I think the Supreme Court's bowing to majoritarian pressure on Ayodhya underscores more than ever the need to have broad, critical understandings of India's medieval history.
I'd like to contribute to the discourse with a bunch of photo essay-ish toots about the evolution of the myriad meanings of temples and idols - in particular, their meanings in warfare. What should I start with?
I dont mean to be dismissive just critically curious. What exactly is the subject of this discourse?
Are you highlighting facts that desecration/modification of places of worship was a commin feature of warfare during medieval India?
That it wasn’t a totally religious form of domination but simply a sort of signature left by the ruler, irrespective of the religion.
Is that the aim?
@AKanisetti
I have been suspended once on mastadon for critiquing fellow thinkers too much.
Had to create a new account altogether.
So no I am afraid to openly critique on Mastadon.
@Full_marx Woah! Wtf. Still new to all this so didn't know that was a thing. Please do engage in whatever way works for you though.
@Full_marx yes! Basically that. The idea is to indicate just how prevalent it was and how the "desecration" of a temple didn't mean the same to medieval people as it does to modern religious nationalists.
(Also please feel free to critique, I'm always happy to learn and be more critical in my approach to this? )