A look at the world of politics, statecraft, diplomacy and books
Dr Emmanuel Le Roy Ladurie died in Paris at the age of 94 a long life filled with admirable contribution to medieval history and a stalwart of the "Annales" School of French Historiography. Of course the fact that his father served as a Minister of Agriculture under the Vichy regime in no way stands in the way of international recognition for his work. In fact as I have argued elsewhere it is about time to reassess the ideology of "collective guilt" imposed by Charles de Gaulle after his "Victory: march with the Allies in 1945. But this fact serves to underscore the complex relationship between the French Historical Establishment and the post "Liberation" French State.
 |
| Dr Le Roy Ladurie |
Ladurie is a rock star among Historians and his stellar reputation rests on his
Montaillou: The Promised Land of Error a study in which he used the Inquisitorial Records to uncover the pattern of culture and popular belief ina small mountainous village of just 250 peasants who came under the gaze of the Roman Catholic Church due to their apparent interest in the Cathars, a Christian movement that was declared heretical by the Catholic Church. Marriage patterns, familial ties, land control and ownership and relationship with the Clergy and its "errors" then as now are scandalous, Though published in 1978 this book still remains a classic study in what the French call mentalite`.
This particular book has had a very wide impact and it has reshaped the field of agrarian and medieval history in significant ways. This was the first major work that used Inquisitorial Records to probe deeper questions of faith and religion in a medieval peasant society. As many scholars since have pointed out, the French peasants were usually unlettered and the records may at best reflect the scribes' perception. Here were have what Ranajit Guha in his classic paper, "The prose of Counter Insurgency" called History against the grain. Le Roy Ladurie followed this book with one of the classic statements on Historiography,
The Territory of the Historian. Unfortunately this book remains almost undiscovered by students of medieval History. Another early book that must be mentioned is
Times of Feast, Times of Famine a book in which he used the records of grape harvest to make a study of climate chamge and variation in medieval Europe.
In 1580 a
Carnival in Romans turned into a violent riot in which the leading citizens of the city of Romans attacked and killed craftsmen who were generally adherents of the Protestant faith. This event took place eight years after the 1572 Hugenots Massacre on St Bartholomew Day. The ferocity and the intense scale of the violence unleashed was unprecedented and the Historian puts in in the context of economic, cultural and social changes that were sweeping through France.
This book is a study of the Platter Family which transitioned from sheep rearing to High social status profession within a single generation. Based on Family Records preserved in the Archives at Montpellier this work is an important contribution to the social history of early modern France. And the
Peasants of Languedoc is a classic work of medieval agrarian history.
One question that needs to be asked as Historians grapple with the methodological sophistication and grandiose sweep of Annales is the, apparent uniqueness of the French Method of History. Most of the world and certainly most of the non white societies lack historical documentation of depth and range that we see in France and other white states. The lack of resources itself should alert Historians to the fact that it is is not possible to replicate the Annales in other countries, certainly not in India. Second why do the Annales School of Historians stay away from Modern History. Is it because in the medieval period France was undefeated and was the proud centre of the European civilization.
The death of this great Historian is a loss and we mourn his death.
