Nationalist School of Historiography emerged as a response to:a) Marx...
- The nationalist approach to Indian history can be described as one which tended to contribute to the growth of nationalist feelings and to unify people in the face of religious, caste, or linguistic differences or class differentiation.
- This approach looks at the national movement as a movement of the Indian people, which grew out of the growing awareness among all people of the exploitative nature of colonial rule.
- This approach developed as a response to and in confrontation with the colonial approach. It should be noted that the nationalist historians of modern India didn’t exist before 1947. Before 1947, nationalist historiography mainly dealt with the ancient and medieval periods of Indian history.
- Although, in the last quarter of the 19th century, a detailed and scientific critique of colonialism for the adverse economic aspects of alien rule was developed by nationalists like Dadabhai Naoroji, M.G. Ranade, G.V. Joshi, R.C.
Dutt, K.T. Telang, G.K. Gokhale, and D.E. Wacha. The only accounts of the national movement was by nationalist leaders (not historians) such as R.G.
Pradhan, A.C. Mazumdar, J.L. Nehru and Pattabhi Sitaramayya. R.C. Majumdar and Tara Chand are noted nationalist historians of modern India.
Nationalist School of Historiography emerged as a response to:a) Marx...
The Nationalist School of Historiography emerged in response to the Colonial School of Historiography, which was prevalent during the British colonial rule in India. The Colonial School of Historiography presented a biased and distorted view of Indian history, which emphasized the superiority of British civilization and culture over Indian civilization and culture. It portrayed India as a land of savagery, backwardness, and superstition, which needed to be civilized and modernized by the British.
Emergence of Nationalist School of Historiography
The emergence of the Nationalist School of Historiography was a part of the wider nationalist movement in India, which aimed to challenge the colonial discourse and assert the Indian identity and cultural heritage. The Nationalist School of Historiography emphasized the need to study Indian history from an Indian perspective and to highlight the achievements and contributions of Indian civilization and culture.
Key Features of Nationalist School of Historiography
Some of the key features of the Nationalist School of Historiography are:
1. Emphasis on Indian identity and cultural heritage: The Nationalist School of Historiography emphasized the need to study Indian history from an Indian perspective and to highlight the achievements and contributions of Indian civilization and culture.
2. Critique of Colonial Historiography: The Nationalist School of Historiography criticized the biased and distorted view of Indian history presented by the Colonial School of Historiography and highlighted the need to challenge the colonial discourse.
3. Emphasis on National Unity: The Nationalist School of Historiography emphasized the need to create a sense of national unity and pride among the people of India by highlighting the common cultural heritage and historical legacy of India.
4. Study of Regional Histories: The Nationalist School of Historiography emphasized the need to study regional histories and to highlight the local cultural traditions and contributions of different regions of India.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the Nationalist School of Historiography emerged as a response to the biased and distorted view of Indian history presented by the Colonial School of Historiography. It emphasized the need to study Indian history from an Indian perspective and to highlight the achievements and contributions of Indian civilization and culture.