From: mvishnu@bcr3.uwaterloo.ca (Meenan Vishnu)
Subject: Re: NEWS : Distortion in history textbooks opposed
Organization: University of Waterloo
Date: Thu, 1 Oct 1992 16:50:24 GMT

In article <Bv7sDs.D6H@ucunix.san.uc.edu> bhatnagr@ucunix.san.uc.edu (Raj Bhatnagar) writes:
>
>It is against the tenets of psecularism to accept the conclusion
>that a psecular invader, such as Babar, could have ever destroyed a 
>communal place like RamJanmabhoomi. No matter how much the evidence
>supports the destruction, the psecular experts, proficient in the 
>art of Hegelian dialectics, will either refuse to see the evidence
>or will produce an anti-thesis, howsoever farfetched, for every
>thesis that relates the evidence to the temple destruction by Babar.
>
>
>---raj


Ok, let us for a moment, assume that there was indeed a Rama temple and that
Babar destroyed it and replaced it with a mosque.  If BJP/RSS wants to 
"correct the historical injustice" by destroying the mosque and replacing 
it with a Rama temple, why can't the Dravidians destroy all that is Aryan
and replace it with Dravidian to "correct the historical injustice" of 
the Aryans.  (Remember, Most scholars still hold the view that there was 
indeed an Aryan invasion of Dravidian India although modern "scholars" 
such as Prof. Kak, S. Rao wants the world to believe that the Aryans are
the original inhabitants of India.  The evidences that they give are not
at all convincing to me).

We (Hindus) should have prevented the Islamic invasions with all our
hearts and minds back in 640 A.D (see article below).  Now it is no use
destroying mosques and building temples.  Instead we can use the capital
to renovate thousands of beautiful temples that are being destroyed by
nature everyday.  (There are so many such temples in TN for example).

Meenan Vishnu



(originally posted in SCI)
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I have typed the follwing interesting paragraphs from the book

"Gita As it Was: Rediscovering the Original Bhagavadgita"
 by Phulgenda Sinha.

begin quote
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The story of how the Brahmans helped the invading Arabs in their
conquest of Sind is a treacherous history.  We get a vivid 
account of the Arabs' incursion and their subsequent conquest of
Sind through a book entitled Chachnamah, written by Ali Kufi 
(of Kufah, Syria) in 1216 A.D.  The book was translated into
Persian from Arabic, and was translated into English by Mizra
Kalichbeg Fredunbeg in 1900[3].

According to Chachnamha, Buddhism was the dominant religion in
Sind during the seventh century A.D.  There were Buddhist temples
and monastaries located all over Sind.  The Buddhist and the Brahmans
lived in amity.  The various principalities and their rulers were 
under the king of Sind, Rai Sahira, a Kshatriya.  This kingdom fell
into the hands of his Chief, Chach, who ruled for many years.
After the death of Chach, his son Dahar (Dahir) became the king. 
It wwas during this reign that the Arabs conquered Sind.

The Arabs began invading portions of Sind during 640s.  According to the 
Chgachnamah, during the reign of Caliph Umar (634-643) "an army of Islam
was first sent out to different parts of Hind and Sind, to carry on 
religious war there"[4].  But every attack of the Arabs was thwarted, 
their forces destroyed, and the leader killed.  Their condition changed 
abruptly, however, when they began receiving support from the Brahmans.
The Brahmans had always occupied the high administrative before and after 
Chach.  They began helping the Arabs by acting as their informers; by 
preaching a philosophy of surrender; by predicting victory of Islam and
defeat of the local ruler; and by working as advance-party of the 
invading Arabs.  Let me give an example of how a brahman's support to the
Arabs at Debal (a small principality in Sind) provided them with their
victory in Sind.

The Arabs had invaded Debal in 711 A.D. under the command of Muhammad Kasim
(also called Muhammad Ibin Qasim).  They had fought for eight days without
making any gains.  Since Debal was a fortified city, the Arabs had encamped nearby and were waging war from their camps, without success. 

In the heart of the city of Debalo, there was a Buddhist temple with a 
high dome.  On that dome, there was a high pole from which a huge flag was
hoisted.  This flag worked as a talisman (symbol).  It meant that as long as
the flag continued to be displayed, the people would be victorious. 
Inspired by this flag, the people and the army fought bravely, and for 
eight days the Arabs were held in check.  On the ninth day of the battle,
while the Arab army was besieging Debal, a surpricing event happened:

"All of a sudden, then, a Brahmin (Brahman) came fourth from the garrison,
and cried for mercy.  He said "May the just Governor live long!  We have 
learnt from our sciences of stars that the country of Sind will be 
conquired by the army of Islam, and the infidels will be put to flight.
But be it known to you that the standard of the idol-house (temple), yonder,
is a talisman.  As long as the standard of the temple stands in its place,
it is impossible for the fort to be taken by you.  You must, therefore,
try your best to blow off the dome of this temple, and break its flag-staff
into pieces.  Then only your success will be complete"[5].

After  hearing the secret of the temple, the commander of the Arab army,
Muhammed Kasim, called his engineer, Jaubat Salmi, and offered him
a reward for devising a means of blowing off the dome of  the temple.
The next day, the Arabs destroyed the dome and the flag of the temple.
The call of the flag meant the fall of the Debalese people.

After the dome was demolished, the Arabs army entered the temple and fort
without a fight.  THe people surrendered, the idol in the temple was removed,
and a mosque was established.  The Arabs had won their first victory, and
they now knew who their collaborators would be.  As a result, when 
Muhammed Kasim marched from one place to another, he had
easy victories.  And finally he was able to conquer all of Sind.

By reading Chachnamah, one comes to see again and again that 
when the Arab army began marching into other areas after capturing Debal, 
the Brahmnas worked as advance-men for them.  They began telling the
people, the army, and the local prince: "The sages and the philosophers
of Hind (India), who are the original residents of this country, have 
found from their books of antiquity, by use of the astrology and their
astroly, that this empire will be conquired by an army of Islam and will
come into its complete possession"[6].

Because of these predictions by Brahmins, many chief and heads of various
principalities surrendered to the Arabs, one after another, without a 
fight.  The few who resisted found their military secrets turned over
to the Arabs by Brahmin informers.  At one place, about one thousand 
Brahmans appeared before Muhammed Kasim and expressed their respect
and support to him in exchange for due patronage.  Kasim obliged them
by appointing them to their previously held posts and also allowed them
a small share in the taxes they collected from the people[7].

The victory of the Arabs, from Debal to Sind, was greatly facilated 
with the help of the Brahmnas.  After their conquest in Sind, the Arabs
made use of the Brahman administrative and priestly skill to promote the
Islamic faith as well as to consolidate their power.  Indeed, the 
conquest of India by the followers of Islam began in Sind.

It is informative to quote the view of Dayaram Gidumal, who wrote the
introduction to the English edition of Chachnamah.  Gidumul writes:
"It is extremely doubtful if Sind could have been conquered at all, 
had these chiefs remained true to their kings, and, curious as it may seem,
it was ostensibly astrology that made the traiters of them.  For they said:
'Our wise men have predicted that Sind will come under the sway of Islam.
Why then should we battle against Fate.'--The result of course was
disastrous"[9].

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(end quote)

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