When German philosopher Hegel wrote his famous Philosophy of History, many contemporary intellectuals called it as Hegelian fantasy. The question was how history can have a philosophy? History is just a chronology of events in black and white. But this treatise of Hegel was not based on the events of history; rather it was a critical diagnosis of the impact of history on the mankind and how generations interpret history in their own perspective. He divided history into three parts and the most important part is Reflective History. This is from where we take lessons from history. The famous historian Edward Gibbons wrote The Rise and fall of the Roman Empire. There are other historians too who have chronicled the same subject but Gibbon stands unique because he did not chronicled the events only, he put philosophical inputs also in his comments. This was like a story telling in history with inputs of personal wisdom.
Look at the history of India from the ancient times to the modern times. An amazing land mass full of mysticism and wisdom. The sages and kings are at times inseparable from each other. History says during the reign of emperor Harshavardana the Chinese traveller Huen en Sung came to Nalanda to study on Buddhism. At the end of his studies he came to pay his respects to the emperor. Emperor Harsha was much delighted and welcomed the famous traveller with humility and utmost respect to his court and after audience he requested his honoured visitor to give his blessing to India. The overwhelmed Huen en Sung said,O the mighty emperor, India is a great land who is being guarded by a great mountain like the Himalayas and the its feet is being washed by the seas from three sides. I am too humble to bless this great land. I am blessed that I could come to India and enrich my life.'
As a student of history throughout my entire life I enjoyed the influence of reflective history of India and the way history has moulded its society. Perhaps this was the reason why Tagore wrote, Aie Bharoter moha manober sagor tirey,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,.
Akbar Hussain
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