ARNI JAGIR AND THE "TEARS OF THE NAWAB": Histroy if Fiction

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

History writing is an underdeveloped art in India and Historical Fiction remains a distant dream, While the 1857 Revolt has inspired a few credible pieces of historical fiction, South India has essentially defied the charms of a novelist. This book The Nawab's Tears is neither well written not is the historical research of a high order. The plot is weak, the dialogues flat and one dimensional, the characters are really cardboard cut-outs. Yet I would like to take this book seriously as I am connected to both Vijayanagara as a Historian and Arni as I have heard tales about the goings on in the palace.

Palace of Poosimalai, Arni

 The attractive European style   building was constructed in the l   late nineteenth century, in a "French Style" to serve as the   residence of a court favorite. The   History of the Arni Jagir goes   back  to the days of the great Emperor Shivaji who conquered Tanjavur and Senji and made one Vedaji  Bhaskar Pant the Qiladar of the area, Consisting of around 125 villages, the Jagir was quickly acquired by the Bhonsle rulers of Tanjavur from whom it passed into the hands of the Nawab of Carnatic and saw considerable shifts in its fortunes as the English East India Company and Tippu Sultan faught for supremacy. In the famous Treaties, Sanads and Engagemenrts vol X were have the confirmation that in June 1789 the East India Company entered into a Treaty with Arni in which the jagir was conferred on Tirumal Rao and his successors. After the Administration of Sir Thomas Munro, Puddukkotai and Arni were the few estates which were not under the Royatwari Settlement. A Tribute of 10,000 Arcot Rupees was fixed as the peshkush, tribute, to the Nawab of Arcot. There is no record that  this amount was ever paid as the Nawab himself ceased to be an important player in politics after the Peace Settlement of Vienna which was signed in 1815. The Nawab was the only Indian potentate who signed this Settlement. The Jagirdars were firm devottees of the Madhava Philosophy and one of the heads of the Uttaradi Mutt attained Samadhi in Satyamangalam as Arni was called.

Arni Jagirdars were educated as the Madras Administration took over the samastanam and took custody under the Court of Wards decree. Consequently the princes were sent to Bangalore for education and later Tirumal Rao and Srinivasa Rao were both educated at Presdidency College, Chennai. The revenue of the Jagir picked up after the dissoulution of the Court of Wards and the Annual Reports of the Madras Irrigation Department and the Revenue Department show that considerable improvements were made. Silk production was encouraged and Arni Silk still remains an important item in the local economy. The jagirdars were notorious spendthrifts and lived a ;life of luxury. William Pogson, the noted Scottish Architect was commissioned to design the famous "Arni House" in Halls Road, Chennai.

Arni House, Halls Road

  It is against the back drop of the history       sketched above that we must situate the   context of the Nawab's Tears. This book  has been inspired by Dan Brown's Da Vinci   Code, Willkie Collins, Moonstone, Indiana   Jones with a touch of Hercule Pirot thrown in for good measure. The novel revolves arounf Krishna a widow of the last Jagirdar who asks her college flame Aravan to help her with some secret codes that she discovered in a diary belonging to one Captain Miller. Needless to say the necklace which was the Nawab's Tears as its immediate owner Chanda Sahib had been brutally executed after being defeated. The Masonic Lodge and its rituals play a prominent part in the novel. All said and done this is an entertsining read. Now I turn to certain Historical details which are certainly open to different interpretations.

There are frequent allusions to the History of Vijayanagara in this novel. Robert Sewell's Forgotten Empire even appears in the Bibliography. First, there is an equivalence drawn beteeen Hindu monarch's treatment of images and temples in the territory of rival kings after they had conquered them and Muslim conquerors like Malik Kafur and others including the Deccani Sultanates. The Historians of JNU are primarily responsible for the false equivalence. He gives the example of the Pallava conquest of Vatapi by the King Nandivarman. The image of Ganesha was neither destroyed or descecrated. It was brought to Kanchipuram and installed in the temple. Similarly when Rajendra Chola I (1014-1044) defeated the Chalukyas he drought back as war trophies images which till today are in worship in the temple of Gangaikondasolapuram. Similarly when Krishnadeva Raya (1509-1529)  defeated the Gajapathis of Orissa he brought back the image of Balakrishna from Udayagiri which was installed in the Krishna Temple which he specially constructed for this image. Unfortunately the Historians in their desire to please the powers that be made such outlandish claims and the novelist has only repeated them. Similarly the Gilani brothers who betrayed the Ruler, Rama Raya on the Battlefield of Talikota is referrewd to in a near contemporary account by Fredrick Ceasar.

This book needs a good editor to sharpen the storyline. And the writer does show the potential for Indian History to be engaging.

India's General Election 2024 The Prospects of the BJP and strategies

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

The bugle of elections has been sounded and the campaign to capture power has started. There is an increase of 11.5% in the strength of the Electorate and a significantly larger number of candidates are conrtesting, compared to the 2019 Elections. There are two broad allainces, the National Democratic Alliance led by the BJP and the Indian National Democratic Inclusive Alliance the I. N. D. I Alliance. Rahul Gandhi, though not the declared leader, is the public face of this motely crowd.

Let us start with the I. N. D, I Alliance. The grouping is riven with personalitiy clashes and strong anti incumbancy wave in the two major states ruled by components of the Alliance: West Bengal and Karnataka. In Kerala and Tamil Nadu, the NDA is mounting a serious challenge but both the DMK and the CPM have deep roots and so there is only limited hope of BJP gaining a strong posse of seats. I expect asround 6 to 12 seats for the NDA from both these states together. In Karnataka and in West Bengal the BJP is slated to do well. The campaign of Rahul Gandhi is proving to be a huge embarassment to his Alliance. His statement against Sakthi has not gone down well and he has not mastered the art of political rhetoric which even ordinary members of the BJP have total command over. The seats for the INDI Alliance will not increase and Congress numbers may even fall. Except Punjab where the APP will getr the majority of the seats, the INDI Alliance is on a stricky wicket everywhere else in the country.

What are the issues before the Electorate: Governance, Internal Security, Economy, Infrastructure and Employment. On all these issue, except employment the Government has performed well. Governance has remained  more or less corruption free and there are no major scandals, financial or otherwise, affecting the credibility of the BJP. The Electoral Bonds which the Congress has tried to portray as "Licensed Corruption" was introduced to check the role of unaccounted money in the electoral process. The very fact that the electoral bonds could be traced back to the original donor is proof of the good faith in which the Government acted. Unfortunately the Government of India has to contend with a unified Opposition and a hyperactive Judiciary which struck down the Electoral Bond Scheme. It will be reintroduced after the General Elections. And a major slew of reforms of the judiciary including the judges appointing judges system that is in vogue today will ne introduced. The CAA has finally been passed and except for some organized identity groups, there is hope that Citizenship will be rolled out to the minorities in Pakistan. There have been some tension with regard to Center-State Relations. Kerala, Tamil Nadu and West Bengal have refused to cooperate with the Centre on sensitive issues pertaining to transnational crime. I expect the next Government to define Law and Order which have been left by the Constitution to the Statesmore precisely. The Indian Economy has been growing at an average of 8% and the World Bank  and IMF expect this trend to continue. Unfortunately this is largely growth without employment as the only jobs available to the younger generation are in the gig economy. India has seen a phenomenal growth in terms of Infrastructure and the investment in Ports, Railways and Highways will continue. In fact the impressive economic growth figures of India comes from Infrastructural growth.

Given the track record of Governance, Internal Security and Economy I expect Narendra Modi to make a clean sweep in the forthcoming elections. I have not been wrong in my electoral prediction so far and I venture to state that the BJP will win between 334 to 354 seats. give or take a few. The 400+ that the leadership talks of is hype. Unless South India makes a complete U turn  in its politics, this number is not possible. And South India has outlawed miracles. 

All in all a BJP led Government seems probable.  Apart from the Electoral Bonds and the Arvind Khejriwal arrest and imprisonment the Government has not taken any major misstep. The Liquor Policy Scam in which Kavitha the daughter of K C  Rao, the former CM of Telengana and Manish Sisodia and of course now, the Chief Minister od Delhi figure as accused, is only fizz in a beer bottle. It will be impossible for the ED to prove the case in court and this makes me suspect that political motives are behind this strategy. If the Cabinet is guilty of making the decision why is the LT. Gov of Delhi who signed off on the policy not make part of the conspiracy.

India is facing serious challenges in the neighborhood. The tensions in West Asia are increasing and the war in Ukraine though is winding down is showing no sign of approaching peace. Tensions with China will continue as India maintains a strong and aggressive posture.

The Vishwanath Temple in Benares: Review of Vishwanath Rises and Rises by Meenakshi Jain

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Vishwanath Rises and Rises: The Story of Eternal Kashi

Meenakshi Jain

New Delhi: Aryan Books 2024

After the restoration and consecration of the Bhavya Rama Temple at Ayodhya on January 22, 2024 a new set of historical issues have arisen: the Vishwanath Temple at Varanasi and the Krishna Janmastan at Mathura. Both were destroyed by the Mughal king Aurangazeb in 1669 and there are historical documents  that establish the destruction on the explicit orders of the king. 

Historians like Dr Meenakshi Jain who have worked extensively on the Rama Temple at Ayodhya and were instrumental in exposing the hollowness of the claims of the critics have now turned their attention to Benares. This book and Vikram Sampath's volume are the most comprehensive dealing with the historical and legal aspects of the issue. The latter is significant in that the Places of Worship Act of 1991 is seen as a statutory impediment to the demand for restitution and restoration of places of worship associated with the indigenous faith

of India. The map drawn by James Prinsep makes it clear that the floor plan of the Gyan Vyapi Mosque followed closely that of the temple and the three domes visible in the picture were placed directly above the sacred garba griha of the destroyed temple. As per the religious character of the site Courts will have no real issue ruling in favour of the indigenous faith of India. 

The book is a comprehensive history of Varanasi and its sacred heritage as reflected in archaeology and judicial and administrative documents. As early as 1809 itself there were systematic attempts to reclaim the site where the Lat Bhairava Temple stood which had been turned into a Mosque. In the struggle that followed sev eral people were killed and order restored. As in Ayodhya the indigenous people were allowed to worship at the site which will prove significant in determing the religious character of the site.

The sacred geography of Benares was shaped by the Skanda Puran a text put together during the 11th or 12 th century when the Ghadavalas were the ruling power. The Ghadavalas shifted their capital from Kanauj in order to be in a position to protect Benares which was being attacked by the Turks from the end of the 12th century. One consequence of the repeated destruction wrought upon Benares by the turushka is seen in the fact that places associated with the practice of the Pasupata Cult came to be inscribed on the larger canvass of Saivism. Apart from Aibak and Razia there were several instances of attacks on Benares. And after each cycle destruction effort was made to reconsecrate the destroyed temple by Rajputs, Mahrattas, and Sikhs. Ahilya Holkar restored the temple of Vishwanath destroyed by Aurangzeb at a site as close to the destroyed temple as possible and this temple still stands. The 12th century text Varanasi mahatmya provides information on the complex religious character of Varanasi that prevailed at the eve of the Turkish depredations over northern India.

The Vishwanath temple is credited to be the site of the Jotirling  of Siva and is said to be one of 12 sites so designated distributed from Kedarnath in the north to Somnath or Veraval in Gujarat and Rameswaram in Tamil Nadu. The Skanda Puran does not refer to the concept of Jyotirling and none of the Pasupata religious texts that survive contain any discussion on this important aspect of Saiva theology. Is it possible that this concept was fashioned to protect the virtual sanctity of Saiva temples that had been desecrated by the muslim invaders. The physical structure may have been destroyed by the divine image remains transcendental.

This book is full of interesting facts and contains a wealth of information that both historians and lay readers will find useful.

Is the United States of America a "Totalitarian Democracy?" Permanent War, Military Industrial Complex and Civil Society

A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books

Full Spectrum Dominance by William Engdahi is a serious investigative Report on the interface between the political and civilian institutions and the organs of the Military Industrial Complex which some analysts term the Deep State in the USA.  Bereft of its conspitorial shimmer, this book examines in great detail the policy frameworks and the ideological matrix within which total dominance over the world is sought to be achieved. Preparing the citizens for a state of Permanent War implies the ability to command the economic, cultural and human resource in favor of the stated goals of the US and to be able to draw upon the discourse of "Democracy", "Freedom" and "Human Right" to render such wars legitimate in the eyes of its people and the world. In short a Prapaganda Empire that can sustain the war effort. The author claims that these goals lie behind the Full Spectrum Dominance aspired to by the US. Liberation, Free Market and Democracy are the rallying cry of the New Empire of the USA. 

The enemity first with the USSR and after the disintegration of Soviet Union, the continuing saga of hostility needs to be explained. It appears that right from the time of George Kennan the Russia expert in the State Department, USA committed itself to a policy of "containment". This policy itself was predicated upon the Eurasia-Heartland--Rimland theory of Sir Halford Mackinder whose pseudo science of Geopolitics found avid disciples in Henry Kissinger and even President Carter's National Security advisor, Brezezenski were impressed with the idea that Russia was the pivot of History and it was therefore in American interest to harass and intimidate Russia in order to curtail its natural importance. The policy with regard to Russia-Ukraine War that is presently taking place is also guided by the same strategy of ensuring that Russia does not dominate Eurasia. When Sir Halford Mackinder wrote his famous "Geographical Pivot of History" both China and India were weak colonized subjucated countries and in that specific situation Mackinder may have been right. Now with a boyant China and resurgent India, Eurasia is no longer the sole playground of Russia. This exaggerated theory that stresses the importance of Russia in the geopolitcs of Eurasia is the hangover of the Golden Horde and the long history of Mongol supremacy over the region. A costly war in Ukraine is governed by pseudo scientific theories of the early 20th century. 

The Totalitarian Democracy is a National Security State in which important organs of the Security Apparatus are virutually beyon the reach and scrutiny of the civilians. The Pentagon, CIA, National Security Agency and Defence Intelligence Agency are all part of a sprawling network of secret and semi secret beauraucracies that run the American State. In recent years we have even seen the FBI, the AFT anf the Justice Department being used to suppress and crush dissent. The world has been watching  incredulously as President Trump is being prosecuted by the current Administration. The Deep State has always regarded Donald Trump as a threat and tried its best to defeat him in 2016 and today wants to ensure that he does not contest. All these raise questions over the democratic credentials of he USA. 

The Prussian historian Clausewitz defined war as politics by other means and the US has taken this to a whole new level. Using NGOs, Church, media organizations and academics the US has acquired a creditable control over the narrative space of the world. George Soros and his Open Society, National Endowment for Democracy, Freedom House and scores of such well funded fronts of the American state, pump money to create regime change all over the world. Successful regime change has been attempted in Ukraine, Myanmar, Tunisia, Egypt, Kosovo Khazakastan and other places. The tactic of "swarming" a event staged for the benefit of a photobgraphic crew with the international network of BBC and CNN ready at hand to amplify the message is seen in all these protests. In India too we have seen the same tactic in the anti CAA protests and the Farm Law Agitations. One added dimension was the support extended by the Governments of USA and Canada to these movements. These "Colour Revolutions" are the handiwork of the US Secret Service working in tandem with NGOs and Academics along with journalists.

The book brings out certain startling facts. For instance Winston Churchill wanted to send the 12 surrendeed divisions of the German Army into USSR in order to destroy the Soviet Union. USA even had a task force to identify Russian cities that would be bombed with nuclear bombs and it was Soviet demonstation of the Hydrogen Bomb in 1951 that ended US plans. And then there is the curious and tragic case of the Serbian President Slobodan Milosevic. The western press launched a viciuos campaign against him and he even was arrigned before the International Court of Crimianl Justice. He died in prison before the not guity verdict was pronounced. And men like Obama, Bush, Blair, Clinton and others are walking free as leaders of the "free world".

This book must be read for the facts it presents.