Ancient, Modern historiography & Fiction - 3

 

Original Source: https://stage.jeyamohan.in/197258/

Date: 24-Mar-2024

 

As soon as the modern historiography began in India, so did modern historical fiction. In fact, both evolved hand in hand. Even in case of European history, it can be understood that the situation was the same - that is modern historiography and modern historical fiction evolved together.

What's more surprising is the fact that in 16th century AD, even as the ancient historiography was making way for the modern one, the trend of fictionalizing the early set of history books had begun. Shakespeare arranged his plays inspired by the books on Ireland and Scotland by Raphael Holinshed and Edward Hall. Alexander Dumas fictionalized the writings of French Historical author Pierre de L'Estoile. In Europe, modern historiography could be seen twinned with fictional literature. 

India's modern historiography started in 18th century. Even as the history of Bengal was getting written, Bankim Chandra Chatterjee's novels Kapalkundala, AnandaMath had come out. Soon as the first draft of Kerala's history was formed, so did C.V.Raman Pillai's novel Marthandavarma. K.V. Iyer's novels like Shantala were published during the early days of Karnataka's historiography. In Tamil, authors like Ti. Ta. Saravanamuttu Pillai and Kalki who were in direct contact with early historiographers came out with their novels Mokananki and Parthiban Kanavu respectively.

The first novels across India are all historical fictions. This is true even of the initial period of European literary history. Historiography and fiction evolved hand in hand, contrary to our assumption that authors of fiction employed history once it was well established. Fiction is not a transgression or an intrusion. It is an intellectual enterprise that is birthed and happens alongside historiography inseparably.

 

Why does fiction co-occur as a part of historiography? Several reasons can be considered.

a. Ancient historiography remained coalesced with fiction. Not only Indian epics, even Western epics existed as history too. Modern historiography removed imagination for the sake of objectivity. The fictional aspects thus rejected followed the historiography separately as historical fiction. 

b. The necessity for fiction in assimilating the history is for coalescing the information and forming a narration. Merely listing down the information logically doesn't create a history. Even history requires an illustration. It is imperative to combine the information about Chola's history and forming a narration about its political and social environment. It is such a narration that intertwines literature, arts, administration and war victories. This requires aspects of fiction. It is due to such fiction that the Gupta period in Indian history and the Chola period in Tamil history are described as golden periods.

c. There are no personalities in history - merely information. Historical personalities are created only by fiction. The legend of Raja Raja Chola is only a fictional creation of history. History has such fictional aspects in itself. Historical fictions get created by extending such fictional aspects. The protagonist of Kalki's Ponniyin Selvan novel - Raja Raja Chola was in reality a personality visualized first by Nilakanta Sastri and aggrandized later by Kalki.

d. There are no imageries in history. Historiography doesn't advocate anything. To supplement history with imagery, fictionalizing it becomes essential. Within Chola's history, we are able to guess that Raja Raja Chola relinquished his throne for the sake of his uncle. This was made as a royal imagery by Kalki. Historical fiction is necessary thus.

 

These reasons necessitate fiction to be made together with historiography. We can also find out few reasons for modern fictional literature to fictionalize historical facts.

a. Fiction requires myths, which are archetypes deeply rooted in people's minds. Using these, it is possible to establish or reconsider foundational visions. Intense emotional states can be created. Literature engages with history like it does with religion for the sake of myths. Raja Raja Chola is also a myth like Arjuna. When historiography creates and presents such a myth, literature employs them.

b. The fictional landscape is helpful not only for intensive literature rather even for entertainment literature. Even while talking about contemporary life, literature transforms them as fictional landscape. The ancient timelines created by history facilitate the exceptional founding for fictional landscapes. Instead of in Kumbakonam, if a story happens in Pazhaiyarai, the reader is able to expand his imagination.

c. Historiography creates a general understanding always. History is always something that is accepted by majority. Whereas, literature's path is to go beyond this general understanding in pursuit of precious truths. In this pursuit, identifying the gaps in history and detailing them through fiction is one of the spiritualities of literature.  

 

That is why, literature lends primary importance to historical fiction. Literture's approach to historical fiction is also getting transformed as per the characteristics of a society's history. 

(To be continued)

 

References:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Raphael_Holinshed

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Hall

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandre_Dumas

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_de_L%27Estoile

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bankim_Chandra_Chatterjee

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anandamath

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kapalkundala 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/C._V._Raman_Pillai

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marthandavarma_(novel)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._V._Iyer

https://www.amazon.in/-/hi/Ti-Ta-Sarawanamuthuppillai/dp/B0CMHK9LWS

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kalki_Krishnamurthy

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthiban_Kanavu

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gupta_Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chola_Empire

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ponniyin_Selvan

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rajaraja_I

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/K._A._Nilakanta_Sastri

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kumbakonam

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pazhayarai

 

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