M. G. S. Narayanan

M. G. S Narayanan
M. G. S. Narayanan speaking at Kerala Literature Festival, Kozhikode (2017)
Born Muttayil Govindamenon Sankara Narayanan
(1932-08-20) 20 August 1932
Ponnani, Malappuram, Kerala
Residence "Maitry" M-6/7, Malaparamba Housing Society, Kozhikode, Kerala
Nationality Indian
Alma mater Madras Christian College, University of Madras
University of Kerala
Occupation Historian
Notable work Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala (1972)
Calicut: The City of Truth Revisited (2006)
Perumals of Kerala. Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy (2013)

M. G. S. Narayanan, born Muttayil Govindamenon Sankara Narayanan on 20 August 1932, is an Indian historian, academic and political commentator. He headed the Department of History at Calicut University and later served as the Member Secretary (1990–92) and as the Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research (2001–03).[1] He writes and appears in popular media and magazines regularly.[2] He is generally considered as "one of India’s top authorities on ancient history".[3]

He was Commonwealth Academic Staff Fellow, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London (1974 –75); Visiting Fellow, Universities of Moscow and Leningrad (1991); Visiting Research Professor, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies, Tokyo (1994–95).[2]

Narayanan is among the few southern Indian historians known nationally and internationally. He is a scholar of southern Indian history, Kerala history, in particular.[1] He is also a specialist in ancient Indian history.[4] Narayanan studied ancient Indian scripts (like Brahmi, Vatteluttu and Grantha) and is well versed in Tamil and Classical Sanskrit.[1] He participated as observer in archaeological excavations at Kodungallur, Kerala (1969–70); and has discovered and published a Brahmi inscription of Maurya ruler Bindusara from Sanchi, Madhya Pradesh and several medieval Vatteluttu inscriptions of the Cheras of Makotai.[2]

Andal quote by Poet Vairamuthu created controversy in Jan 2018 as the Poet made reference to a book either compiled or written by Narayanan and Kesavan quoting Andal as Devadasi.

Perumals of Kerala (1996), often touted as M. G. S. Narayanan's masterpiece, is considered a landmark in historiography of Kerala.[5] M. G. S.'s now-famous 1972 doctoral thesis on medieval Kerala (Perumals of Kerala) was hailed by A. L. Basham as "a contribution to knowledge more valuable than many PhD theses".[6] M. G. S. is said to have spend a night alone at Cheraman Parambu (Kodungallur), the location of the legendary palace complex of the Cheras of Makotai, during his research on these line of rulers.[7]

Early life and education

Muttayil Govindamenon Sankara Narayanan was born at Ponnani, Malabar district on 20 August 1932.

He had his early education at Parappanangadi, Ponnani, Calicut and Thrissur. He later moved to Madras (present day Chennai) to pursue his master's degree in history from Madras Christian College. He topped the University of Madras in his post-graduation in 1953, later taught in Zamorin's Guruvayurappan College, Calicut; and enjoyed UGC Research Fellowship during his doctoral studies from the University of Kerala. His 1972 thesis titled Perumals of Kerala was formally published in 1996.[2]

Much of M. G. S. Narayanan's early works on the Chera Perumals of Makotai can be treated as "continuation" of the studies by Ilamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai (1904 – 1973). The much heralded doctoral thesis is known for its "uncompromising commitment to historical method".

Revisiting medieval Chera grants

The reinterpretation of an inscription of a certain Chera king of Kodungallur is credited by M. G. S. as a turning point in his career. While investigating the Chera rulers of Makotai, M. G. S. stumbled upon some misreadings by Ilamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai.[8] Pillai, having only the description in Travancore Archaeological Series at his disposal, assumed that the position of the Jupiter was written wrong in the inscription. This was unusual for a document from Kerala. The Travancore Archeological Series, the standard reference book of inscriptions, also lacked an estampage. Challenging the assumption of Pillai, M. G. S. copied the inscription firsthand. M. G. S.'s assumption turned out to be correct and Pillai, being an enthusiastic critic of the interpretations of earlier of Kerala historians, accepted the new readings.[8] Neglecting the initial renderings made by the Tranvancore officers, M. G. S. continued to revisit the medieval Chera inscriptions. His most rewarding reinterpretation, changing certain phrase from "governor of that province, Vikkiraman" to "governor of Eranatu, Vikkiraman", came with the new translation of the Kollam inscription of the last Chera Perumal. Not Surprisingly, Vikkiraman was the name given to the first ruler of Calicut in the infamous Keralolpatti traditions of regional history. This was a crucial link connecting the collection of oral traditions to epigraphic sources.[9]

Perumals of Kerala

"This monograph stands out for many reasons. First and foremost, there is an uncompromising commitment to historical method. There is no single statement that the sources will not support; there is nothing the warranty of which can be questioned. The range of sources used in the study is astounding."[10]

Kesavan Veluthat, Review of Perumals of Kerala. Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy: Political and Social Conditions of Kerala Under the Cera Perumals of Makotai (c. A. D 800-A. D. 1124), Frontline 24 January 2014

Perumals of Kerala (1996), based on the now-famous Ph.D. dissertation submitted by M. G. S. to the University of Kerala in 1972, is often considered a landmark in historiography of Kerala.[11]

Ilamkulam P. N. Kunjan Pillai, a mentor figure to M. G. S., studied exhaustively inscriptions from the ninth century CE, and claimed they were related to a single line of kings that ruled present day Kerala, from Makotai (Kodungalloor). He christened the state the "Second Chera Empire" or the "Kulasekhara Empire" and regarded the Brahmin janmi form of landlordism, matriliny present among Nairs in Kerala and the infamous Devadasi system as products of the post-Chera age. Pillai challenged the very foundations of the then existing William Logan-Padmanabha Menon construction of Kerala history. He traced the Brahmin landlordism and Nair matriliny to the so-called "Hundred Years’ War" fought between the Cheras of Makotai and the Cholas, which led to the ultimate decline and fall of the "Empire".[11]

M. G. S. closely re-examined stone inscriptions travelling across Kerala and the estampages preserved in the office of the Chief Epigraphist of the Union Government. He also discovered and deciphered many unpublished, unnoticed Vatteluttu inscriptions, revisited Pillai’s assumptions about the social and political conditions of Kerala under the "Kulasekhara Empire".[11] Far from being any form of empire, he termed the state under of the Cheras of Makotai as a federation of independent provinces held together by an all-powerful Brahmin oligarchy and a "ritual" monarch known as "Chera Perumal".

M. G. S.'s findings and assumptions, albeit somewhat different from his doctoral thesis forty years ago, are revisited in his most recent book, Perumals of Kerala. Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy (2013).[11]

Academic career

"When I went to the Soviet Union as a Government of India delegation member, I found no freedom there. Then the Marxists in Kerala, they were autocratic when in power, unlike in opposition. They destroyed the democratic culture in universities and education suffered. My direct experience as Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR), where I found the Marxists manipulating information, completely disillusioned me. For the Communists whatever is non-Hindu is secular. There is nothing wrong with saffron - it is a colour of renunciation in the Indian tradition. I am proud to be a Hindu though I don't worship or perform rituals."[1]

M. G. S. Narayanan, Interview with G. N. Prashanth, The Hindu

M. G. S. Narayanan started his formal academic career in 1965 at the Post-Graduation Centre of Kerala University at Calicut. Later, when the University of Calicut was established in 1968, he served in the Department of History in various positions (Lecturer, Reader (1973) and Professor (1976)) before retiring in 1992 as Dean of Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, a post he held from 1970. He was instrumental in developing a specialized library and museum of Kerala history and culture at the university, and in starting the Calicut University Historical Series publications. He was also known for conducting workshops and summer institutes, modernizing the syllabus, introducing semester scheme and in starting departmental publications.[1] As General Editor of the Calicut University Historical Series, he brought out 3 volumes of sources for Kerala history, including Vanjeri Grandhavari, 1987, which he himself edited.[2]

Since 1969, he was closely associated with the Indian History Congress, of which he was member of Executive Committee for several years from 1974; Local Secretary (1976); President of Section I - Ancient India (1978); Joint Secretary for many years, and General Secretary (1983-1985). He was President of Indian History and Culture Society (2001). He took active part in establishing and promoting South Indian History Congress, Epigraphical Society of India, and Place Name Society of India; and has been Member of Executive Committee and President of these bodies at different times. He was member of the following academic bodies: Editorial Committee, Journal of Indian History, Indian Historical Review; Editorial Board, History Text Books in the NCERT; and Team Project on Socio-Religious Movements, Indian Institute of Advanced Study, Shimla.[2]

M. G. S. Narayanan was also a Member of UGC Panel in History, UGC National Lecturer, UGC Visiting Professor, School of Social Sciences, Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam (1992–93); Visiting Professor, Mangalore University (1996) and Chairman, Technical Advisory Committee for Kerala State Archives (2004-5).[2]

Narayanan served as First Member Secretary of the Indian Council of Historical Research under Irfan Habib in 1990-92 and later as its Chairman from July 2001 to December 2003.

Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research

"The Ministry of Human Resource Development is deliberately trying to kill creativity and destroy historical and other types of knowledge by spreading religious superstition based on 'saffronism'. It opposes rational, objective and scientific approach not only to historical problems but also to all social science and other problems. It is in pursuit of this policy that the Human Resource Development Minister (Murli Manohar Joshi) has removed M. G. S. Narayanan from the chairmanship of an autonomous body. In recent years, M. G. S. had turned out to be a very competent Chairman. Nearly 40 books were published during his tenure of nearly two and a half years."[12]

R. S. Sharma, Founder-chairman of the Council

When the Indian People's Party (Bharatiya Janata Party)-led National Democratic Alliance government came to power in India after the 1999 general elections, one of its priorities was to ensure that academic and research institutions are headed by persons who are not hostile to the ideology of the centre-right politics.[12][13]

In 2001, M. G. S. emerged as the consensus candidate for the post of the Chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR). It was a time when the National Democratic Alliance government in Delhi was attacking the Indian Council of Historical Research as being Left-oriented.[1] Even though his nomination to the Chairman post, by the Bharatiya Janata Party, had raised some controversy, mainly in his home state of Kerala, it was by and large welcomed by academic circles all over India.[14] The media described Narayanan as Bharatiya Janata Party's "non-controversial" candidate for the post of Chairman.[1] "They may have invited me because I was acceptable to the Right as well as to the Left, and to the North (India) and South (India). I consented on condition no one would interfere with my work. The Union Education Minister (Murli Manohar Joshi) assured me that", M. G. S. said in an interview.[1] ICHR insiders never expected any controversy over his appointment because, according to them, despite his proximity to the Bharatiya Janata Party, Narayanan was not a "hardliner".[13]

It was alleged that the subsequent "ouster" of M. G. S Narayanan as Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research, in late 2003, was a part of the Ministry of Human Resource Development's scheme to "saffronise" the agenda in academia. Narayanan made known his displeasure over the manner in which the Ministry had appointed Kapil Kumar, a Professor of History, as the Member-Secretary of the Council. This was the immediate reason, though Narayanan had, by taking certain unpopular stands, especially in the context of the new National Council of Educational Research and Training (NCERT) textbooks, also upset the Ministry. Narayanan had criticized some of the new NCERT history textbooks. He had given the impression of a no-nonsense academic as far as history was concerned, which may have become too difficult for the Ministry to handle. Several important publications were brought out during his tenure, including six volumes on the Labour Movement in India.[15]

Even M. G. S.'s bitter critics acknowledge that he has brought a certain discipline to the ICHR during his tenure. "We did three things never done before: we published guidelines for research projects; brought out a newsletter with information on fellowships and grants; activated regional centres such as Guwahati and Bangalore, which had been neglected for long. The idea was to break the Delhi-centred outlook of ICHR" , M. G. S. said in an interview.[1]

Since 1969, he was member of Executive Committee of the Indian History Congress and later went on to become its General Secretary during 1982-85. He was President of Indian History and Culture Society (2001) and member of academic bodies like Journal of Indian History and Indian Historical Review.

Political views

M. G. S. Narayanan is generally considered as a centre-right historian. According to Ramachandra Guha, Narayanan can be best described as a man of the "anti-Left".[16]

Research and publications

Narayanan has published numerous research papers in Indian and international journals. In 1994 he served as chief-editor of Malabar, a compilation of research extracts brought out over the last century.

The more prominent among his works include:[17]

  • Cultural Symbiosis in Kerala (1972)
  • Aspects of Aryanisation in Kerala (1973)
  • Re-Interpretations in South Indian History (1977)
  • Historical Studies in Kerala (1976) - co-authored with K. K. N Kurup
  • The People's Plan: a Debate on Kerala's Decentralised Planning Experiment (1997) - co-authored with N. P. Chekkutty
  • Foundations of South Indian Society and Culture (1994)
  • Kerala Through the Ages (co-authored; 1976)
  • Perumals of Kerala (1996)
  • Calicut: The City of Truth Revisited (2006)
  • Perumals of Kerala. Brahmin Oligarchy and Ritual Monarchy (2013)

M. G. S. Narayanan co-authored with his student Kesavan Veluthat the chapter on the history of Nambutiri community in Agni, the Vedic Ritual of the Fire Altar, Berkeley, 1983. He has also published many books in Malayalam, including:

  • India Charitra Parichayam (1969)
  • Sahitya Aparadhangal (1970)
  • Kerala Charitrathinte Adisthaana Silakal (1971 & 2001)
  • Vanjeri Grandhavari (1987)
  • Kozhikkodinte Katha (2001)
  • Secular Jaatiyum Secular Matavum (2001)
  • Janaadhipatyavum Communisavum (2004)

See also

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 G. N. Prashanth On the wrong side of Left? The Hindu 16 June 2003
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 MGS Narayanan (Profile) University of Calicut
  3. ↑ "Historian MGS Narayanan on National anthem row: India not a nation, but federation of nationalities". The Indian Express. 27 December 2016. Retrieved 9 September 2018.
  4. ↑ T. K. Rajalakshmi. CONTROVERSY: Appointment and disappointment Frontline. Volume 18 - Issue 15, 21 Jul. – 3 Aug. 2001
  5. ↑ A masterpiece in reprint The Hindu 15 July 2013
  6. ↑ Kesavan Veluthat. Kerala’s past Frontline. 24 January 2014
  7. ↑ R. L. Harilal. Charitrapurushan Mathrubhumi. 11 Aug 2013
  8. 1 2 M. G. S. Narayanan. Biography. Madhyamam (2015)
  9. ↑ M. G. S. Narayanan. Biography. Madhyamam (2015)
  10. ↑ Kesavan Veluthat. Kerala’s past (Book Review). Frontline. January 24, 2014
  11. 1 2 3 4 A masterpiece in reprint. . The Hindu 15 July 2013
  12. 1 2 T.K. RAJALAKSHMI ICHR: Removing an irritant Frontline Volume 20 - Issue 26, 20 December 2003
  13. 1 2 T.K. RAJALAKSHMI CONTROVERSY: Appointment and disappointment Frontline Volume 18 - Issue 15, 21 Jul. – 3 Aug. 2001
  14. ↑ J. Ajith Kumar. Historian with a difference 05 Mar 2002 The Hindu
  15. ↑ T. K. RAJALAKSHMI ICHR: Removing an irritant Frontline Volume 20 - Issue 26, 20 December 2003
  16. ↑ Ramachandra Guha. COMMUNISM’S OTHER BASTION - In spite of similarities, West Bengal cannot match Kerala in development 5 October 2003
  17. ↑ Google Books (InAuthor: MGS Narayanan)

Further reading

This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.