Shaan Kashyap - Who Owns the Past? (Book Review)

When we launched Āyām-e-Itihās — Exploring the Many Pasts, we set out with a simple belief: history is far larger than the boundaries we often impose upon it. Our inaugural lecture with Dr. Kurush Dalal asked a provocative question: “Is there more new ‘history’ to be studied?” In doing so, it challenged us to rethink where history resides and how new knowledge emerges. Our second lecture with Dr. Lalit Gupta took us into the sacred landscapes of the Jammu Shivaliks, where springs, shrines, memory, ecology, and faith came together to reveal histories embedded within the natural world itself. The third lecture, delivered by Dr. Kashmira Mehta, reminded us that history is not only excavated or documented—it is also narrated, sung, performed, and remembered. Through the folk tales of Kachchh, we encountered living archives that preserve community memory, identity, values, and cultural experience across generations. As our journey continues, Āyām-e-Itihās now takes a slightly different turn. This time, we explore not a site, a landscape, or a folk tradition, but a question that lies at the heart of historical practice itself: Who owns the past? Who decides what is remembered and what is forgotten? How have historians, institutions, ideologies, and public debates shaped our understanding of India's past? And what happens when competing interpretations claim ownership over history? Join us for a discussion on Shaan Kashyap's acclaimed book, Who Owns the Past? How Historians [re]Wrote India's Past & Present, 1870–2020 — a work that examines the making, remaking, and contestation of historical narratives in modern India. As we continue exploring the many dimensions of history, this session invites us to turn our gaze towards the discipline itself—to reflect not only on the past, but also on how the past is written. We look forward to having you with us. MM