
CHENNAI: History flourishes when there is a multiplicity of voices and diverse interpretations, said Author Vikram Sampath during the 13th edition of the ThinkEdu Conclave 2025 on Tuesday.
He remarked that at least the present times allow for the mainstreaming and discussion of figures like Vinayak Damodar Savarkar, which is a contrast to the post-independence era which, he noted, was dominated by a monochromatic narrative.
He interacted with Ravi Shankar, consulting editor of The Sunday Standard, during the session titled Heroes, Villains, and Survivors. Speaking about his latest book, ‘Tipu Sultan: The Saga of Mysore’s Interregnum’, Sampath argued that the glorification of Tipu Sultan is an affront to the emotions and sensitivities of communities affected by his violence.
“While it is not possible to compartmentalise historical figures as heroes or villains, evidence suggests that someone like Tipu Sultan veers closer to the negative side,” he said.
Sampath noted that while violence was widespread in the pre-modern era, often resulting in collateral damage to civil society, he highlighted that in some cases, this violence was driven by theology and identity, elevating it to the level of genocide.
He cited the example of the Madayam Iyengars, who still abstain from celebrating Deepavali as a mark of mourning as several hundreds of members of their community were massacred on the same day by Tipu Sultan.
Sampath also referenced resistance from the Christian community in Mangalore to the commemoration of Tipu Jayanti, underscoring how these historical events continue to evoke intergenerational trauma and collective memory.
Commenting on the controversy surrounding Karnataka textbooks mentioning Veer Savarkar flying on the wings of a bulbul while in jail, historian Sampath said that at least there is a situation where figures like Savarkar are now being discussed.
He highlighted an incident from the post-independence era when Hridaynath Mangeshkar, Lata Mangeshkar’s brother, was removed from All India Radio for tuning one of Savarkar’s poems.
Sampath also recalled Indira Gandhi’s heartfelt eulogy for Savarkar, questioning why she would do so if he had been party to Gandhi’s assassination. He argued that in the politicisation of history, Savarkar became a “fall guy.”
He also emphasised the challenges of decoding history, including the scarcity of sources and their accessibility, linguistic barriers, and the difficulty of separating fact from the maze of storytelling in ancient texts.
Talking about the destruction of knowledge and historical sources, he cited the burning of Nalanda by Bakhtiyar Khilji, where manuscripts reportedly burned for six months.
“It is a travesty that the ruins of Nalanda are now located in a place named Bakhtiyarpur after the very man who destroyed it,” he said.
Sampath also spoke about the initiatives of the Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research, which he founded to encourage multiple narratives. The foundation offers scholarships in the name of renowned historian Sir Jadunath Sarkar, funding eight to nine scholars annually to write and research history.
He also mentioned that the project group of the foundation is trying to incubate research projects in educational institutions, starting with the reinvented Nalanda University, where the rise and fall of Buddhism in India is being studied by a multidisciplinary team including historians, archaeologists and language scholars.
This apart, under a project called Yuva, efforts are being taken to make history interesting for children and young adults, he said.