National Seminar on “1857: Perspectives” at AMU

DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY
ALIGARH MUSLIM UNIVERSITY
ALIGARH – 202 002 (INDIA)
CHAIRMAN & COORDINATOR
Phone No. 0571-2703146
August 25, 2008


Centre of Advanced Study, Department of History, is organizing three days National Seminar on “1857: Perspectives” to be held in Aligarh Muslim University, Aligarh (November 22-24, 2008). Eminent Scholars from different parts of the country as well as from abroad are expected to participate in the deliberations. As a scholar of repute your benign participation will enhance the prestige of this Seminar.

The medium of the seminar is English, but research papers in Hindi and Urdu languages will also be welcomed. I shall be most grateful if you may kindly send the title of your proposed theme along with an Abstract of your paper, of not more than 400-500 words, by September 15, 2008 and draft of the same by October 30, 2008, preferably in MS Word Document. This will enable us to prepare the schedule of the seminar and circulate the paper to the participants in advance to facilitate discussion and deliberations. For any clarification feel free to communicate with me or Convenor.
Due to financial constrains, we may not be able to provide Air Fare. However, we will be happy to reimburse your travel expenses by III AC Train fare in addition to provide best hospitality during the period of the seminar.

Dr. S. Liyaqat H. Moini
Convenor :09456033517
_________________
I love AAMIR!
Jaane Kyun !!

-Mohsin

1857: PERSPECTIVES

The emergence of colonialism and its associated developments have been characterized as one of the most important political development in South Asia, and indeed, the Revolt of 1857 is viewed as its one of the defining moments – shaping socio-economic, cultural and political life of the Indian subcontinent. The academic space allotted to this important theme has produced and continue to spew, and rightly so, voluminous tomes with varied interpretations and perspectives. The Revolt of 1857 arguably represented the largest popular uprising against colonialism anywhere in the world during the period. It has become a milestone in the history of people’s struggle against imperialism. Apart from some of the well-known aspects of this great historical event, such as the political leadership, the deep seated socio-economic causes of the Revolt, its failure and aftermath, issues such as the role of the spiritual leadership and developments in the peripheral regions of India have not been considered satisfactorily. However, some of the important vernacular sources, produced at the local and regional level, which can provide a comprehensive understanding of the event in its varied dimensions, had remained unexplored to-date. Moreover, the Indian struggle also stoked the forces of Indian National Movement and this remained deeply ingrained in the popular memory of the folklore, therefore, the seminar would also seek to analyse the impact of this struggle on folk literature and folk arts in its purview.
Moreover, this national seminar is also going to be a befitting commemoration of the 150 years of the Asbab-i Baghawat-i Hind/ the Causes of the Revolt of 1857 and similar writings like Sarkashi-e Zila Bijnore of Sayyid Ahmad Khan, who was an eyewitness of the events and aftermath of 1857 Revolt. Similarly the contemporary accounts like Zaheer Dehlavi’s Dastan-i Ghadar, Maulawi Zakaullah’s Tarikh-i Hind, Dastanbu of the poet-laureate Ghalib, vernacular newspapers, pamphlets, literary works and oral traditions preserved in the popular culture need to be examined by the historians to provide a comprehensive historiography and perspective of the discontentment.
The discourse in the seminar will also seek to examine different perspectives on the uprisings. Thus the objective of the proposed project is to critically study the role of individuals, groups including missionaries, their endeavours, conflicts with state, differences with other denominations, oppositions and hostilities, nature of intervention, ideas and processes of attempted acculturation and cumulative nature of the armed struggle. We seek to study these diverse domains and pioneer new post colonial, post- nationalist debate in the field. Some of the broad themes of the seminar are as follows:

BROAD THEMES:

1. 1857: Historiography: Theories and interpretations.
2. Contemporary Perceptions: Indian and Western views of the Revolt of 1857.
3 Writings of Sir Syed Ahmad Khan and their relevance in reinterpretation of the event.
4 Role of the religious leadership Ulama, Mashaikh and other religious elites.
5. Role of institutions, local and regional bodies, Colleges (Agra, Delhi, Banaras etc.), Dargahs, Madrasas, Gurukulas and Temples.
6. Official/ Private Records and documents including military, political and secret reports (English, Persian, and Vernacular languages).
7. Press: English and Vernacular.
8. Literary and historical works: poetry, biographies, memoirs, diaries, short stories, and fictions.
9 Reflections in Popular Culture: folklore, art, architecture, plays, etc.
10. 1857: Center/periphery, regional and local response.
11. The Aftermath of the Revolt: Social psyche of urban and rural India, changes in the agrarian society, gender-relations, professional groups, local elites, peasants and artisans.
12. Perceptions of the contemporary intelligentsia: Bahadur Shah Zafar, Mirza Asadullah Khan Ghalib, Maulvi Zakaullah, Ahsanullah Khan and Maulvi Fazl-i Haq Khairabadi etc.
_________________
I love AAMIR!
Jaane Kyun !!

-Mohsin