인도-파키스탄 분리 독립에 관한 인도 역사교과서의 서술 특징 분석

Abstract

This article aims to analyze that the partition of India and Pakistan described in India’s history textbook Themes In Indian History Part Ⅲ for Grade 12 and how the Indian government tries to overcome challenges after the division through history education. The way of description on the partition in the textbook can be summarized into three points. First, the way Hindu and Muslim communities politicized and its process. These two communities have co-existed on the Indian subcontinent through conflicts, harmony, and cultural exchanges. Their religious identities were strengthened by a modern political system based on the British control policy, and those strong identities later grew into religious communalism. The history textbook also considers exclusive ethnic nationalism along with the growth as another influential factor for further conflict between the two sides. Second, phases of negotiations among National Congress, Muslim League, and the British to prepare independence and power transfer. The textbook describes that the political setting lies the process in which Muslim League reinforced its position as a sole spokesman for Muslims, and established a confrontational relationship with the Congress. The textbook puts emphasis on the League’s consistent attitude as high handed and unyielding during the significant stage of the negotiations. Additionally, it blames to the League the breakdown of the talks, violent situations which mainly took place in Calcutta and North India, and decision for the partition. In contrast, it narrates the National Congress in a more amicable manner, leaving out the fact that the Congress invited distrust from the League and adopted an uncompromising stand during the negotiations. As for the role and responsibility of the British rule, the textbook at the same time mentions the fact that Britain’s pragmatic policy and negotiation theory ultimately led to the partition. And, the textbook attributes the recurring bloodshed triggered by the partition to Britain’s inability and irresponsibility to control the situation where its involvement was called for. However, the textbook does not pose a question about Indian political leaders’ own failure to bring the situation under control. Third, organizing the history of partition with oral testimonies. Themes In Indian History Part Ⅲ embraces the partition experienced by ordinary people. When the bloodshed reached to its highest levels, the history textbook directs attention to power loss and abuse, and depicts occasions where women were forced to sacrifice themselves in conflict with the Indian traditional notions as a result of the division, shedding a new light on the women’s history again. The textbook avoids setting up the division from the perspective of conflicting religious communities using stories told by Hindus, Sikhs, and Muslims. Furthermore, one can discover that this history textbook tries to address all of them as important members of India while respecting their diversity in a humanitarian narrative. From the political point of view, the textbook holds the British and Muslim League’s self-righteous attitude accountable for the partition. With regard to non-political view, however, it can be said that the textbook forms the division’s history in an effort to consolidate all communities as members of the society and to respect their diversity at the same time.