Swatantryveer Savarkar: Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History

Swatantryveer Vinayak Damodar Savarkar was born in Marathi Chitpavan Brahmin Hindu family on 28 May 1883 in Bhagur village of today’s Nashik District in Maharashtra. He was exceptionally gifted with many talents. He was inspired by revolutionary activities since his childhood. He formed the ‘Mitra Mela’ along with his childhood friends at his village and pondered over freeing his motherland from the atrocious clutches of foreign rule. For his higher studies he enrolled in Fergusson College in Pune and there too he formed the ‘Abhinav Bharat’- a revolutionary organization for India’s independence. Nothing could deter him from his immense love for his motherland. He was expelled from Fergusson College owing to his involvement in the revolutionary activities but he remained unfazed. He completed his studies at Fergusson with flying colors and went to London for his studies in Law. He got inducted in the ‘India House’ run by Indian Revolutionary Shyamji Krishna Verma upon the recommendation from Lokmanya Tilak.

His love for motherland did not cease to exist either because of lure or fear. While in England too, he established ‘Free India Society’ and took charge of revolutionary activities on the foreign land at India House. He regularly wrote to his friends in India to keep their morals up for the cause of motherland. He published the translated autobiography of an Italian revolutionary Giuseppe Mazzini, ‘The Indian War of Independence 1857’ and the history of Sikhs in Marathi. His writings primarily aimed at inspiring Indian youth for Indian freedom struggle through revolutionary means. He extensively wrote on various topics all through his life. Here we will primarily discuss his work ‘Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History’ originally written in Marathi with a title ‘Saha Soneri Pane’. This book captures the six glorious achievements by Indian kings and warriors who united the vast territory of India and saved the land from foreign aggressions or snatched the rule from foreigners to establish the Sanatan traditions of Bharat.

Swatantryveer Savarkarji’s love for his motherland and its historical glory reflects in his various writings in the form of poems and prose. It’s important to note that the word ‘Matrubhumi’ meaning motherland is the very gift of Bharat to the world which in Arabic tradition was called ‘Madere Watan’ and in English literature they called motherland. This is not a new terminology implied for the land of our birth but has its antecedents in an age old Bhartiy philosophy as propounded by various sage and seers of various Bhartiy traditions of knowledge. It’s meaning range far beyond the cantors of poetic imagination.

Savarakarji’s love for his motherland is manifested in these traditions of knowledge. Moreover, he goes beyond mere interpretation of the notions of matter and consciousness that form crux of various schools of thoughts in Bhartiya philosophy. He challenged Bhartiya people to go beyond such empty interpretations and introspect on why their motherland was in the kind of state that it was in. By saying so, he intended to tell them that their motherland which was the centre of world’s knowledge and power could not hold on to its leadership role because her sons forgot to worship ‘Shakti’ to keep their Mother’s strength unchallenged.

Savarkarji’s entire life and work, his all literature symbolizes the worship of ‘Shakti’ meaning power and does not have place for weakness or meekness. He was an inborn patriot and this trait in his personality can be ascribed to various impressions on his mind such as many foreign invasions on Bharat and the atrocities that were perpetrated on Bhartiya people. One must not assign his patriotism to a particular development or humiliation that he was personally subjected to but to the knowledge that he inherited since his childhood. As said earlier he laid emphasis on strength and the same can be seen his works of translation of ‘Josef Mazzini’s Autobiography’ and ‘India’s First War of Indipendance: 1857’ which he completed in 1908 while he was studying in London. The book ‘India’s First War of Indipendance: 1857’ had explosive revelations about Bhartiy aspirations for Independence which British portrayed as sepoy mutiny. British found it highly inflammatory and banned its publication in England and therefore had to be published in Paris and Netherlands. Sardar Bhagat Singh somehow managed to get its copy in Lahore and circulated the book among revolutionaries.

Even while he was imprisoned in the dreaded cellular jail, he did not stop writing. Because he did not have access to pen and paper, he wrote on the walls of the cell, which he was put into, with whatever means such as piece of coal or chisel. He would memorize all that he had written, erase and write again and memorize. This he continued till he was there in the Andaman’s cellular jail. After Sawarkji was released and put into house arrest in the district of Ratnagiri, he rewrote all he had written and memorized. This was later published with the title ‘Kamla’ which is considered to be one his great literary works. There are more than two dozen published works of Sawarkarji which we can have access to in the market. Sawarkarji’s writings are rich and varied. He wrote poetry, essays, plays and books on history.

As mentioned at the beginning of this piece, I would discuss his book “Six Glorious Epochs of Indian History” here. In this book Sawarkarji has tried to re-invoke the glorious past of Hindu society which he tries to look through Bhartiy view rather than merely depending on the historiography as narrated by the westerners. In “Six Historical Epochs of Indian History”, unlike the colonial and colonized historians, Sawarkarji takes back wheels of Bhartiy history to the invasion of Alexander on India in 326 BC. There exists no evidence of such an invasion on Bharat in the literature to be found in the Bharatiya historiography. But the Greek writers have mentioned candidly about it.

Magasthenes, in his ‘Indica’ described Bharat as a society which resurges out of its ashes like Phoenix. However, Sawarkarji has said that Bhartiy history is far older than the Alexander’s invasion and its roots can date back to thousands of years if meticulously researched. The excavations carried out at Sonawali and Rakhigarhi and the evidences found therein change the entire historiographical discourse of Bharat’s history. As per some estimates the Mahabharat took place on this soil some five thousand years ago before the Jesus Christ’s birth. If so, then what must have been Lord Rama’s period in the history? There is a strong need to resurrect discourse on Indian history with fresh outlooks.

Sawarkarji identifies the first glorious epoch of Bhartiy history as Alexander did not venture beyond Ganga while he was on his spree to conquer Bhartiy territory. He did so not because of his virtuous character but his army generals informed him that there was waiting a huge Bhartiy army at Magadha to take on them. Sensing the revolt in his army, Alexander went back to Persia the Kingdome conquered two years before invading Bharat. Soon after the exit of Alexander form Bharat, Emperor Chandragupta Morya under the ablest guidance of his master Chanakya at Taxila Unviersity mobilized army and established his power at Magadh Empire. They succeeded in uniting small separatist states into one united empire and uprooted the antecedents of Greek power on Bhartiy territory.

The second glorious epoch of Indian history as identified by Sawarakarji is ascendancy of Pushyamitra Shunga at the throne of Patliputra of Magad Empire. King Brihadratha Maurya, the last Mauryan Emperor was meek and the strength of Bharat was on decline. There was imminent danger of Greek invasion but he was not doing anything to contain that. Therefore, Pushyamitra Shunga who was chief commander of Maurayan Army and staunch follower of Veidik Religion assassinated him and established himself as a ruler. He consolidated the weakening Magadha Empire and defeated Manender, a Greek King who invaded India. He uprooted the Greek power that was established in Bharat again because of willy-nilly policies of King Brihadratha that had put excessive emphasis on certain Budhist practices like non-violence that promoted non martial attributes among people. He reestablished the glory Veidik Religion.

Sawarkarji identifies the reign of Vikramaditya Chandragupta II from the Gupta dynasty as the third glorious epoch of Bhartiy history. The Shakas and Kushan hoards from Central Asia invaded Bharat and established their rule in India. These ferocious nomadic warriors were so totally defeated by Chandragupta II on Bhartiy territory and established himself as a powerful ruler. He adopted the title of Vikramditya and began Vikrama  Samvat era in 57 BC. He is also known as Shakal Vikramaditya meaning the one who defeated Shakas. He established the glory of Bharat’s Sanatan culture again.

The valor of Skandagupta Vikramaditya, the grandson of Chandragupta Vikramaditya happens to be the fourth glorious epoch of Bhartiy history. He defeated the powerful conquest of Bharat by Hunas, a group of Central Asian Tribes somewhere near the Chinese territory. Sawarkarji writes the Hunas were the most terrible, barbaric and uncivilized tribal fighters who had devastated the Roman, Greek, Egyptian and almost all the empires in the world. Owing to the fear of their invasion Chinese rulers had to raise the Great Wall of China. They had entered the Bhartiy territory through Kheibar pass and destroyed the magnificent Taxila University with all its treasure of knowledge. They had also greatly weakened the Gupta Empire. But Skandagupta stood to the occasion at the age of twenty five or twenty six years and fought incessantly for 12 years when nobody in the Gupta Empire was ready to take on the challenge posed by the Hunas. The Hunas were either killed or had to leave Bharat or had to merge themselves in Vedik culture because of Skandagupta’s fear. The Bhitari pillar inscription eulogizes the valor of Skandagupta as…

“by whose two arms the earth was shaken, when he, the creator of a terrible whirlpool , joined in close conflict with the Hunas; among enemies… arrows… proclaimed …just as if it were the roaring of the Ganga, making itself noticed in the ears of his enemies.”

The Junagadh inscription mentions Skandagupta’s success against the mlechchhas (the foreign invader Hunas):

…..whose (Skandagupta’s) fame, moreover, even (his) enemies, in the countries of the mlechchhas, having their pride broken down to the very root, announce with the words “verily the victory has been achieved by him.”

The valor of Marathas that established the glory of Hidutva with saffron flag as its symbol that range from Attock to Cuttack and bravery of Maharaja Ranjitsing that overpowered the Musalman rulers in India is identified as the fifth glorious epoch of Bhartiy History. From Peshva Bajirao I to Raghunathrao had marched all the way from Maharashtra to Delhi and beyond to establish the Hindupadpadshahi instituted by Shivaji Maharaj. Sawarkarji wrote the battle of Panipat must not be assigned much of importance but the political developments thereafter which made the Moughal emperors in Delhi dependant on Marathas should be looked at as glorious epoch of history. The sixth and the last epoch as mentioned by Sawarkarji shold be read as withdrawal of British rule from India. He says the empire that’s Sun never set, as was said, had to see it setting on the Indian soil.

In conclusion I would say, Sawarkarji means Freedom (Swantantrya), Sawarkarji means self rule (Swarajya), Sawarkarji means self-dharma (Swadharma), Sawarkarji means idea of a (Bhartiy) nation (swarashtra), Sawarkarji means immortal (awinashi), Sawarkarji means fearless and godly person (Adipurush, Nirbhaypurush). Sawarkarji can be seen in the lines of a poem written Late. Shri Atalji….

                                             मैं आज पुरुष निर्भयता का वरदान लिए आया भूपर

पय पीकर सब मरते आये, मैं अमर हुआ लो विष पीकर

अधरों की प्यास बुझाई है मैंने पीकर वह आग प्रखर

हो जाती दुनिया भस्मसात जिसको पल भर में ही छूकर

भय से व्याकुल फिर दुनिया ने प्रारम्भ किया मेरा पूजन

मैं नर नारायण नीलकंठ बन गया न इसमें कुछ संशय

हिन्दू तन-मन, हिन्दू जीवन, रग-रग हिन्दू मेरा परिचय।