RS Sharma

Professor Ram Sharan Sharma was a fighter all through — he fought against petty caste politics in the university system and outside and he fought against revivalism and obscurantism in the historical establishment of the country.

His rationalist approach to the past and present is reflected in all his writings. The study of the Shudras, which forms the theme of his doctoral thesis, is a path-breaking work and the first study of its kind — the modern day subaltern historians will be well advised to take lessons from it. His work on the material culture and social formations highlights the interrelation between the growth of productive forces and the social, economic and cultural change that took place in early India. His seminal writings on early Indian feudalism bring into focus the changing patterns of land ownership, the growth of agrestic labour, and the nature and mechanism of exploitation of peasants in early medieval times.

His researches on the Aryan problem argue forcefully and convincingly against the xenophobes who treat Aryans as original inhabitants of India and push back the antiquity of the Vedic texts to the Harappan period. In all his writings one can see a scholar with unquestionable command over the sources committed to rationality and to the values of egalitarianism and secularism, and a man of compassion whose heart was always bleeding for the poor and the downtrodden.

A crusader, he was in the forefront to lead us in the battle against revivalism and obscurantism. Whether the issue was the controversy about NCERT textbooks or the imaginary temple at Ayodhya, R.S. Sharma was always our friend, philosopher and guide.

Professor Sharma was ailing for quite some time and was mostly confined to bed for several years. But he continued his academic activity all through — his latest work came out in early 2011. He fought against death till the end and when I heard of this great fighter’s demise yesterday at the age of 91, I could imagine the brave fight he must have put against death. I was reminded of the famous lines of Dylan Thomas:

Do not go gentle into that good night,
Old age should burn and rave at close of day;
Rage, rage against the dying of the light.

I have always drawn inspiration from Professor Sharma ever since I first met him 1957 to pursue my postgraduate studies in history at Patna after graduating from Presidency College, Calcutta. I am very proud of my association with this great man.