02 - What should one do with heritage?
I like Manu S Pillai. He's enviably articulate and does a downright nutty amount of research for anything he does. I first found him on Instagram, and then read his book Rebel Sultans, which I loved. After which, I attended one of his (pre-covid) talks and I knew immediately that I found a new mind to have a crush on. On my way to Jodhpur, I saw his latest book at the airport and I had to buy it. For one solitary day I became one of those people at an airport who buys a book and cradles it throughout the flight like a prize won at a fair. This book is called False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the age of Ravi Varma and it talks about the sliver in time when Indian Maharajahs and budding nationalists were on the same page. It's about a time in history we never studied or heard much about. I will describe it further in the books section. Then why do you bring this book up, you tease? The essay talks about maharajahs and Jodhpur so this was an attempt at setting some context.
Also, if anybody here knows Manu, let him know he has a (non-creepy(ish)) fan. :)
🌊 Hi, I'm Sachi and this is Currents, a newsletter that talks about everything which makes describing it pain-in-the-neck kind of task. This month we're talking about history, monuments, heritage and more. You can unsubscribe by clicking the link below. No, I will not find you and kill you if you unsubscribe. Yes, I will be thrilled if you share this with other people.
👹 I made some essay themed art this month. No, you may not borrow, repost, or steal it.
👑 Old forts and royal families
I took a short trip to Jodhpur earlier this month. It is an absolutely stunning city with incredible culture, food, and people. How could I not dive head first into it all? It was love at first sight. (No, I will not turn this into a #wanderlust essay) When I wasn't drowning in kachoris, lassi, chaas, dal baati, ker sangri, lal maas, and other soul nourishing food, I couldn't stop thinking about the buildings I visited.
I didn't mean to sound like a jerk but how were they in such good shape?
Not a single 'Raj loves Sneha' carved in ugly writing in an uglier asymmetrical heart on any monument. (How was that ever considered to be a romantic gesture?) Not a stray wrapper on the street. What was happening? What was that alternative reality I briefly inhabited? Our guide at Jaswant Thada and Mehrangarh Fort informed us that the Mehrangarh Museum Trust, run by the royal family of Jodhpur, looks after them. The fort has won many accolades for its excellent conservation. In addition to this, it has an impressive store, cafe, and restaurant. (Only one was open because of covid-19) We were left feeling very impressed with what we just saw. The guide was beaming with pride about his place of work as he mentioned his many work benefits that the trust offers them. (It was when he mentioned a hundred days of PTO that I questioned if I was doing the right kind of work) Well maintained structures, a museum store that could easily compete with international ones, culture highlighted with reverence, and loyal employees who love the work they do. This raises the question : if royal families do such a good job of keeping the glory of Indian forts and palaces alive, should they be the ones doing it? I don't have to do the work either way, so I freely cogitate about delegating this like a potato on my rocking chair.
India has a complicated relationship with its royal families. My vague memories from what I learned at school put the rulers of India's numerous princely states in a horrendous light. Their refusal to give up their lives of luxury and convenience (built over the labour of countless common people) for the country is all I remember. Who did they think they were anyway? Indira Gandhi had said in 1967, "Go ask the Maharajas how many wells they dug for the people in their States when they ruled them, how many roads they constructed, what they did to fight the slavery of the British. If you look at the account of their achievements before Independence, it is a big zero.” (Straight up flicked from Wikipedia) A privy purse was a payment made to the ruling families of erstwhile princely states as part of their agreements to first integrate with India in 1947 after the independence of India, and later to merge their states in 1949, thereby ending their ruling rights. The privy purses continued to be paid to the royal families until the 26th Amendment in 1971, by which all their privileges and allowances from the central government ceased to exist. The status of royal families in India had now been reduced to its absolute lowest. How fair was this decision?
False Allies, incidentally, begins with that quote from Indira Gandhi because through his book, Manu S Pillai wants to challenge that notion. He argues that labelling the princes as indulgent, weak, and incapable of governing themselves without (white) guidance worked in the favour of British officers. How else would they justify their seemingly endless imperial rule? The British claimed their mission was to civilize the world, they couldn't honestly proclaim that they were here to steal all our money AND maintain that infuriating self-righteousness now, could they?
Pillai's book has its flaws in structure and argument but I did, momentarily, find myself in the diamond studded shoes of the princes of the late 19th century. They faced a near constant tug of war between the 'modernity' shoved down their throats by the British and traditions rooted in local culture. Rulers had to grapple with constant power struggles, fights for legitimacy, resistance towards British attempts to control them entirely, among their own personal problems. They endured anyhow. Nationalism, Pillai argues, had to be constructed and the princes of India helped build the foundation. In an interview with Murali K Menon (Money Control), Pillai reiterates that 'a good number of them [native rulers] were thrilled with the pressure nationalists put on the British. Of course, when the same pressure was applied on them in the 1930s, the relationship with Congress soured.' The latter is the part we're rather familiar with. Even in the late 19th century some rulers like Sayaji Rao Gaekwad of Baroda went so far as to state that 'if India were to become a nation, the princely states would have to go.' To add to that, the kingdoms Pillai writes about, especially Travancore, Mysore, and Baroda did construct roads, schools and additional infrastructure for their people. Rebellion against the British looked like excelling at all the British claimed Indians were incapable of doing, such as good governance. It also looked like social snubs, insults tucked away every now and then, and avoiding paying taxes to the Raj through all kinds of trickery. Trying to snub the British, while maintaining expected etiquette, and enabling the kingdom to flourish was quite the balancing act.
Hopping back to the withdrawal of the privy purse. Indira Gandhi wasn't having it with royal families and many people pretty much hated them. Rambagh Palace in Jaipur and Udaipur’s Lake Palace had already been converted into luxury hotels before this decision. Converting palaces and havelis into hotels now seemed more appealing than ever before. Gaj Singh II of Jodhpur began to restore Mehrangarh Fort to its glory in the 70's and donated nearly 15,000 items from his personal collection to the trust to create a museum within the fort. The fort wasn't in excellent condition then, and it had to be restored if it were to be open to public. Improvement upon improvement was made over time to set the fort up to attract millions of visitors every year, pre-covid obviously. Pradip Krishen, an environmentalist, was recruited by Singh to build the Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park, a home to native plants, snakes, and insects over 172 acres. (Smithsonian) Rao Jodha Desert Rock Park and Jaswant Thada are both a few minutes away from the fort. One can see Umaid Bhavan on the horizon, across Jodhpur, from the fort. Gaj Singh II and his family live there. Umaid Bhavan, too, is an architectural wonder with much to be appreciated. Part of Umaid Bhavan was converted into a hotel and a part was converted into a museum. The museum was rather average compared to that of Mehrangarh Fort, but continues to attract visitors for the collection of vintage cars. The trust also hosts two annual music festivals to promote local music.
With the income from these sites and events, the trust is now working on the conservation of additional forts and cenotaphs. (👏 )
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In Mysore, the royal family lives in a part of the palace, while the rest of the building is open to visitors. The state of Karnataka has taken possession, control, and custody of Mysore Palace entirely with the exception of the throne and ambari. I can't imagine them being too thrilled about that. I also read in an (old-ish) article, families of Bikaner, Jaipur, Udaipur and Jodhpur are fighting over the custody of forts that used to belong to their families which are now in poor condition under the government. Gaj Singh II, too, got Jaswant Thada back from the government in 1995 after a struggle. (India Today)
Many forts, cenotaphs, palaces, temples and other miscellaneous structures across India are in terrible condition. We have all, at some point, seen a structure of historic importance in pitiable condition. We have all wondered why the government isn't taking better care of them. We have all been a part of discussions at dinner with relatives (usually an agitated uncle) lamenting that India will never reach its full potential for tourism despite having the history, culture, and heritage, because most of it is terribly maintained (Someone from the Archaeological Survey of India is crying as I type my uneducated opinions on what they should be doing with their time)
Royal families, no matter what one thinks about them, feel concern for monuments that once belonged to their forefathers. This vested interest in its maintenance and just generally not wanting them to be reduced to rubble could be a good thing. One wonders if the monument-neglecting-villainous-government-institutions and the contentious royal families could work together to preserve the beautiful architecture we have inherited.
Moreover, I wondered in what meaningful ways these structures could be used beyond transforming them into luxury hotels or musty museums. How can these buildings of previous centuries accommodate the needs of ordinary people, in 2021? This inheritance belongs to the people of India. It's time we protect and cherish it in whatever way we can. I read that Modi has allocated a Rs.27,000-crore budget to the ASI for 'authentic reconstruction of 11 historic sites, including Hampi and the Indus Valley', in addition to building museums and organizing cultural festivals. (The Economic Times) It was an article from 2019 so I doubt if that money is still allocated to the ASI post-covid. If it is, one doesn't always know where this money will go, but I hope it will actually be used for restoration, maintenance, and promotion. May someone, anyone, look after the amazing buildings scattered across our country that hold innumerable stories within them.
**Buttondown doesn't have a superscript option and I'm not a thief so I've added the sources wherever I can. My diploma advisor would be appalled but such is life. Please don't read this, Jaya. I mean it.
📚 BOOKS
False Allies: India's Maharajahs in the age of Ravi Varma by Manu S Pillai (Non Fiction) - By now, you vaguely know what this book is about. Pillai writes about five kingdoms, namely, Travancore, Pudukkottai, Baroda, Mysore, and Mewar. The maharajahs of each kingdom have at some point been captured by Ravi Varma in one of his renowned portraits. Ravi Varma's travels and art acts as a tool of tying these kingdoms together in the structure of this book. I had mixed feelings about this book. This book's strength lies in its ability to tie several characters and narratives together with exhaustive research and good writing. Pillai is a fantastic writer without a doubt.
Here are my complaints about it - It felt confused about what it wanted to achieve. Is this a book that describes the life of maharajahs to expose incorrect stereotypes or is this a book about maharajahs defying colonial rule? The book wavers constantly in what it’s trying to achieve and what it actually presents.
To add to that, the random descriptions of Ravi Varma took away from the pleasure of reading this book instead of enhancing it. This book lacks focus. Conclusions feel forced more than arising naturally from the presentation of facts. It neither does justice to Ravi Varma nor the maharajahs.
I felt like the actual nationalism he wanted to highlight was weak. He clarifies in the epilogue that nationalism in the late 19th centure didn't look like protesting on the streets, it was far subtler. I'll accept that. There was a chapter that I feel should have been removed entirely because it added nothing to the book.
TLDR - The research is incredible. The facts are great, you'll learn a lot. It's a tad confused and some conclusions feel forced. I felt dissatisfied at the end of the book. It is still worth reading.
Pachinko by Min Jin Lee (Historical Fiction) (Finally finished it) - This book was worth the long time it took to read. There was a but of a drag in the middle but that is to be expected from a book that spans so many generations and historical events. I thought Pachinko was spectacular. It somehow covers history, colonialism, discrimination, family, loyalty, ambition, religion, traditions, culture, love, and war all in one book. I was left with questions in the end and I felt like the plot didn't do some characters justice, but overall, I'd still recommend it.
New and Selected Poems Volume 2 by Mary Oliver - I started reading this book, ever so slowly, one poem a day, in September. It's easy to get lost in your life and function on autopilot, drained of any enthusiasm whatsoever. Mary Oliver's poems have always been my antidote of choice for an enthusiasm deficiency. She reminds me, with her simple poems, to look at the world outside with wonder and appreciation. She spent her entire life living in wonder and it shows in her writing.
Indian Superfoods by Rujuta Diwekar (Non Fiction) - I like Rujuta Diwekar very much because she implores us to eat locally sourced food. Food should be kind on our stomach and to the planet. That's an instant no to acai berries, maca and unicorn-y adatptogens flown in from the opposite end of the planet. Eat the fucking chikoo, not frozen raspberries. In this book, she talks about common Indian foods and their numerous beneficial traits. I enjoyed it. It reinforces how amazing traditional cuisines are. Our grandmothers knew it all, it is us idiots who wait for them to become popular among influencers.
👾 COOL THINGD FOUND ONLINE
SELL SELL SELL - Who won capitalism?
A class apart - When tools people use to make ends meet, become charming prints on home apparel for people from another class. The chaiwala print on your cushion isn't 'Indian local design', it is you being classist. Yes, it is.
Yen Jui-Lin's adorable wooden characters
Vintage Polish Soviet era posters.
Remarkable Trees Around the World
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Until next time.
Warmly,
Sachi.