History Through the eyes of Imagination

Historians may find their way through old palaces and intricate monuments with more clarity than someone who has taken their history for granted. For an oblivious commoner on a short vacation, it is merely about sightseeing. Seeing; not observing. We find the need to maximize our time on vacation by going to all the important places and taking pictures we will probably never look at again. But when this commoner decides to take a break from this busy ritual that gives his camera utmost importance and gets a closer look at the marvels of history that stand before him with his own eyes and mind, he finds himself staring at even a carving for a few extra seconds. The lingering image of the intricate carving sparks up his curiosity. What could have possibly happened centuries ago when the building was first newly constructed? The palaces, the holy structures, the baths, the lakes… these were functional constructions a long time ago! Kings, queens, slaves, and warriors utilized these stone-carved structures every day and today, we pay for a planned vacation just to visit these places. That thought might seem like it is underestimating the importance of a historical site, only for a fraction of a second until it hits you. These people were extraordinary! Century-old stories carved on marble and hard stone. Forts strong enough to last millennium, and even then they were invaders. One king, greater than the other. Each ritual was grand. Slaves exploited to ensure someone of more importance led a comfortable life. A legacy of an empire continued. Sacrifice and dedication to their work. It doesn’t end there. In a country like India where more than five thousand kings once ruled, the variation in architecture throughout the country is brilliant!

Unless the oblivious commoner has a tour guide (I don’t prefer it), the question of what happened back then is answered by his ability to assume. An assumption is a powerful tool of delusion. Everything seems real, everything seems to make sense the minute we try to assume something. I think imagination fuels assumption… walking into an archeological site, I always have vivid scenarios running in my head. A dark, stormy night and soldiers running to the battlefield, or women in the Mozaic darbars, dancing with heavy ornaments and silk cloths or a queen enjoying herself by a lotus pond. What could have happened in these halls? why is this pillar broken? Imagination tries to answer all these questions. It makes you wish you could go back in time to witness these events that were so great. This is the obscurity historians find easy to traverse over, I believe their knowledge of the place is immense, it is almost like as if they have already witnessed the century-old events. This perhaps allows them to appreciate our ancestors and their work that went down in history.

Centuries later, what will the future generations remember us by? What will they find fascinating about us? I wonder if I will ever know.