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Ayodhya dispute
Organizations

The Ayodhya debate is a political, historical and socio-religious debate that was most prevalent in the 1990s in India, centred around a plot of land in the city of Ayodhya. The main issues revolve around access to a site traditionally regarded as the birthplace of the Hindu God Rama, the history and location of the Babri Mosque at the site, and whether a previous Hindu temple was demolished or modified to create the mosque. The Babri Mosque was destroyed by hardline Hindu activists during a political rally which turned into a riot on December 6, 1992.

Religious background

At the centre of the debate is the status of the land known as Ram Janmabhumi, on which the original Babri Masjid was built.hello

Ram Janmabhumi

Main article: Ram Janmabhumi

Ayodhya is revered by devout Hindus as the traditional birthplace of the god Rama, legendary King of India and avatar of Vishnu. Hindu religious groups claim that a Ram temple was built at the site sometime during the 11th century, and was destroyed during the 16th century to build the Babri Masjid.

History of Babri Masjid

File:Babri rearview.jpg
A view of the Babri Mosque, pre-1992
Main article: Babri Masjid

When the Muslim emperor Babar came down from Farghana in 1527, he defeated the Hindu King of Chittorgarh, Rana Sangram Singh at Fatehpur Sikri, using cannon and artillery. After this victory, Babur took over the region, leaving his general, Mir Banki, in charge as Viceroy.

Mir Banki enforced Mughal rule over the population. Mir Banki came to Ayodhya in 1528 and built the Mosque. The main reason to build the Mosque in Ayodhya was because it served as a central point of India under the Mughal Empire. Later on the Mughal Empire shifted to Delhi.

Mir Banki after building the mosque named it after his master Babar.

Before the 1940s, the mosque was called Masjid-i Janmasthan ("mosque on birthplace") by Indian Muslims. The Babri Mosque was one of the largest mosques in Uttar Pradesh, a state in India with some 31 million Muslims.

Early historical surveys

In 1767, Jesuit priest Joseph Tieffenthaler records Hindus worshipping and celebrating Ramanavami at the site of the mosque. In 1788, Tiefffenthaler's French works are published in Paris, the first to suggest that the Babri Masjid was on the birthplace of SriRama, saying that "Emperor Aurangzeb got demolished the fortress called Ramkot, and erected on the same place a Mahometan temple with three cuppolas" reclaimed by Hindus through numerous wars after death of Aurangzeb in 1707 A.D like they earlier fortified it during Jahangir's rule as Ramkot.

During the 19th century, the Hindus in Ayodhya were recorded as continuing a tradition of worshiping SriRama on the Ramkot hill. According to British sources, Hindus and Muslims used to worship together in the Babri Mosque complex in the 19th century until about 1855. P. Carnegy wrote in 1870: "It is said that up to that time the Hindus and Mohamedans alike used to worship in the mosque temple."

Claims have been made that worship took place on a platform called the "Ram Chabutara" prior to Independence. According to British sources, Hindus and Muslims (who came from Faizabad) used to worship together in the Disputed Structure in the 19th century until about 1855. P. Carnegy wrote in 1870:

"It is said that up to that time, the Hindus and Mohamedans alike used to worship in the mosque-temple. Since the British rule a railing has been put up to prevent dispute, within which, in the mosque the Mohamedans pray, while outside the fence the Hindus have raised a platform on which they make their offerings."

This platform was outside the disputed structure but within its precincts.

In 1858, the Muazzin of the Babri mosque says in a petition to the British government that the courtyard had been used by Hindus for hundreds of years.

The Mahant Ram Case

In 1885, Mahant Raghubar Ram moved the courts for permission to erect a temple just outside the Babri Masjid premises. Despite validating the claim of the petitioner, the Faizabad District Judge dismissed the case citing the passage of time. On 18 March 1886, the judge passed an order in which he wrote:

I visited the land in dispute yesterday in the presence of all parties. I found that the Masjid built by Emperor Babar stands on the border of Ayodhya, that is to say, to the west and south it is clear of habitations. It is most unfortunate that a Masjid should have been built on land specially held sacred by the Hindus, but as that event occurred 356 years ago, it is too late now to agree with the grievances. (Court verdict by Col. F.E.A. Chamier, District Judge, Faizabad (1886)

Post-independance

There were several later mosques in Faizabad district in which pilgrim city of Ayodhya falls. But, Ayodhya has almost negligible Muslim population though there are substantial numbers of Muslims 7 km away at District Headquarters - Faizabad. The Babri Mosque at Ayodhya where Muslims never offered Namaz since 1947 independence became famous due to the importance of the disputed site where Hindus have been offering Pujas to Lord Ramlala from even before 1947 independence. Since, 1948, by Indian Government order, Muslims were not even permitted to be near anywhere closer than 200 yards away from the site; the main gate remained locked Hindu pilgrims were allowed to enter through a side door. Also, the 1989 Allahabad High Court order opened the locks of the main gate and restored the site for eternity to the Hindus. However, when Hindus wanted modifications of the dilapidated Islamic style structure built by General Mir Banki on orders of Mughal invader Babur from Uzbekistan (Farghana town) and did Shilanyas (inauguration) of a proposed new grand Temple with Government permissions, there were Muslim unrests in many parts of India and Government moved court. Since, then the matter is sub-judice and this political, historical and socio-religious debate over the history and location of the Babri Mosque, is known as the Ayodhya Debate. Recently on court orders Archeological Survey of India dug the spot and found a previous ancient temple that was demolished or modified to create the later Mosque under Babur.

References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reported that "SriRama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Mughal emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple". According to the Hindu view, the ancient temple could have been destroyed on the orders of Mughal emperor Babur. This view has been supported by findings of Archaeological Survey of India (ASI), which carried out an excavation in Ayodhya.

It was until about 1990 the standard view that an ancient Ram Janmabhoomi temple was demolished and replaced with the Babri Mosque. References such as the 1986 edition of the Encyclopædia Britannica reported that "SriRama’s birthplace is marked by a mosque, erected by the Mughal emperor Babar in 1528 on the site of an earlier temple".

Excavations

Archaeological excavations by the Archaeological Survey of India (ASI) in 1970, 1992 and 2003 in and around the disputed site have indicated a large Hindu complex existed on the site. In 2003, by the order of an Indian Court, The Archaeological Survey of India was asked to conduct a more indepth study and an excavation to ascertain the type of structure that was beneath the rubble. The summary of the ASI report indicated definite proof of a temple under the mosque. In the words of ASI researchers, they discovered "distinctive features associated with... temples of north India". The excavations yielded:

stone and decorated bricks as well as mutilated sculpture of a divine couple and carved architectural features, including foliage patterns, amalaka, kapotapali, doorjamb with semi-circular shrine pilaster, broke octagonal shaft of black schist pillar, lotus motif, circular shrine having pranjala (watershute) in the north and 50 pillar bases in association with a huge structure

However, there are some contradictory viewpoints, indicating that there may not have been a significant Hindu temple at the site. In his Communal History and SriRama's Ayodhya, Professor Ram Sharan Sharma writes, "Ayodhya seems to have emerged as a place of religious pilgrimage in medieval times. Although chapter 85 of the Vishnu Smriti lists as many as fifty-two places of pilgrimage, including towns, lakes, rivers, mountains, etc., it does not include Ayodhya in this list." Sharma also notes that Tulsidas, who wrote the Ramcharitmanas in 1574 at Ayodhya, does not mention it as a place of pilgrimage. This suggests that there was no significant Hindu temple at the site of the Babri Mosque. After the demolition of the mosque in 1992, Professor Ram Sharan Sharma along with Historians Suraj Bhan, M.Athar Ali and Dwijendra Narayan Jha wrote the Historian's report to the nation saying that the assumption that there was a temple at the disputed site was mistaken, and no valid reason to destroy the mosque.

The title cases

In 1950, Gopal Singh Visharad filed a title suit with the Allahabad High Court seeking injunction to offer 'puja' (worship) at the disputed site. A similar suit was filed shortly after but later withdrawn by Paramhans Das of Ayodhya. In 1959, the Nirmohi Akhara, a Hindu religious institution, filed a third title suit seeking direction to hand over the charge of the disputed site, claiming to be its custodian. A fourth suit was filed by the Muslim Central Board of Wakf for declaration and possession of the site. The Allahabad high court bench began hearing the case in 2002, which was completed in 2010. However, the bench withheld its verdict till September 24. After the Supreme Court dismissed a plea to defer the high court verdict, the high court set September 30, 2010 as the final date for pronouncing the judgement.

Hindu nationalism

The Ayodhya debate has grown along with a revival of Hindu Nationalism.

The issue of the disputed structure had remained inactive for four decades, until the mid-1980s. The Hindu Nationalist movement pressed for reclamation of three of its most holy sites which it claimed had suffered at the hands of Islam, at Ayodhya, Mathura and Varanasi. L K Advani, the leader of the BJP in his memoirs argued, "If Muslims are entitled to an Islamic atmosphere in Mecca, and if Christians are entitled to a Christian atmosphere in the Vatican, why is it wrong for the Hindus to expect a Hindu atmosphere in Ayodhya?"

The legal case continues regarding the title deed of the land tract which is a government controlled property. While the Muslim parties want the Babri Mosque to be reconstructed through a court order, the Hindu side wants a law in parliament to have a temple constructed, saying faith in the existence of Ram Janmabhoomi cannot be decided in a court of law.

The situation regarding the Ram Janmabhoomi has been compared to the Temple Mount controversies and claims in Israel by right wing blogger Daniel Pipes. In particular, Pipes writes:

Ayodhya prompts several thoughts relating to the Temple Mount. It shows that the Temple Mount dispute is far from unique. Moslems have habitually asserted the supremacy of Islam through architecture, building on top of the monuments of other faiths (as in Jerusalem and Ayodhya) or appropriating them (e.g. the Ka'ba in Mecca and the Hagia Sophia in Constantinople).

Nobel Laureate V. S. Naipaul has praised Hindu Nationalists for "reclaiming India's Hindu heritage". He further added that the destruction of Babri mosque was an act of historical balancing and the repatriation of the Ramjanmabhoomi was a "welcome sign that Hindu pride was re-asserting itself."

Demolition of Babri Masjid

Main article: Demolition of Babri Masjid

By the middle of the 20th century, Hindus in the area were claiming that the Mosque had not been used by Muslims since 1936, and they took over the 'unused' mosque in 1949. A movement was launched in 1984 by the Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP party) to reclaim the site for Hindus who want to erect a temple dedicated to the infant SriRama (Ramlala), at this spot.

On 6 December 1992 the structure was demolished by karsevaks, 150,000 strong, despite a commitment by the government to the Indian Supreme Court that the mosque would not be harmed. More than 2000 people were killed in the riots following the demolition. Riots broke out in many major Indian cities including Mumbai, Delhi and Hyderabad

On 16 December 1992, Liberhan Commission was set up by the Government of India to probe the circumstances that led to the demolition of Babri structure. It has been longest running commission in India's history with several extensions granted by various governments. Politicians like L.K.Advani and Murli Manohar Joshi were alleged to be influential in the demolition. On 23 November 2009 the Liberhan commission report was leaked to the media. The leaked report concluded that the demolition may have been planned by top leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party or All India Muslim League to terrorize the country .

Many Muslim organizations have continued to express outrage at the destruction of the disputed structure and carried out the 2005 Ram Janmabhoomi attack in Ayodhya along with strong opposition to building of the proposed new temple even threatening the Head of current Ram Temple (at same spot since 1992).

Timeline of the debate

  Year     Date   Event
1528 The Babri Masjid was built in Ayodhya in 1528. Hindu groups claim it was built after demolishing a temple.
1853 The first recorded communal clashes over the site date back to this year.
1859 The colonial British administration put a fence around the site, denominating separate areas of worship for Hindus and Muslims. And that is the way it stood for about 90 years.
1949 In December of that year, idols were put inside the mosque. Both sides to the dispute filed civil suits. The government locked the gates, saying the matter was sub-judice and declared the area “disputed”.
1984 The movement to build a temple at the site, which Hindus claimed was the birthplace of Lord Ram, gathered momentum when Hindu groups formed a committee to spearhead the construction of a temple at the Ramjanmabhoomi site.
1986 A district judge ordered the gates of the mosque to be opened after almost five decades and allowed Hindus to worship inside the “disputed structure.” A Babri Mosque Action Committee was formed as Muslims protested the move to allow Hindu prayers at the site.
1989 The clamour for building a Ram temple was growing. Fronted by organizations like the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, foundations of a temple were laid on land adjacent to the "disputed structure."
1990 The then BJP president Lal Krishna Advani took out a cross-country rathyatra to garner support for the move to build a Ram temple at the site. VHP volunteers partially damaged the Babri mosque. Prime Minister Chandrashekhar intervened and tried to negotiate with the various groups. But talks failed.
1991 Riding high on the success of Advani's rathyatra, the BJP became India's primary opposition party in Parliament and came to power in Uttar Pradesh.
1991 The movement for building a temple gathered further momentum with Karsevaks or Hindu volunteers pouring into Ayodhya. Bricks were sent from across India.
1992 December 6 The Babri mosque was demolished by Karsevaks. Communal riots across India followed.
1992 December 16 Ten days after the demolition, the Congress government at the Centre, headed by PV Narasimha Rao, set up a commission of inquiry under Justice Liberhan.
1993 Three months after being constituted, the Liberhan Commission began investigations into who and what led to the demolition of the Barbri mosque.
2001 Tensions rose on the anniversary of the demolition of the mosque as the VHP reaffirmed its resolve to build a temple at the site.
2002 February 27 At least 58 people were killed in Godhra, Gujarat, in an attack on a train believed to be carrying Hindu volunteers from Ayodhya. Riots followed in the state and over 1000 people were reported to have died in these.
2003 The court ordered a survey to find out whether a temple to Lord Ram existed on the site. In August, the survey presented evidence of a temple under the mosque. But Muslim groups disputed the findings.
2003 September A court ruled that seven Hindu leaders, including some prominent BJP leaders, should stand trial for inciting the destruction of the Babri Mosque.
2004 November An Uttar Pradesh court ruled that an earlier order which exonerated LK Advani for his role in the destruction of the mosque should be reviewed.
2007 The Supreme Court refused to admit a review petition on the Ayodhya dispute.
2009 The Liberhan Commission, which was instituted ten days after the demolition of the Barbri mosque in 1992, submitted its report on June 30 - almost 17 years after it began its inquiry. Its contents were not made public.
2010 The Allahabad High Court to pronounce its verdict on four title suits relating to the Ayodhya dispute on September 30, 2010

Read more: SC defers hearing on Ayodhya plea - The Times of India http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/SC-defers-hearing-on-Ayodhya-plea/articleshow/6602545.cms#ixzz10tfdAnmV

The petitioner, Ramesh Chandra Tripathi, then approached the Supreme Court, which stayed the High Court verdict on Friday. The two judges who heard the case differed, resulting in the Chief Justice stepping in.

See also

References

  1. IANS. "Ayodhya dispute: claims and counter-claims". Thaindian News. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  2. ^ Sayyid Shahabuddin Abdur Rahman, Babri Masjid, 3rd print, Azamgarh: Darul Musannifin Shibli Academy, 1987, pp. 29-30.
  3. "Indian Census". Censusindia.gov.in. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  4. P. Carnegy: A Historical Sketch of Tehsil Fyzabad, Lucknow 1870, cited by Harsh Narain The Ayodhya Temple Mosque Dispute: Focus on Muslim Sources, 1993, New Delhi, Penman Publications. ISBN 81-85504-16-4 p.8-9, and by Peter Van der Veer Religious Nationalism, p.153
  5. Gumaste, Vivek (September 17, 2010). "Can court verdict resolve Ayodhya dispute?". Rediff News. Retrieved 28 September 2010.
  6. "Anatomy of a confrontation: the rise ... - Google Books". Books.google.co.uk. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  7. "Census of India, Govt. of India - Ministry of Home Affairs, Official web-site | We also count people in India". Censusindia.net. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  8. "Proof of temple found at Ayodhya: ASI report". Rediff.com. 2003-08-25. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  9. 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1986, entry "Ayodhya", Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
  10. "Evidence of temple found: ASI". 25 August 2003.
  11. 15th edition of the Encyclopaedia Britannica, 1986, entry "Ayodhya," Chicago: Encyclopedia Britannica Inc.
  12. Ancient Temple Found Beneath Disputed Mosque About - August 25, 2003
  13. Ratnagar, Shereen (2004) "CA Forum on Anthropology in Public: Archaeology at the Heart of a Political Confrontation: The Case of Ayodhya" Current Anthropology 45(2): pp. 239-259, p. 239
  14. Prasannan, R. (7 September 2003) "Ayodhya: Layers of truth" The Week (India), from Web Archive
  15. Suryamurthy, R. (August 2003) "ASI findings may not resolve title dispute" The Tribune - August 26, 2003
  16. ^ Sikand, Yoginder (2006-08-05). "Ayodhya's Forgotten Muslim Past". Counter Currents. Retrieved 2008-01-12.
  17. Ali (preface by Irfan Habib), M.Athar (2008). Mughal India. New Delhi, India: Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0195696615. {{cite book}}: Check date values in: |year= (help)CS1 maint: year (link)
  18. Das, Anil (September 28, 2010). "Chronolgy of Ayodhya's Ram Janambhoomi-Babri Masjid title suit issue". International Business Times. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  19. Muralidharan, Sukumar (April 12, 2002). "Temple Interrupted". Frontline. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  20. PTI (Sep 28, 2010). "Time-line of Ayodhya dispute and slew of legal suits". DNA India. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  21. ^ Venkatesan, J. (September 28, 2010). "Ayodhya verdict tomorrow". The Hindu. Retrieved 29 September 2010.
  22. "India Seeks Harmony Amid Diversity". The Christian Science Monitor. 1993-02-03. Retrieved 2009-05-07.
  23. Obeying court orders only course open: Muslim board, Times of India
  24. Lessons for Ayodhya from Lahore gurdwara, Times of India
  25. Pipes, Daniel (2001-01-17). "The Temple Mount's Indian counterpart". Jerusalem Post. Retrieved 2009-05-07.. See also Hassner, Ron E., War on Sacred Grounds. 2009. Ithaca: Cornell University Press. pp.76-78
  26. Naipaul, V.S, Beyond belief: Islamic Excursions Among the Converted Peoples,Vintage Books,1998
  27. "outlookindia.com". outlookindia.com. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  28. Naipaul V.S. a million Mutinies now, Penguin 1992
  29. Babri mosque demolition case hearing today Yahoo News - September 18, 2007
  30. Tearing down the Babri Masjid - Eye Witness BBC's Mark Tully BBC - Thursday, 5 December 2002, 19:05 GMT
  31. "Babri Masjid demolition was planned 10 months in advance - PTI". Newindpress.com. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  32. Six more months for Liberhan Commission The Hindu - March 12, 2004
  33. John Pike. "Report Blaming Hindu Nationalist Leaders for Role in 1992 Destruction of Mosque Rocks Indian Parliament". Globalsecurity.org. Retrieved 2010-09-26.
  34. PTI, Nov 22, 2007, 06.53pm IST (2007-11-22). "Ram Janambhumi trust chief threatened - The Times of India". Timesofindia.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 2010-09-26.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link) CS1 maint: numeric names: authors list (link)

Mahavir Mandir, Patna has published an e book on Ayodhya debate written by Acharya Kishore Kunal available on http;//www.mahavirmandirpatna.org/prakashan/ebook/bookindex.html.

Further reading

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