The Indians: Histories of a Civilization review: Book of essays traces the journey of freedom

History exhumes more than what was. It prompts stories to resurface, for old places to come alive and for new people to be seen through the mirrors of the past. One says mirrors, plural, because there is never one reflection of the past. G. N. Devy, Tony Joseph and Ravi Korisettar bring many such reflections alive in The Indians: Histories of a Civilization (Aleph Book Company), their new compilation of essays and papers, which Devy terms a “collective and non-institutional intellectual experiment”. The book, he underlines, makes no claim of making history easy, but this extensive — albeit not exhaustive — collection makes history accessible, at the least.

With almost a hundred contributors — South Asia’s foremost scholars and domain experts — this volume is monumental and, in many ways, enterprising. The contributors attempt, solemnly, to cover prehistory, protohistory and history of human evolution end to end, starting from 12,000-18,000 years before the present. While their lens is global — giving contextual insights into the geographies, societies and economies of the time, and their varied impacts — the focus eventually turns to the history of the Indian subcontinent. Their approach resembles the principles of Gestalt, where the whole is larger than the sum of its parts; collecting and correctly placing one piece of the puzzle at a time. Individually, the essays provide leading, in-depth analysis of parts of Indian history — its people and places, their movement across time and space, the evolution of their language(s), political affiliations and economic motives. Collectively, they evoke insight into the making of the Indian subcontinent as one historic unit.

The making and interpretation of history

Comprising 101 essays divided into seven sections, the volume addresses both physical and psychological aspects of history — its making, discovery and interpretation. Moving from one section to another, readers learn, along with unknown facts and features, that the pursuit of history is propelled by a mixed spirit of intuition and inquiry. Progressing in a structured and organic manner, it begins with the history of the Early/First Indians and traces their movement out of Africa and across the globe, while elaborating on the (geographical and climatic) conditions that made migration necessary.

Even before that, the common roots of present day’s genetic diversity are discussed and grounds for genetic “segregation” (such as caste and race) are examined. Who came to the Indian grounds, when and why, and who moved along and who stayed? These are some questions that we find answers to in section one, which is all about establishing the “cultural continuum” (despite regional variations), as French archaeologist Jean-François Jarrige calls it.

Following these “genetic breadcrumbs”, we reach section two, where scholars debate the ‘foundations, emergence and decline of civilizations.’ It is the stage of human evolution where hunting-gathering declined and cultivation, pastoralism and domestication of animals was on the rise. Without documentation available, Biology, Environmental Sciences, Archaeobotany and Archaeozoology become the means of recording and reporting history here — a phase which the book calls “deep history”.

The journey of freedom

With the birth of societies, social divisions too are born and Devy concludes section two with a discussion on the “why, wherefore and how” of varna and jati systems in Indian civilization. Section three is a carefully detailed and nuanced analysis of emergence and evolution of language (its changing forms, usage and relevance in today’s global times). From ancient dialects such as Sanskrit to Indo-European/ Indo-Iranian languages to Dravidian and others, the scholars compare and study their impacts on the Indians, especially when in contact with socio-religious traditions. The details of Vedic traditions, Buddhism, Jainism, and their by-product — literature — are also reviewed in detail by multiple experts.

Section four, which revolves around cultures, sub-nationalities and religion, is the longest and perhaps the most relevant and insightful section of the volume. It is in this section that old and new histories, identities and legacies of South-Indian, North-Eastern, and Tribal India are given their due, independent thought, along with chapters on North and West Indian regions. Political, cultural and religious changes in these regions over time, and the lack of adequate/popular representation is this section’s chief concern.

Sections five, six and seven dwell on the developments from what one can call modern Indian history. The definition of cultural influence in these sections expand beyond the national (symbolic) boundaries of the Indian subcontinent and allow global entries and exits. Colonial power, ideas and technologies emerge and absorb the Indian identity. Their aftereffects can be seen even today, in both good and bad ways. Amidst this transition to “modernity”, the neglected ones on the “margins” raise slogans of reform and movement. Leaders of India come to the forefront. Scholars reflect on the “idea of freedom” in the Indian tradition, followed by the freedom struggle that led to Independence and, unfortunately, the divide; completing the journey of Freedom — from philosophy to reality.

Preserving our collective identity

In the final section, the legal and philosophical aspects of the modern Indian identity are discussed; especially the political upheavals giving rise to new people’s movements in a new India. The book concludes with the challenges and possible adversities of hoping for a single national identity; after all, as the late Eugene Weber said “reality is diversity” — a lesson we often remiss, even after 76 years of Independence, if not for the thousands of years of shared lineage.

Reading these seven sections, one realises that history might be a thing of the past, but it is not done-and-dead. The essays, originating from what seems like years of research and study, prove that history is a living thing, constantly evolving, and that it must be actively pursued instead of being left stagnant. G. N. Devy, in his Introduction to the book, also underscores that the purpose of the volume is to ignite a renewed recognition of our diversity — as a country, and a civilization. The book, he asserts, is “an appeal to restore reason”. In this thorough and humongous task of collecting the history of man and nation, he has established, with his co-editors and contributing scholars, that history is nothing but a scientific pursuit. The Indians, in the final analysis, seeks to preserve our collective (albeit diverse) and often forgotten identity.