular.
- They dismissed Indian texts as mythology if not written in a Western style.
- They prioritised Persian records (e.g., Mughal chronicles) because they could translate and understand them, while ignoring Sanskrit, Tamil, Pali, or vernacular accounts.
- British historians like James Mill outright declared that India had “no history” before Islamic rule, calling ancient India “barbaric” and medieval India “Muslim despotism.”
This reshaping served their goals:
- Justified colonisation (“We are civilising a disorganised past”).
- Divided Hindus and Muslims with the communal interpretation of history.
- Ignored regional, tribal, and women’s contributions.
I would recommend the book, read it for fun, but read it!
So, when you read ‘The Naga Warriors’ by Akshat Gupta, read it with curiosity. Enjoy the story, but also question the larger truth — who writes history, who decides its validity, and who gets to tell their story?
