Book Review #7 - Land of the Seven Rivers - A Brief History of India's Geography - Sanjeev Sanyal

Land of The Seven Rivers - Sanjeev Sanyal

I have read several books on India's History in past. There was nothing special that those books attracted. However, this one book "Land of The Seven Rivers" by the author Sanjeev Sanyal fills that gap and takes one to the cleaners.
The author has personally researched on various historical facts by travelling the length and breadths of India and other countries about the traces of its History. With a clean rendition and the pace it gives while reading the book makes anyone to read chapters after chapters. One disclaimer should be given beforehand, this should not be read in one single sitting, rather, it should be read in slow and steady manner. Since, it takes a while to digest the facts after facts that one encounters.

 If the review can be put in one single line, it is "Saptha-Sindhu (Seven Rivers), One country, Five Millennia, Startling History and one awesome book". 

Sanjeev also had authored another book, "India Renaissance: India's rise after a thousand years of decline" that's his first book, which I haven't read yet. But, it is sure in my reading cart.

Let me put it straight before going to the actual review, some of the eminent self attested historians, seculars and progressive thinkers are not going to like this book. This hits straight into their face like a missile. This book is one hell of an attempt that tries to BUST many beliefs that held strongly in traditional and regular interpretations of Indian History. One such example that the author tries to set in the first 20 pages of the book itself is:

"The white Aryans are not some Indo-European invaders that came from far away land and shooed away the illiterate Dravidians and sat and wrote Vedas. And, RIGVEDA is rather associated with our Harappan Civilization". 

I am quite sure that, this will be the burning moment for some of the eminent personalities who had attested themselves of learning about the depths and depths of Indian History.

The story narration is also quite different in this book. As the title of the book says, it is a story of the seven rivers OR sapth-sindhu. Instead of tracing the history through Kings, Kingdoms, Dynasty, War, Robberies, Attrocities, Conversions, Killings, Pillages, etc.. This book attempts to trace the history through the geography of the land and how it developped over time to become what is India is today. The one takeway from this book is, the generally held notion of India, and makes it clear that India is a country of ancient memory.

The book is a complete history of the formation of the India through the Vedic times till the new age political formation. It starts with the breakaway of the big supercontinent GONDWANA, introduction of the plate tectonics, and the much talked river Saraswati getting dried up, thereby forcing the population to move out their territories and expanding the Indianization to the outside world and how India collided with Asia, etc..
The author also attempts to give the examples of the wartime of Mahabharatha and the remaining places of Kurukshetra, Indraprasta and other related towns and the excavations that is being conducted on these places to extract more. He also gives examples of Ramayana, and the path that Ram, Laxman and Seetha matha took when they started their exile journey from Ayodhya to Lanka, crossing the mid India, Southern India, The construction of the Ramasethu Bridge (Adam's Bridge) and also attempts to give the exact location of the Kishkinda, the capital city of Monkey Kingdom (Vaali/Sugreev) place, etc..

The reading just takes you away in a fantastic journey forcing the readers to imagine a picture of all these events and how the country has formed and all the events that took place.

The book also makes a strong point on the lost river Saraswati. And the civilization that was flourised along the banks of this river and these people might be the root of our Initial Indus Civilization. The author combines not only the geographical details, but also, the genetic factor (The genes R1a1) to evaluate the question and derive that the Saraswati river must have flown alongside the Indus, thus making this river as the center for our civilization. Both sides of the arguement about the Aryans have been thorougly examined with the conclusion that the Aryans can have originated only from India being supported by the genetic evidence, which settles most of issues once and for all. This time frame also covers Sudas, Bharata Tribe and what happened to them as well as the role of the Vashista. It also goes onto provide the link between the Avesthans (Zorastrians), Iranians, Indonesians, etc.

There are chapters that goes with the title "Age of Lions" and "Mauryan Empire" which traces the development, origin and demise of the Mauryan Empire. The book also makes a strong arguement about how the lions were completely ignored and tigers have almost attained a place in every historical events, etc.. Surely, this section of Lions is a fascinating read.

The reading journey takes us to the transformation of the medival India to the time of Moghuls and Arab invaders. The excellent section comes when the development of Delhi (Old and New) throughout these Arab and Mogul Invaders rule. The book marks a profound point on the ruins of the Delhi and the exact location, description of those places.

The attempt to get the map of India through Trignometric methods for over 60 years is one of an awesome section that anyone reads in this book. The book also covers the growth of the railways network in India and hardships that went through building this. The book goes on to give the facts and figures of how the princely states like Junagarh, Hyderabad, Kashmir were inducted into India. And, how Bangladesh (Then EAST PAKISTAN) have got their Independence with the help of India, following the emergency rule for about 1 and half year, every small detail has been covered.

The book also emphasizes that Indians had a profound sense of History and have exhibited a unity. Some of the examples are like this:

"An edict by Emperor Ashoka from the 3rd century BC, is one of the 2 columns that Feroz Shah Tugluq got transported to his city with great care".

The Iron pillar stands in front of Qutub Minar complex in New Delhi is made of "almost pure Iron and yet has not rusted despite being exposed to elements of environment for about 15 centuries. The inscription on this pillar is dedicated to the Hindu god vishnu and tells of the exploits and conquests by a king called Chandra" .

A strong reason why India remained a cultural subcontinet superpower for millennials has to do something with India's ability to cope up with different cultures, race and practices. Not only religious and intellectual innovation has been witnessed in this age. But also, "the Ayurveda", Susrutha (The first sophisticated surgeon in the world) who not only mastered in conducting operations, but also, devised a fully sophisticated set of "Surgical Instruments and Procedures". Unfortunately, no one remembers this great personality these days, he was lost long ago in the medival era.

India has also seen the first learning center's of world that ever have happened. It is Takshasila - destroyed by Huns in 5th century CE. And Nalanda - destroyed by Bhuktiyar Khilji in 1193 CE which also accomponied the murder of thousands of monks. No world class universities or learning center's have emerged in India after this wreckage.

The book also enlightens us about the southern India especially the HAMPI, the cultural capital city of VIJAYANAGARA empire. Being considered as cultural heritage by UNESCO, this is one of a awesome city that was built during those times and it will certainly takes more than a week to completely evaluate and visit every temples, structures, roads and palaces. The epic structure of VIJAYANAGARA empire god VIRUPAKSHA, is still there in vandalised state, witnessing the ever painful barbaric attack by Moghul and Arab Invaders. "At its height, it was considered to be one of the largest cities of the world in those times". This whole city was destroyed in the battle of THALIKOTA during 1565. Thereby ending an ever growing, flourished kingdom to ashes.

Last but not least, the author also tells us that, Indians obsession for the fair complexion as depicted by our commercial and television media is a false notion. Rather, it has been observed that many of our prominent gods Krishna, Rama are all dark complexioned characters.

Overall, in India's civilizational progress, was brutally turned into a decline mode for thousand of years. Turkic, Arab, Mughal invaders were all somewhat successful in ruling us for decades after decades. But, sadly they are unable to contribute any significant notables like literary artifacts, in music, in monuments, in counstructing univertisites, etc.. rather, their main motto was to pillage this country and make it appear as what it is today. Without any doubt, INDIA was the richest country interms of economic reforms, in cultural aspects, in science, astronomy, universities, etc..

This book is a fascinating read. It keeps its pace from page 1 till the end. This book for sure is a sugar candy for those history buffs who are open to receive awesome knowledge and facts. Even the writing style in engaging and lucid. It is a difficult task to cover entire 6000 to 7000 years of history in just 250 odd pages. The book contains a potful of information, ancedotes, descriptions and details that comes as a surprise for anyone. And makes this book as a collectable jewel item.

My Rating: 5/5

Book Review #6 - Samskara By UR Ananthamurthy

This is one of those novels where writing review is a difficult task. Moreover, it is not a book which had covered around thousand pages like the novel "A Suitable Boy" by Vikram Seth.
This novel is just about 100 odd pages in Kannada (Which was originally written in) and about 140 pages in English (Translated by AK Ramanujan).

The author UR Ananthmurthy is a renowned kannada novelist, a controversial debater and self proclaimed secular who has also written several english literary works. And, he was awarded the prestigious Jnanpith award in 1995. About this novel Samskara, that revolts around the Caste dominnant culture of 1930's and 40's. This novel was published in 1965 originally in Kannada, later it was translated to English by AK Ramanujan in 1976. This novel was also made into a feature film by another renowned Kannada novelist, play-writer, actor, director Girish Karnad in 1971. This movie has received equal number of accolades as well as criticisms in those days. It has also won the prestigious President's Gold Medal award for the best feature film in those days.

If the review or the intention of the novel can be put in few lines, this is a mere experimental writing with the new facets of language and reality and thereby ushered into modernism into Indian Literature.

Ever since its publication, Samskara has been highly controversial as it has been highly popular. It has been widely praised by critics, as well as been harshly attacked by some people. The arguement was, this novel is interpreted as a forceful portrayal of the decaying Brahminical practices and people are open to modernism. I would like to emphasize that, there is also another dimension to this novel. The focal point in the novel is not about the practices followed by the Orthodox Brahmins, their struggle to keep their practices untouched and always kept in high regards. It is rather a moral and spiritual journey of one through what might be called as a "Fortune Fall" defines the theme of this novel.

The epicenter of the novel is the character Naranappa, who was a Brahman by birth, but, never lived like one. He can be best described as a Non-Brahminical Brahmin, who indulges in various Non-Brahminic acts like consuming meat, consuming alcohol, indulging in prostitution and befreinding the low-caste people.

Now readers should not get an impression that, Brahmins are fanatics, fundamentalists or radicals. This is the actual picture in the earlier days of Pre-Independence era of India. However, I fail to understand, why the author has not made any significant effort to convey his readers that, not all the Brahmins were practicing this kind of life, rather a one or two which can be hardly found. Anyways..

The novel opens with the death of Naranappa, a Non-Brahminical Brahman, who involved in practicing a modern way of life, denouncing his Brahminical rituals by consuming alcohol, consuming meat, he also left his wife and was living with a prostitue Chandri as a man and wife. When this was challenged by some of the fellow Brahmans in his village "Durvasapura" (An Agrahara, where the population of the Brahmins is considerably more)., he often criticized them and responded them with his own justifications, saying

"To bell hell with your Brahminism, Congress Government is coming to power and all the people will be equal from then onwards. You have to open up the temples for all the low caste people as well"

This is a point worth to be noted, since, the story happened somewhere around 1940's and it was the time when India was on the verge of getting her Independence from the clutches of British. And, Congress is going to form their first ever democratic government.

Back to Novel...

When the news of Naranappa's death has been brought before Pranesacharya (another Protagonist in this novel, whose story is revealed in the later part), by his acting wife Chandri a prostitute. Praneshacharya who was known as a leader among the MADHWA BRAHMINS in Durvasapura, and he has gained profound knowledge of Vedanta and has studied vedic subjects in Kashi. He was kept in high regard or rather in a cheif guru positions by the fellow Brahmins of that village. Praneshacharya was popularly known as "Crest Jewel of Vedanta". By sticking to his renounced way of life to attain Moksha, Praneshacharya married a woman who is bed ridden. By serving her through his entire life, Praneshacharya maintained the chastity to attain the Moksha, thereby setting an example for the other's in the village. But, what follows later in the novel, is a pure realisation.

Now Paneshacharya was in a dilemma about who will conduct the "last rites" or "Samskara" for Naranappa's dead body. This is because, Naranappa has followed a Non-Brahminical practice throughout his whole life in that village and almost everyone in that village has hated him. And, no one dared to conduct his last rites/Samskara for his body.

Looking into the confusions among the Ace Brahmins, Chandri took all her jewellaries out and announced that whoever conducts the last rites for Naranappa, these jewels will go to them.  Due to this bribery of Gold, one of the other Brahman Garudacharya says that, he is ready to conduct the last rites, provided Praneshacharya's consent/approval. As the story further goes, several other Brahmins would come forward to conduct Naranappa's last rites for the love of Gold that Chandri has offered.

Now, everyone in the village has agreed on a common point that, Praneshacharya would study all the vedic scriptures about how to conduct the last rites for an outcast person.

In this time, Praneshacharya failed to come to a conclusion on how to solve this problem. He studied throughout the night and couldn't able to find any clue. He then realises that, he would seek the devine permisson and he went to a Maruti temple inside the forest. He sat there in a praying position and was seeking any revalation from god about his problem. The reader must understand that, Praneshacharya was thinking about his reputation as a cheiftan among the Brahmins, and he also thinks that, what would other Brahmins would think of him. A profound Pundit of Vedanta, who failed to find a solution to this problem. His reputation was at stake at this time, and Praneshacharya wouldn't wish to damage his reputation.
Meanwhile Chandri has followed Praneshacharya into the woods and observes what he does.

Even after praying for the whole day, Praneshacharya failed to get any divine revalation and disappointed he comes to a conclusion that. Any person from the adjacent village (that was SMARTHA BRAHMINS village in majority) should be called and Naranappa's last rites should be made accordingly. He tries to move out his place and walk towards his village. Due to darkness he accidently falls on Chandri who was sitting next to him, and his hands fell straight on the bossoms of Chandri. In that moment, Praneshacharya's mind blocks and all his chastity in his entire life was crumbled within seconds. Within no time, he had sexual intercourse with Chandri..!!

The 2nd part of the novel starts from here..

When Praneshacharya woke up in the morning. He was still sleeping in the laps of Chandri who satiated Praneshacharya's sexual desires. He felt like a child sleeping in his mother's lap. Later, Praneshacharya asks Chandri to get back to village and explain the villager's what had happened and his decisions of not returning to village. There are 2 aspects of this decisions:

1. Being ashamed of himself, and to avoid the wrath of his fellow villagers. He decides to stay in woods like a fugitive.
2. The other angle is, having committed such a crime, and spoiled his chastity. He denounces his GRIHASTASHRAMA (one of the 4 cycles of BRAHMAN). He decides to step into VANAPRASTHASHRAM.

The readers are left with their own imagination about why Praneshacharya deicdes to stay in the woods.

As the story further reveals, Villagers were waiting for the return of Praneshacharya their guru. Hoping to find a solution to the last rites/Samskara for Naranappa's dead body. Here, Chandri returned from forest and secretly meets a Muslim man from another village and pays him money to perform the Samskara for Naranappa's body and conducts the last rites without informing aybody. After the last rites she leaves that village for permanent and travels to another town.

Wandering aimlessly in the forest Praneshacharya remembers his bed ridden wife and he suddenly feels guilty of himself for not taking care of his wife. He rushes to village secretly and by the time he comes to his village, the entire village was being evacuated because there was an epidemic. When he enters his house, he finds out that, his wife is dead already. Cursing himself for not being to able to take care of his wife, he performs the last rites of his wife and then decides to go deep into the forests with the intention of not to return.

From here, the third and the final part of the novel starts..

This part mainly emphasizes Praneshacharya realization about the life and the way he is looking at this all his life. In forests he meets another wanderer who goes with the name PUTTA, who was a low caste Malher by birth, and a pimp by profession. Putta was not so deep into the life and the way of living at it. He has lived in that moment, caring less about the repurcussions later. He befriends Praneshacharya and he takes him to the fair that was happening in the nearby town. Even here Praneshacharya tries to maintain his dignity. Whereas, Putta, involves in all the amusements that was happening at the fair, he gambles in cock fight winning some bets, he eats at a hotel, he donates money to beggars and he purchases articles and ribbons for his wife. He was content and happy at that time. By seeing this, Praneshacharya realises that he has indeed stuck to an old form of life, and whatever he has practiced for his whole life was not accepted by the new modern city. At some point of time he realises that, he must go and meet Chandri (the prostitute with whom he had sexual contact) and decides to live his rest of the life with Chandri. But, soon backed off by his decision, he tries to reveal everything infront of Putta, even here he couldn't manage to do that. Fighting within his own daemons, Praneshacharya finally decides to head back to his village Durvasapura and accept his guilt infront of the villagers and accept whatever fate that was coming before him.

Praneshacharya realises that his knowledge has no application in practical life. He proves to be weak in whatever resolution that he has taken. He runs away to forests right after cremating his wife like a coward. Though there was an epidemic in the village, he was constantly reminded about his guilt sexual act with Chandri, this leads him to not to care about the people of his village, and runs into woods. Thinking all this in his mind, Praneshacharya realises that, Our Shastra's and Veda's are not the ultimate thinking ?, There is life beyond to this. This is dogmatic and superstitious and it has got no relevance in modern society.

Praneshacharya informs Putta about his decision to go back to his village and boards a bullock cart that was heading to his village "Anxious and Expectant".

The entire novel abruptly ends here, leaving the readers to imagine the rest of the story themselves.

It is I think, overall, a mistake to interpret Samskara, primarily as a assault on Brahminhood. At the same time, it is equally mistake to look this novel as a complex apparatus of rules, rituals and taboos, which is responsible for the decay of Indian civilization. The novel merely interprets the orthodox theological doctrine of falling from a forture on a human and universal plane and dramatizes effectively through a delicate interplay of character and situation.

My Rating: 3.5/5

Book Review #5 - Dongri to Dubai - S. Hussain Zaidi

Dongri to Dubai

This one book where you never want to put down at any cost. Written with a great eloquency with a massive amount of research. And I read it completely in one sitting throughout a day.

The author S. Hussain Zaidi a veteran crime reporter and a journalist, and being mentored by the famour crime journalist Jyotirmoy_Dey who had covered Mumbai Mafia for more than 2 decades and conducted what is known to be the last interview of the Mumabi Underworld Don and now a fugitive Dawood Ibrahim.

Zaidi's book, Dongri to Dubai, presents an authentic and exemplifying account of the history of Mumbai Mafia spanning for more than 60 years from the post independent days of 1950's till 2000's, in a staggering 60 chapters and 300 odd pages.

Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, the world's most wanted man, is a son of a Mumbai police personnel Ibrahim Kaskar who was known for his integrity and loyalty towards country and he has served honestly throughout his entire tenure as a policemen.

If you hog into internet and search for this man, Dawood Ibrahim, you will find a plethora of information on this underworld don. But you hardly get a complete detailed picture of this man and his stories. This is the book that fills that gap, Dongri to Dubai. Apart from this book, the author Hussain Zaidi has written a number of other books on the same genre, mainly, Black Friday, Mafia Queens of Mumbai, Headley and I and the latest one Byculla to Bangkok.

The book begins with a period of 1950's to 60 - the early days of Mumbai Mafia and gradually moves on to the era of smugglers like Haji Mastan, Vardarajan Mudaliar (VARDA Bhai) and the meance of PATHAN gang who are migrated from Afghanistan and Peshawar post independence. And also the short history of dreadful gangster Manya Surve. It gained power and cult between the 3 people 2 Tamilians and 1 PATHAN. It was Haji Mastan's connections, Varda's shrewedness and Karim Lala's muscle power that made mumbai underworld what it is today. Haji Mastan and Varadarajan Mudliar are from Tamil Nadu whereas Karim Lala is from Peshawar who moved to Bombay in 1930's. While Mastan worked as coolie Mazagoan docks to make ends meet and Varda tried to make a living by working as a porter at the landmark of victoria terminus. Karim Lala established a gambling den and later moved on to money laundering. The stepped up into the world of crime by smuggling goods across the Bombay port's, extortion, producing country liquor, which was banned at that time.

Dawood:
Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar, born as a second son to the respectable police constable, who entered into the world of Bombay crime in late 1970's. The very first crime that dawood committed was a robbery. Later he was also involved in Money Extortions and thefts across Bombay ports. Later he was elevated as a Bombay Don when Bombay police used him as a PAWN, in the fight against the PATHAN gang and thus started his journey towards becoming the number one don in Mumbai.

By late 1970's, Dawood along with his brother Sabir, Anees and his manager Khalid ventured into smuggling market in the middle eastern countries, especially Dubai, for Radio Transistors, Watches and later to Golds. He was continuing his dream run, until his brother Sabir was killed by Pathan gang in a petrol bunk, shot at point blank range. This incident has led into the events, that what we can call as a gang war. Dawood partnerships with Bada Rajan and Chota Rajan and an erruption of gang war resulted in the deaths of Pathan Amir, Bada Rajan, Abdul Kunju, Samad Khan, etc.. This event leads Dawood to escape from Bombay in 1986 and he seeks an asylum in Dubai.

In Dubai, Dawood built an empire itself with the help of his close aides, mainly Chota Rajan and Chota Shakeel. It is where the term D-Company came into existence. From there, Dawood controlled the Bombay Mafia. Though Dawood migrated to Dubai, the gang wars in Bombay was never ceased to stop. It was continued with lot of killings and personal vengence. The worst happened for Dawood was the Mumbai Serial Blasts in 1993. Dawood's name was the first name that came to the picture of Bomaby Police, and he was the one who masterminded it according to the police sources. This was followed by the fallout of friendship with Chotta Rajan who surrendered to Bombay Police, but never agreed to return to India, without the promise of a proper trial of him in court. Later, Chotta Rajan migrated to many places including Malaysia, Europe and Thialand.

During these times, entry of Abu Salem into D-Company was a much talked issue. Abu Salem involvement in Bollywood film making made much worse for the then top actors. Almost every actor in Bollywood was being interrogated about Abu Salem links with the movie industry. There was also few incidents like attack on Hrithik Roshan's father Rakesh Roshan. One more incident being, the movie "Chori Chori Chupke Chupke" starring Salman Khan, Preity Zinta, etc.. being funded by Mumbai Underworld people, mainly Abu Salem. Later police brought a stay on that movie from getting released into theatres. Then Abu Salem was arrested along with his Girl Friend Monica Bedi, etc.. This book leaves no leads behind. Author has classified everything according to the incidents in chronological order.

All these incidents leading the then Indian government pressurizing Dubai government for the handover of Dawood to India. This led Dawood to forcefully seek asylum in Pakistan. That is his current headquarteres of D-Company according to this book.

The next few incidents after Dawood relocated to Pakistan. Getting married his daughter to Pakistan's ex cricketer Javed Miandad's Son. The lavish party that he threw on this occasion. And, some of the popular Bollywood faces attending this party, etc..

Overall, Zaidi's cinematic narration and numerous Hindi Dailogues in this book which could have done without makes it an apt choice for movie adoptions. Without much surprise, parts of this book has already been made into movies. Especially, Shootout at Wadala, Shootout at Lokhandwala, D-Day, etc..

Although this book promises the readers give them insights into the origins of Mumbai Underworld, it progresses to become a lousy attempt of the writer to paint a humble human face of Dawood portraying him as a mere pawn which used him at large. And, this leaves the reader with an impression that, Dawood might be an innocent and not a criminal, who just stood there gazing at the incidents happen through his name.

However, this book is still recommended for anyone, who wants to understand the evolution of Bombay underworld and in general Dawood Ibrahim Kaskar.

My Rating: 4/5