As per reports, the University has proposed to include the ancient Sanskrit text Manusmriti and Tuzuk-i-Baburi (the memoirs of Mughal Emperor Babur) in the syllabus of the undergraduate History Honours course for the fourth year students under the Four Year Undergraduate Programme (FYUP) in the University.
A 15-member committee has prepared the core paper of History Honours titled ‘Sources of Indian History’ in the History Department. The committee also proposed to include several ancient texts including Harsha Charit, Matsyapurana, Sangam Kavya and Sanskrit inscriptions of the Delhi Sultanate in the syllabus. However, the inclusion of Manusmriti is being opposed particularly. The proposal has already been approved by the Department’s Joint Committee of Courses. However, the proposal is yet to receive the nod of the University’s Academic and Executive Councils.
The proposal has evoked opposition from a section of professors and students who have written to the University administration to withdraw the proposal. Following the opposition, the committee has been instructed to review the syllabus. Justifying its proposal to include the ancient texts in the History syllabus, the committee said that the texts would offer different historical perspectives to the students.
Some faculty members oppose the proposal
The proposal has attracted mixed reactions from the faculty of the University, with some of the faculty members opposing the proposal, and the other supporting it. Surendra Kumar, an Associate Professor in the History Department, opposed the inclusion of both Manusmriti and Tuzuk-i-Baburi in the syllabus. He wrote to the Vice-Chancellor describing the texts as ‘glorifying exploitation and oppression’ and being in conflict with ‘the idea of India’. He urged the Vice-Chancellor to replace the texts with other historical texts that better reflect the country’s diverse history.
“The text Manusmriti is a document that conceptualises society in a caste-based and coercive manner, suggesting the exploitative treatment of people, particularly women, SC/ST/OBC and marginalised sections. The inclusion of this text is against both the Constitution of Bharat and the progressive ethos of our society,” Kumar wrote regarding Manusmriti.
“The text is written by Babur, whose invasion led to unprecedented destruction in Bharat. Guru Granth Sahib has stated about the destructive aspect of the invasion of Babur. Janam Sakhi and other sources of Bharat describe the brutality committed following the arrival of Babur, leading to the destruction of the people of Bharat,” he wrote regarding Tuzuk-i-Baburi.
Latika Gaur, another faculty member, also opposed the proposal to include Manusmriti. “Manusmriti is a text that reflected the web of Brahmanical patriarchy and the objectification of women. Historians consider it the most prominent ideological text of the Brahmanical system. If it is to be taught and treated as sacred literature, then there are serious problems. This is not a good step. This must be challenged,” she said.
Commenting on the proposal, Professor Pankaj Garg said that the texts are supposed to teach the students about society at that time and not to glorify any ideas. “If the History department has introduced the text to teach the students about how society used to be at that time and not as a text that tries to glorify ideas, there is nothing objectionable, “said Professor Garg.
“Yes, certain aspects of the text, like how it describes women and Dalits, are condemnable. But while teaching students about the sources of history, one must engage with texts during certain periods even if they contain problematic views. It is essential to understand the historical context in which these texts were produced,” he added.
