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Reclaiming Hindu Temples: Episodes from an Oppressive Era

by   Chandni Sengupta (Author)  
by   Chandni Sengupta (Author)   (show less)
5.0 Ratings & 3 Reviews
Sold By:   Garuda Prakashan
₹299.00₹215.00

Short Descriptions

Reclaiming Hindu Temples: Episodes from an Oppressive Era by Chandni Sengupta is a detailed, academic look at the Sultanate period, or the early medieval period, which marked the imposition of Islamic fundamentalism in India

From the 13th Century to the arrival of the Mughals in the 16th Century, several dynasties ruled from Delhi, called Sultans – like the Slave dynasty, the Khaljis, the Lodhis, etc – and created havoc in the areas within and around Delhi. They were specifically enthused by their holy war, and indulged wantonly in destroying Hindu temples, killing Hindus, capturing their women to be sold later, and imposing taxation and other methods to torture the Hindus and alienate them from the normal body-politic; besides effecting mass conversions at sword-point.

Sengupta quotes copiously from the sources like the court historians of these barbaric rulers, which expose the glee with which they carried out such pogroms. In doing so, the author has systematically exploded the oft-repeated line from historians, who claimed that this period spawned synthesis of syncretic culture, under the influence from the Sultanate rulers. “This period did not have a single moment of peace for the Hindus,” says the author.

More Information

ISBN 13 9781942426745
Book Language English
Binding Paperback
Total Pages 232
Publishers Garuda Prakashan  
Category Indian History   Hinduism   Featured Books  
Weight 260.00 g
Dimension 13.00 x 20.00 x 2.00

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Reviews

Mr

The Book is an excellent attempt at bringing out the facts about the Sultanate period in India. The Book is a landmark as far as re-writing history is concerned. Kudos to the author and the publisher for this excellent work.
Review by - Souri Sengupta, January 31, 2022

Dr.

This book is a new research work not only for the students of history but for all those who wanted to know about their culture and impact and affect on their religious spaces at the time of Muslim invasion and thereafter. It is quite surprising that scholars of history have counted the demolition of temples as a normal act by Muslim invaders and portrayed them as divine rulers. But Dr. Chandni Sengupta has provided a fresh insight in it and with the support of authentic and primary sources proved that demolishing of Hindu temples was not only a political act but a religious zeal of the foreign invaders to establish their religion and rule on indigenous population of the Indian subcontinent. Starting with the description of destruction of twenty seven Jain temples to built Qutub Mosque to the destruction of Vishweshwar temple in Banaras by Aurangzeb to built Gyanvapi Mosque, Dr. Chandni has rightly put in that Hindu temples are always being the site of contestation for Muslims and they never have a secular approach neither they were tolerant. I highly recommend this book as it provides an insight of the past and current demands of reclaiming the ancient sites of temples by indigenous population.
Review by - Mamta Tyagi, February 06, 2022

Dr

Dr. Chandni Sengupta’s recently published book ‘Reclaiming Hindu Temples: episodes from an Oppressive Era’ has succeeded in articulating the concern of the Indian masses. I am pretty sure that the book will stir the dormant conscience of the majority of Indians who have felt cheated in the last seven decades of the Indian Independence. The issues raised in the pages of the books are apt and suggestive. The book is bound to be counted as a social and historical document of our time.
Review by - Parul Yadav, February 09, 2022
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Product Details

Contents Acknowledgements Foreword Preface Introduction Chapter-1 The Deadly Destruction of Sind and Multan Chapter-2 From Kurukshetra to Somanatha Chapter-3 Foundation of the Dark Age Chapter-4 Temples Destroyed by the Ilbari Turks Chapter-5 The Wrath of the Khaljis Chapter-6 The Bigotry of the Tughlaq Dynasts Chapter-7 Temple Desecration in Regional Sultanates Chapter-8 The Story of ‘But Shikan’—The Slayer of Idols Chapter-9 The Lamentable Iconoclasm of the Lodis Conclusion Bibliography References Foreword Historical writing on the medieval period has largely been confined to the political, economic, cultural, and socio-religious developments that took place during the period of Islamic occupation. While the political institutions and buildings established by the Turks have been glorified in books, there have been very few attempts to look at the true nature of the Turkish rule in Bharat. The history of the Delhi Sultanate is a history of violence and bloodshed, but in order to present a positive image of the Muslim Sultans, historians have purposely focussed on institutions, buildings, economic measures, while completely ignoring the actual nature of the Sultanate rule. The history of the Delhi Sultanate is replete with instances of temple desecration, forced conversions, and slaughter of Hindus. Unfortunately, most of the historical works have not focussed on the manner in which Hindus were humiliated during this period. After the establishment of the Delhi Sultanate, Bharat, which was called “Sone ki Chidiya” or “Golden Bird” was plunged into the Dark Age during which many excesses were committed against the Hindus. The iconoclasm inherent in Islam dictated the actions of the Sultans who destroyed temples wherever they went. Numerous, in fact, thousands of temples were destroyed, and in many case