K. S. Lal
Encyclopedia
Kishori Saran Lal (1920–2002) was an Indian historian
. He wrote many historical books, mainly on medieval India. Many of his books, such as History of the Khaljis and Twilight of the Sultanate, are regarded as standard works.
in 1941 at the University of Allahabad. In 1945 he obtained his D.Phil. with a dissertation on the history of the Khaljis. This dissertation formed the basis for his book History of the Khaljis
. He started his career as a Lecturer of History in the Allahabad University, though he served in this position only for a brief period.
From 1945 to 1963 he was with Madhya Pradesh
Educational Service and taught at the Government College
s at Nagpur
, Jabalpur, and Bhopal. In 1963, he joined University of Delhi
as a Reader and taught Medieval Indian history
in its History Department.
For the next ten years, starting 1973, he was the Professor and Head of the Department of History, first at the University of Jodhpur (1973–79), and then at the Central University of Hyderabad (1979–83).
Besides his mother tongue Hindi
, he was fluent in Persian
, Old Persian, Urdu
, and other languages.
(despite the fact that Irfan Habib's father, the historian Muhammad Habib, wrote a foreword to "History of the Khaljis"). The criticism included allegations of being a spokesman for the RSS
. Lal noted: "As usual these [my books] have been reviewed in journals in India and abroad, bestowing both praise and blame as per the custom of the reviewers. However, during the last fifteen years or so, some of my books have received special attention of a certain brand of scholars for adverse criticism."
In the midst of a Hindu
-Muslim
antagonism he is allegedly oft-cited and patronized by various right-wing proponent groups of Hindutva
. He was both placed by the BJP (as part of the NDA
2005 government of India), and made the chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) and also placed on the National Council of Educational Research and Training
(NCERT) Committee to draft the model school syllabus on Indian History. The controversy surrounding these events is reflected in the theme of the discourses of his books which allegedly describe Muslims as foreigners, destructive barbarians and immoral degenerates, thereby placing him among a controversial group of authors charged by the left-leaning political parties with the "saffronized" (i.e., make lessons consonant with the Hindu world view) re-writing of history, with a negative portrayal of Muslims and a pro-Hindu bent.
Lal himself disputes these allegations, citing, in turn, that the ICHR has always been dominated by historians with a strong leftist bias and that the current controversy is "merely the outcome of an exaggerated sense of pique on the part of the excluded Left wing".
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
. He wrote many historical books, mainly on medieval India. Many of his books, such as History of the Khaljis and Twilight of the Sultanate, are regarded as standard works.
Career
He obtained his Master's degreeMaster's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
in 1941 at the University of Allahabad. In 1945 he obtained his D.Phil. with a dissertation on the history of the Khaljis. This dissertation formed the basis for his book History of the Khaljis
History of the Khaljis
History of the Khaljis - AD 1290-1320 is a book written by K.S. Lal which was published in 1950. A second revised edition was published in 1967....
. He started his career as a Lecturer of History in the Allahabad University, though he served in this position only for a brief period.
From 1945 to 1963 he was with Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh
Madhya Pradesh , often called the Heart of India, is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and Indore is the largest city....
Educational Service and taught at the Government College
Government College
Government College refers to various colleges.* Government College University, Lahore, is probably the most frequent college referred to by this name. It may also refer to:* Government College of Technology, Coimbatore, India* Darjeeling Government College...
s at Nagpur
Nagpur
Nāgpur is a city and winter capital of the state of Maharashtra, the largest city in central India and third largest city in Maharashtra after Mumbai and Pune...
, Jabalpur, and Bhopal. In 1963, he joined University of Delhi
University of Delhi
The University of Delhi is a central university situated in Delhi, India and is funded by Government of India. Established in 1922, it offers courses at the undergraduate and post-graduate level. Vice-President of India Mohammad Hamid Ansari is the Chancellor of the university...
as a Reader and taught Medieval Indian history
Medieval India
Medieval India refers to the Middle Ages i.e. 5th to 15th century AD in the Indian subcontinent, it includes:*Early Middle Ages: Middle kingdoms of India*Hoysala Empire*Kakatiya Kingdom*Delhi Sultanate*Ahom Kingdom*Reddy Kingdom...
in its History Department.
For the next ten years, starting 1973, he was the Professor and Head of the Department of History, first at the University of Jodhpur (1973–79), and then at the Central University of Hyderabad (1979–83).
Besides his mother tongue Hindi
Hindi
Standard Hindi, or more precisely Modern Standard Hindi, also known as Manak Hindi , High Hindi, Nagari Hindi, and Literary Hindi, is a standardized and sanskritized register of the Hindustani language derived from the Khariboli dialect of Delhi...
, he was fluent in Persian
Persian language
Persian is an Iranian language within the Indo-Iranian branch of the Indo-European languages. It is primarily spoken in Iran, Afghanistan, Tajikistan and countries which historically came under Persian influence...
, Old Persian, Urdu
Urdu
Urdu is a register of the Hindustani language that is identified with Muslims in South Asia. It belongs to the Indo-European family. Urdu is the national language and lingua franca of Pakistan. It is also widely spoken in some regions of India, where it is one of the 22 scheduled languages and an...
, and other languages.
Works
- The Legacy of Muslim Rule in India. New Delhi, Aditya Prakashan, 1992. http://www.bharatvani.org/books/tlmr/ (ISBN 81-85689-03-2)
- History of the KhaljisHistory of the KhaljisHistory of the Khaljis - AD 1290-1320 is a book written by K.S. Lal which was published in 1950. A second revised edition was published in 1967....
(1950, 1967, 1980) - Twilight of the Sultanate (1963, 1980)
- Studies in Asian History (edited - 1969)
- Growth of Muslim Population in Medieval IndiaGrowth of Muslim Population in Medieval IndiaGrowth of Muslim Population in Medieval India is a book by K.S. Lal published in 1973.The book assesses the demographics of India between 1000 and 1500 AD. On the basis of the available historical evidence, K.S. Lal concluded that the population of India in 1000 was about 200 million and in 1500...
(1973) - Early Muslims in India (1984)
- The Mughal HaremThe Mughal HaremThe Mughal Harem is a book by historian K.S. Lal published in 1988. It is an important study on the history and nature of the Mughal Harem. The book is a study on the Mughal Harem of medieval India. K.S...
(1988) ISBN 81-85179-03-4 - Indian Muslims: Who are theyIndian Muslims: Who are theyIndian Muslims: Who are they is a book by K.S. Lal published in 1990.The book studies the growth of the Muslim population during the time of Mahmud of Ghazni, during the Delhi Sultanate and during the Mughal Empire.- Conversion :...
(1990) http://www.bharatvani.org/books/imwat/ ISBN 81-85990-10-7 - Muslim Slave System in Medieval India (1994) http://www.bharatvani.org/books/mssmi/ ISBN 81-85689-67-9
- Historical essays
- Theory and Practice of Muslim State in IndiaTheory and Practice of Muslim State in IndiaTheory and Practice of Muslim State in India is a book by historian K.S. Lal published in 1999. It is a study on Muslim administration in India....
(1999) ISBN 81-86471-72-3 - Growth of Scheduled Tribes and Castes in Medieval India (1995)
- Studies in Asian History: Proceedings of the Asian History Congress, 1961
- The Legacy of JihadThe Legacy of JihadThe Legacy of Jihad is a book by Andrew Bostom. The foreword was written by self-proclaimed ex-Muslim author and polemicist, "Ibn Warraq"....
: Islamic Holy War and the Fate of Non-Muslims(2005) Ed. by Andrew Bostom ISBN 1-59102-307-6 contains five chapters contributed by K. S. Lal: 'Muslims Invade India', 'Jihad Under The Turks and Jihad under the Mughals', 'The Origins of Muslim Slave System', 'Enslavement of Hindus by Arab and Turkish Invaders', 'Slave Taking During Muslim Rule', this is maximum number of articles by any single author in this book that deals with the textual analysis of theory and practice of JihadJihadJihad , an Islamic term, is a religious duty of Muslims. In Arabic, the word jihād translates as a noun meaning "struggle". Jihad appears 41 times in the Quran and frequently in the idiomatic expression "striving in the way of God ". A person engaged in jihad is called a mujahid; the plural is...
in IslamIslamIslam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
.
Criticism
Lal's early books were not controversial, but some of his later works have earned him a lot of criticism by historians such as Peter Jackson and Irfan HabibIrfan Habib
Irfan Habib is an Indian Marxist historian, a former Chairman of the Indian Council of Historical Research and a Padma Bhushan awardee. He is a Professor Emeritus at Aligarh Muslim University. He has served in the Indian History Congress for many years. Irfan Habib and R.S...
(despite the fact that Irfan Habib's father, the historian Muhammad Habib, wrote a foreword to "History of the Khaljis"). The criticism included allegations of being a spokesman for the RSS
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh
Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh or National Patriotic Organization), also known the Sangh, is a right-wing Hindu nationalist, paramilitary, volunteer, and allegedly militant organization for Hindu males in India...
. Lal noted: "As usual these [my books] have been reviewed in journals in India and abroad, bestowing both praise and blame as per the custom of the reviewers. However, during the last fifteen years or so, some of my books have received special attention of a certain brand of scholars for adverse criticism."
In the midst of a Hindu
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
-Muslim
Muslim
A Muslim, also spelled Moslem, is an adherent of Islam, a monotheistic, Abrahamic religion based on the Quran, which Muslims consider the verbatim word of God as revealed to prophet Muhammad. "Muslim" is the Arabic term for "submitter" .Muslims believe that God is one and incomparable...
antagonism he is allegedly oft-cited and patronized by various right-wing proponent groups of Hindutva
Hindutva
Hindutva is the term used to describe movements advocating Hindu nationalism. Members of the movement are called Hindutvavādis.In India, an umbrella organization called the Sangh Parivar champions the concept of Hindutva...
. He was both placed by the BJP (as part of the NDA
National Democratic Alliance (India)
The National Democratic Alliance is a centre-right coalition of political parties in India. At the time of its formation in 1998, it was led by the Bharatiya Janata Party and had thirteen constituent parties. Its convenor is Sharad Yadav, and its honorary chairman is former prime minister Atal...
2005 government of India), and made the chairman of the Indian Council for Historical Research (ICHR) and also placed on the National Council of Educational Research and Training
National Council of Educational Research and Training
The National Council of Educational Research and Training is an apex resource organization set up by the Government of India, with headquarters at New Delhi, to assist and advise the Central and State Governments on academic matters related to school education.it was Established in the year of...
(NCERT) Committee to draft the model school syllabus on Indian History. The controversy surrounding these events is reflected in the theme of the discourses of his books which allegedly describe Muslims as foreigners, destructive barbarians and immoral degenerates, thereby placing him among a controversial group of authors charged by the left-leaning political parties with the "saffronized" (i.e., make lessons consonant with the Hindu world view) re-writing of history, with a negative portrayal of Muslims and a pro-Hindu bent.
Lal himself disputes these allegations, citing, in turn, that the ICHR has always been dominated by historians with a strong leftist bias and that the current controversy is "merely the outcome of an exaggerated sense of pique on the part of the excluded Left wing".