“Civilisation is not frozen in time. The narrative that we Indians have not borrowed any thing from other cultures and civilisations is absolutely false. The historical fact is that various assimilations of food, clothing, knowledge, architecture and cultures have enriched our own culture,” argues Delhi-based historian, Sohail Hashmi in a conversation with Pervaiz Alam.
Sohail Hashmi is known for conducting heritage walks in Delhi and around. During one of his heritage walks in Tughlakabad, Delhi, he spoke about ‘Hindostan Ki Kahani’ – a series of short films- he has been presenting in the digital space.
Discussing his series, Sohali Hashmi says, “A debate is raging in India about who is an Indian and who is not. What constitutes Indian food, language, music, Hindu architecture and Muslims architecture. The ongoing debate is political in nature with an aim to create divisions among people, and has no scholarly or academic basis. However, my series looks at this debate with a historical and academic perspective.
‘Hindostan Ki Kahani’ is available on Anhad Media’s Youtube page.
The interview with Sohail Hashmi was recorded on 30 January, 2019, in New Delhi.
Camera: Sajid Raza Khan
Editing and Online Production: Dhyan Akshat
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