Yes, it is true that there was a time when Hindus and Buddhists and Jains fought against each other for religious and political supremacy. But there is a big difference between these fights and the Moghul destruction.
The Buddhist, Hindu and Jain fights were like the in-house fighting between brothers, a sibling rivalry at the coming of a new idea which seemed opposed to the native thought of the Vedas. They wrestled and embraced and then understood each other. It didn’t take long for them to accept and assimilate each other.
They stood together when India was invaded and since many things were common in these religions intermarriages and basic ground of culture remained intact. Though Buddhism could never take deep roots in India, Buddha’s teachings got accepted by many as part of the common Vedic lore.
Compare this to the Moghuls who came from outside, not only fought and destroyed temples but also the culture. They plundered, looted, raped, force converted and all other unspeakable things that would not even cross the mind of a Hindu or Buddhist. It is one thing to fight and conquer and in the heat of the moment destroy. It is quite another to defile brutally and with cruelty. The intent and the impact is the difference between killing in war and murder. Those who do not know the difference should read about the Moslem laws or have a first hand experience in Afghanistan and Syria.
Hindus and Buddhists and Jains have always allowed co-existence and its living proof is that there is today no exclusive Hindu kingdom. Compare it with the places where Moghuls went. The after effects of a war are as important as the immediate destruction of temples. The Moghuls tried to destroy the very soul of India. That they could not is a different story.
I don’t know why they don’t teach Moghul history. They should teach and teach it in full and not its sanitized version. Children have a right to know the truth and the full truth.
Affectionately,
Alok DA
