by KULSOOM GHIAS, HR AHMAD & Dr. MUBARAK ALI
My own experience in education ranges from primary and secondary school to college and university. In the early 1960s, education was not thought-provoking, but rather about the books and classes in the prescribed syllabus. This was extremely ineffective and lifeless.
Teachers would deliver rote-learned lessons and leave the students uninspired. Once a syllabus was set in colleges and universities, it was taught without any changes or additions. The books issued as part of the syllabus were also never changed, despite the fact that there could be several new books published on the subject. In college, we were taught political history, ignoring all socio-cultural nuances, thereby limiting our knowledge of history.
When I gained admission to University of Sindh, there were two history departments — Muslim History and General History. The common belief among students was that it was easier to get a degree in Muslim history. Therefore, the department had the most enrollment.
On the other hand, the syllabus for General History was considered difficult and students had to work harder to pass the exams. Rather than seeking knowledge, the students were more interested in receiving a degree. The syllabus for a Master’s degree (MA) in history was developed at the time the university was established, and there was subsequently no change in this curriculum.
There were two professors in our department. One was the head of the department, who was well-educated and had a strong grasp on the subject matter, which was reflected in his erudite lectures. In stark contrast, the second one had no interest in teaching and barely lectured for 15 minutes.
While studying for our MA, we were not taught anything about research methodologies to study history. There was no critical analysis of the books being published on Mughal history. Whatever we were taught about the Mughal empire was from books published before the partition of the Indian subcontinent in 1947.
Dr Mubarak Ali is a celebrated historian of the Subcontinent. He received his PhD in history from Ruhr University in Bochum, Germany, and has written hundreds of books, columns and scholarly articles on people’s history and the development of a humanistic society. In his memoir Shama Har Rang Mein Jalti Hai [The Flame Burns in All Colours] — published by Tarikh Publications in 2019 — he has doubled down on the importance of analysing history with rigour and providing a holistic educational environment for all in Pakistan. Eos presents translated excerpts from his Urdu memoirs…
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