Ram Sharan Sharma (English: Ram Sharan Sharma; born- 26 November, 1919, Begusarai, Bihar; died- 20 August, 2011, Patna) was a famous historian and educationist of India. He was one of the internationally renowned Indian historians who brought the society face to face with reality. Ram Sharan Sharma was counted among those who started the process of writing social and economic history by freeing ‘Indian History’ from dynastic narratives. In the year 1970, Professor R. was the Dean of the History Department of ‘Delhi University’. S. The department was extensively expanded during Sharma’s tenure. The credit for creation of most of the posts in the department is also given to the efforts of Professor Sharma.
Ram Sharan Sharma was born on 26 November 1919 in a poor family of Barauni Flag village in Begusarai district of Bihar (British India).[1] This area was known for rich agriculture as well as anti-feudal struggle under the leadership of ‘Communist Party of India’. People used to call it “Leningrad of Bihar”. The financial condition of his house was not good. Ram Sharan Sharma’s grandfather and father used to work at Barauni Dyodiwale. His father had to struggle a lot for his livelihood. The father had arranged for his son’s education till matriculation with great difficulty. Ram Sharan Sharma was a brilliant student from the beginning and due to his intelligence he continued to receive scholarships. He even took private tuition to support his education. He passed his matriculation examination in 1937 and joined ‘Patna College’. Here he studied for six years from intermediate to postgraduate classes and obtained M.A. in History in the year 1943. Received degree of_. Ram Sharan Sharma completed his PhD from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, under Professor Arthur Llewellyn Basham.
While teaching at ‘Patna University’, Ram Sharan Sharma wrote his first book ‘Introduction to World Literature’ in Hindi. Despite a new vision, this book was more of student use. He got recognition as a real traveler and historian when he took study leave from 1954-1956 to the ‘School of Oriental and African Studies’ in London and obtained a PhD degree from the University of London in 1956.[2] Well-known history writer Ram Sharan Sharma wrote more than a hundred books in fifteen languages. The ancient history books written by him have great importance in the higher education of the country. Sharma ji had mastery in looking at every contemporary event by connecting it with ancient history. By reading the book “History of Ancient India” written by Ramsharan Sharma, students prepare for prestigious examinations like ‘Union Public Service Commission’.
Ram Sharan Sharma was the first Indian historian who based his writings on the evidence obtained from archaeological research and tried to strengthen it as much as possible from Vedic and other ancient texts and linguistics. He received Nehru Fellowship in 1969. After becoming the head of the history department of ‘Patna University’, Ram Sharan Sharma worked as the dean of the history department of ‘Delhi University’ in the 1970s. He was a member of the ‘Indian Council of Historical Research’ from 1972 to 1977.[3] He was also the founding president of. Ram Sharan Sharma also taught at the University of Toronto. He was also a Senior Fellow at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, National Fellow of the University Grants Commission and President of the Indian History Congress in 1975.[4]
Ram Sharan Sharma made the field of history writing prosperous by making his invaluable contribution. His historical works hold an important place in high level competitive examinations. Following are some of the major works of Ram Sharan Sharma-
Major works of Ram Sharan Sharma
creation year
‘Differences between Aryan and Harappan cultures'[4]
‘Indian Feudalism’
‘Ancient History of Shudras’
‘Political ideas and institutions in ancient India
‘History of ancient cities of India’
‘Discovery of the Aryans’
‘Early Medieval Indian Society: A Study of Feudalization’
‘Communal History and Rama’s Ayodhya’
‘Role of World History'[1] 1951-52
‘Some Economical Aspects of the Caste System in Ancient India’ 1951
‘Role of Property and Caste in the Origin of the State in Ancient India’ 1951-52
‘Shudraja in Ancient India and Aspects of Ideas and Institution in Ancient India’ 1958
‘Aspects of Political Ideas and Institution in Ancient India’ 1959
‘Indian Feudalism’ 1965
‘Role of Iron in the Origin of Buddhism’ 1968
‘In favor of ancient India’ 1978
‘Material Culture and Social Formation in Ancient India’ 1983
‘Perspectives in Social and Economic History of Early India’ 1983
‘Urban Decay in India-300 AD to 1000 AD’ 1987
‘Communal History and Ram’s Ayodhya’ 1990-91
‘Report of historians in the name of the nation’ 1991
‘Looking for the Aryans’ 1995
‘Applied Sciences and Technology’ 1996
‘Advent of the Aryans in India’ 1999
‘Early Medieval Indian Society: A Study in Feudalization’ 2001
Ram Sharan Sharma was not a member of any political party, but study, contemplation and contemplation of Marxism was one of his main activities, the direct impact of which is visible in his writings. The writings on ‘Indian History’ include ‘Half Indian and Half Swedish’ published in 1940, ‘India Today’ by British Communist Party Secretary Rajni Pam Dutt, ‘An Introduction to the Study of Indian History’ by Damodar Dharmanand Kosambi in 1956 and In 1958, Ramsharan Sharma’s ‘Shudraja in Ancient India’ and ‘Aspects of Ideas and Books like ‘Institution in Ancient India’ and Irfan Habib’s 1965 book ‘The Agrarian System of Mughals’, which focused on the fanatical religiosity of Aurangzeb, are considered as a successful attempt to see ‘Indian history’ in the context of Marxist influence, which This is firmly established by Ramsharan Sharma’s book ‘Indian Feudalism’, published in 1965, that many historians Have to believe.[1]
Controversy
Ram Sharan Sharma’s work “Ancient India” was banned by the Janata Party government in 1978 for criticizing the historicity of Krishna and the events of the Mahabharata epic. He also wrote a lot on the Ayodhya dispute, which sparked debate across the country. He supported the inclusion of the 2002 Gujarat riots in the school curriculum, describing it as a ‘socially relevant topic’ to increase the understanding of the youth. It was his comment when the NCERT decided to include the Gujarat riots and the Ayodhya dispute along with the 1984 anti-Sikh riots in the Class 12 political science textbooks, arguing that these events had influenced the country’s post-independence era. Had influenced the political process.[4]
Ram Sharan Sharma came into limelight as soon as his research work ‘Shudraj in Ancient India’ was published. He wrote the history of the underprivileged at a time when the concept of ‘subaltern’ had not emerged. Apart from ‘Ancient History of Shudras’, he further wrote books like ‘Political Ideas and Institutions in Ancient India’, ‘Decline of Ancient Cities of India’ and ‘Material Progress and Social Structures in Ancient India’, in which new archaeological research was done. Its concept was expanded on the basis of. In 1964, he gave six lectures on ‘Indian Feudalism’ at ‘Calcutta University’, which were published in English under the name ‘Indian Feudalism’ in 1965. Then there was a lot of opposition to this book and one of his contemporary historians, Harbans Mukhiya, wrote that there was no kind of feudalism in India, the farmers here were independent from the beginning. After this, two camps of leftist historians were formed. Later subaltern historians made the position more clear. Professor Sharma also gave a befitting reply to his opponents in the book ‘Feudal Society and Culture of Early Medieval India’ published in 1996. This book was written in English, but was first published in Hindi. Just a year before that, his second book, ‘Discovery of Arya Culture’, written in original Hindi, had come out, in which he had dispelled the misconception that Aryans were originally Indians. In 1999, another book in the same series came out ‘Arrival of Aryans in India’.[2]
The doors of historian Ram Sharan Sharma’s house were always open for any inquisitive person and thirst for knowledge. He himself never missed any opportunity to meet people and talk to them. He used to go a little late even for a walk in the morning. Instead of a park or a deserted place, he would choose crowded streets, where he would keep walking and talking to people. When he returned from abroad, instead of stories of fun and outings, he used to talk about the people there. He was not a bookish person but an active historian, who was disturbed by incidents like Emergency, Babri Masjid demolition and massacres. Equipping the public with progressive consciousness was the main subject of his thinking. He was conscious of his social responsibilities and a diligent educationist. He clearly believed that only the academicians engaged in social reform work or activities to solve social problems are doing something for the society, otherwise what benefit would the society get from them.
awards and honors
The best ‘Campwell Memorial Gold Medal Award’ given to Bharat Shastris.
‘Hemchand Roy Choudhury Birth Centenary Gold Medal Award’ by Asiatic Society, Kolkata
‘D.Litt’ degree from ‘Higher Tibetan Research Institute’ and ‘Vardhman University’ of Sarnath
Gold Medal by Asiatic Society of Mumbai
Ram Sharan Sharma, who achieved fame as a historian and educationist, died on 20 August 2011 in Patna, Bihar. Many allegations were leveled against Sharma ji, including promoting historians with similar thinking, ignoring Vedic traditions, carrying out his writing work in English instead of Hindi, but no one can deny the fact that he was the great leader of India. He was one of those historians who taught historians to think in a new, logical and scientific way. It was also said that history does not just mean telling the story of the past. The act of history or history writing is not just the history of dynasties, wars and the Indian Empire. Historians should realize that the subject of history is also what are the lessons of history with the help of which today’s challenges can be faced with imagination and understanding.
