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Ayodhya: The Dark Night
As the trespassers walked towards the mosque, the muezzin […] jumped out of the darkness. Before the adversaries could discover his presence, he dashed straight towards Abhiram Das, the vairagi who was holding the idol in his hands and leading the group of intruders. […] The sadhu quickly freed himself and, together with his friends, retaliated fiercely. Heavy blows began raining from all directions. Soon, the muezzin realized that he was no match for the men and that he alone would not be able to stop them.
22 December 1949: A conspiracy that began with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi culminated in the execution of the Ayodhya strategy. Late that night, a little-known sadhu, Abhiram Das, and his followers entered the Babri Masjid and planted an idol of Rama inside it.
While it is known that the Hindu Mahasabha had a role in placing the idol in the mosque, the larger plot and the chain of events that led to that act have never been subject to rigorous scrutiny. Through intrepid research and investigation, Krishna Jha and Dhirendra K. Jha bring together the disparate threads of the buried narrative for the first time.
Through a series of first-hand interviews with eyewitnesses and the unearthing of archival material, the authors take us behind the scenes to examine the motivations and workings of the Mahasabha members who pulled the strings. They also examine the liaison between Mahasabhaites and Hindu traditionalists in the Congress – an association that Jawaharlal Nehru sought to break in his cautious battle with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the right-wing forces. Ayodhya: The Dark Night uncovers, in vivid detail, what really transpired on the fateful night that was to leave a permanent scar on the Indian polity.
22 December 1949: A conspiracy that began with the assassination of Mahatma Gandhi culminated in the execution of the Ayodhya strategy. Late that night, a little-known sadhu, Abhiram Das, and his followers entered the Babri Masjid and planted an idol of Rama inside it.
While it is known that the Hindu Mahasabha had a role in placing the idol in the mosque, the larger plot and the chain of events that led to that act have never been subject to rigorous scrutiny. Through intrepid research and investigation, Krishna Jha and Dhirendra K. Jha bring together the disparate threads of the buried narrative for the first time.
Through a series of first-hand interviews with eyewitnesses and the unearthing of archival material, the authors take us behind the scenes to examine the motivations and workings of the Mahasabha members who pulled the strings. They also examine the liaison between Mahasabhaites and Hindu traditionalists in the Congress – an association that Jawaharlal Nehru sought to break in his cautious battle with Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel and the right-wing forces. Ayodhya: The Dark Night uncovers, in vivid detail, what really transpired on the fateful night that was to leave a permanent scar on the Indian polity.
192 pages, Hardcover
First published December 3, 2012
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354 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
January 18, 2024
The Truth must have set me free. It didn't.
November 2, 2013
An amazing work of journalism. How a communal conspiracy hatched by militant hindu groups changed the course of history and politics in India. insightful. A must read for sure.
March 28, 2015
SUBJECT: 5/5
RESEARCH: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5
If I was to decide on 5 events that has influenced Modern day India, the “Babri Masjid demolition” would certainly feature on that list. On 6th December 1992, the structure was demolished by Karsevaks and this site has been under religious pressure since then. To millions of Hindus in India and elsewhere, this is a sacred site and they identify it with Lord Shri Ram. To the Muslims of Ayodhya this was a mosque where they once went for Namaaz. Keeping in view the religious sentiments of the people and the delicate secular fabric, the Allahabad High Court pronounced an order on 30th September 2010 dividing the Ayodhya land equally between Hindu Maha Sabha, Sunni Waqf Board & Nirmohi Akhara.
I had always believed that, indeed, idols of Lord Ram, Hanuman & Sita were found inside the Babri Masjid compound; that, indeed, it was an old Ram temple, destroyed by Mir Baki Khan, Babur’s General, to build the Babri Masjid. If you all too believe these facts, read “Ayodhya: The Dark Night”; it’ll make you think again. You will come face to face with such facts which you were never told about, never read in your History books and never knew they existed.
This book by Krishna Jha & Dhirendra K. Jha takes you to the night of 22nd December 1949. A single event that night – placing Ram idols in the Babri Masjid – has changed the course of Modern Indian History. The authors have done a very elaborate research and written about a huge conspiracy involving “people in power” of those times who had used the Ayodhya Sentiment for their own political gains. You will come across many famous names like Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel & Govind Ballabh Pant. You will learn about many unknown names like Abhiram Das, Gopal Visharad, Baba Raghav Das, Guru Datt Singh & Digvijay Nath.
The book explains in detail the events leading up to the night of 22nd December 1949. The lives of the people involved in the conspiracy has been extensively researched. The events have been described thoroughly using first-hand accounts, Newspaper recordings & Judicial archives. The events of that fateful night has been covered in extensive detail, including the story of the Maulvi who was in the mosque, the guard who was on night patrol, the events inside Babri Masjid once the conspirators were inside and the events of the following morning.
The book also explains in detail the events that followed. These facts will put all Indians, who believe ours’ is a secular state, to shame. The plight of Muslims in U.P in general and Ayodhya in particular made my heart ache. The authors write about a lone man, Akshay Brahmachari, and his fight against the Ayodhya conspiracy and to my utter surprise I realised that I had never heard about him before. It’s true that history is written by the winners, even today.
This book is a must read for all Indians who want to know the true events behind the Babri Masjid demolition and about other facts like,
“Who planted the Ram idol inside the Babri Masjid?”
“Who were the real conspirators?”
“What was the reason behind planting the idols?”
“The Akharas and their history“
RESEARCH: 4/5
WRITING STYLE: 3/5
ENTERTAINMENT QUOTIENT: 3/5
If I was to decide on 5 events that has influenced Modern day India, the “Babri Masjid demolition” would certainly feature on that list. On 6th December 1992, the structure was demolished by Karsevaks and this site has been under religious pressure since then. To millions of Hindus in India and elsewhere, this is a sacred site and they identify it with Lord Shri Ram. To the Muslims of Ayodhya this was a mosque where they once went for Namaaz. Keeping in view the religious sentiments of the people and the delicate secular fabric, the Allahabad High Court pronounced an order on 30th September 2010 dividing the Ayodhya land equally between Hindu Maha Sabha, Sunni Waqf Board & Nirmohi Akhara.
I had always believed that, indeed, idols of Lord Ram, Hanuman & Sita were found inside the Babri Masjid compound; that, indeed, it was an old Ram temple, destroyed by Mir Baki Khan, Babur’s General, to build the Babri Masjid. If you all too believe these facts, read “Ayodhya: The Dark Night”; it’ll make you think again. You will come face to face with such facts which you were never told about, never read in your History books and never knew they existed.
This book by Krishna Jha & Dhirendra K. Jha takes you to the night of 22nd December 1949. A single event that night – placing Ram idols in the Babri Masjid – has changed the course of Modern Indian History. The authors have done a very elaborate research and written about a huge conspiracy involving “people in power” of those times who had used the Ayodhya Sentiment for their own political gains. You will come across many famous names like Jawaharlal Nehru, Vallabhbhai Patel & Govind Ballabh Pant. You will learn about many unknown names like Abhiram Das, Gopal Visharad, Baba Raghav Das, Guru Datt Singh & Digvijay Nath.
The book explains in detail the events leading up to the night of 22nd December 1949. The lives of the people involved in the conspiracy has been extensively researched. The events have been described thoroughly using first-hand accounts, Newspaper recordings & Judicial archives. The events of that fateful night has been covered in extensive detail, including the story of the Maulvi who was in the mosque, the guard who was on night patrol, the events inside Babri Masjid once the conspirators were inside and the events of the following morning.
The book also explains in detail the events that followed. These facts will put all Indians, who believe ours’ is a secular state, to shame. The plight of Muslims in U.P in general and Ayodhya in particular made my heart ache. The authors write about a lone man, Akshay Brahmachari, and his fight against the Ayodhya conspiracy and to my utter surprise I realised that I had never heard about him before. It’s true that history is written by the winners, even today.
This book is a must read for all Indians who want to know the true events behind the Babri Masjid demolition and about other facts like,
“Who planted the Ram idol inside the Babri Masjid?”
“Who were the real conspirators?”
“What was the reason behind planting the idols?”
“The Akharas and their history“
October 27, 2019
Gives a good account of conflict within Congress that facilitated the process of vitiation of atmosphere that was the sole objective of right-wing Sangh family. One can the source of current (2019) hatred against Jawaharlal Nehru, the giant who stood against intolerance and bigotry, apart from Gandhi. However, Nehru get his share of blame for his lack of involvement during the early phase of Ayodhya crisis in 1949-50. This allowed the situation to aggravate.
The book is surprisingly silent about the reason for lack of resistance from Muslims. It is hard to digest that cleric just abandoned the mosque and ran away when Abhiram Das and his associates came to place Ram's on the night of 22 December 1949. Equally puzzling is the silence of Muslims in the subsequent period. Lack of research to answer these questions is the biggest weakness of this book.
The book is surprisingly silent about the reason for lack of resistance from Muslims. It is hard to digest that cleric just abandoned the mosque and ran away when Abhiram Das and his associates came to place Ram's on the night of 22 December 1949. Equally puzzling is the silence of Muslims in the subsequent period. Lack of research to answer these questions is the biggest weakness of this book.
February 1, 2024
Ayodhya land dispute is a controversial issue that has played a significant role in shaping the face of the modern day Indian society. Krishna Jha and Dhirendra Jha have pieced together the events of that ‘dark night’ - 22nd December 1949 - through first-hand interviews with surviving eye-witnesses and others associated with the protests that followed. They have laid out details from archival material, using first-hand accounts to unearth details of the events and conspiracies leading to the demolition of the Babri Masjid. The book is a good investigative work and also refers to the political environment in post independent India on secularism and religious leanings.
Most books that deal with real-life incidents tend to get too complicated with their writing. However, here, the authors have kept the language simple and let the narrative flow.
Most books that deal with real-life incidents tend to get too complicated with their writing. However, here, the authors have kept the language simple and let the narrative flow.
February 21, 2020
The murky happenings of the night that changed the future of Indian political history are brilliantly portrayed. However, at times it seems it is a historical text that aims at increasing its bulky content by walking down the memory lane rather aimlessly. Later however, the facts and the history have been brilliantly interlinked with a tone of mishap and non denial. Hinted at an event that now cannot be undone and consequences of which have been felt, it is elaborative and elucidates rather simply. Not a must read, but certainly a supplementary book to any history of Ayodha that you have read.
July 28, 2021
This is stirring book on how Ayodhya became the centre stage of Post Independent India's Political Conscious. It also shows the challenges that Mahatma Gandhi faced from the left and in this case the right for his idea of India. The role that the Hindu Mahasabha played in the installation of the idol through the different sects and akhadas in Ayodhya. How the different strands of socialism, centrist, and the right wing which operated under the Mahatma separated post Independence. This book is fascinating
February 14, 2023
- Amalgam of idiosyncratic theories.
- Poorly written book; the author is hopping from one topic to other with fallacious logics.
- The author stoop to slandering of people and getting into family background etc. It assumes that a person's personality can only be defined by its family background. A logic that is unfathomable.
- English is also substandard. If one is used to reading good quality articles such as in The Economist, s/he will find it just palatable. Sometimes I had to read again to connect the dots.
- Poorly written book; the author is hopping from one topic to other with fallacious logics.
- The author stoop to slandering of people and getting into family background etc. It assumes that a person's personality can only be defined by its family background. A logic that is unfathomable.
- English is also substandard. If one is used to reading good quality articles such as in The Economist, s/he will find it just palatable. Sometimes I had to read again to connect the dots.
September 20, 2023
Wish, we Indians read more and be curious. Though, it is understandable that the huge population is still below that threshold but sadly the educated populace also has little interest in reading, knowing, and analyzing the historical background and facts. The book is an excellent investigative work on this burning issue related to the Ayodhya town along with imparting the political currents in recent pre and post independent India about secularism and religious leanings.
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November 10, 2023Completed reading "#Ayodhya: The Dark Night" by #KrishnaJha & #DhirendraKJha!
Arguably the most authentic account of how the #RamJanmabhoomi controversy (which led to hate that engulfed generations) was manufactured by a small group of people led by a dubious civil servant.
Completed reading it on "December 22nd", the day when it all started, many decades ago!
Arguably the most authentic account of how the #RamJanmabhoomi controversy (which led to hate that engulfed generations) was manufactured by a small group of people led by a dubious civil servant.
Completed reading it on "December 22nd", the day when it all started, many decades ago!
August 7, 2017
Thanks for writing this book. It gives a good insight into the history of the issue and the then role players. From a politics and religion perspective, nothing has changed between then and now except for the characters. This is our past and present.
September 17, 2017
You will find everything that you want to know about the tragedy in this book. Amazing Research and nicely written.
September 26, 2018
very informative and a must read for anyone wanting to know the history of this dispute
November 30, 2020
For someone who was born into the 90s and later, this book could be an eye opener to the Ayodhya dispute - its background, why, when, how!
April 14, 2022
Painstakingly detailed - a little more than necessary.
January 9, 2023
Gives you a good understanding of the Ayodhya event that took in mid 20th century
February 4, 2024
A fairly detailed history of the not so often thought about motives behind the issue.
April 5, 2013
Very informative, empirical research and scholarly work. Though a slight bias against the Hindu Mahasabha and RSS is evident, and it seems the work is based on the assumption that every reader presumes these organisation to be representatives the extreme right; nonetheless, a highly commendable work. Not only does this book dwell on facts specific to the Babri Masjid issue, it also as a corollary discusses the national level politics of the time (1949-50), and has great assortment of letters and correspondences exchanged between Nehru, Patel and a few others, all of which makes for fascinating reading (Nehru representative of the idea of secularism, while a few other taking that as a policy of appeasement). Though this is a historical work, but the facts and scenarios are wholly applicable to current day politics of India. Recommended read.
May 10, 2013
If I was to decide on 5 events that has influenced Modern day India, the “Babri Masjid demolition” would certainly feature on that list. On 6th December 1992, the structure was demolished by Karsevaks and this site has been under religious pressure since then. To millions of Hindus in India and elsewhere, this is a sacred site and they identify it with Lord Shri Ram. To the Muslims of Ayodhya this was a mosque where they once went for Namaaz.
Full review here: Ayodhya The Dark Night Book Review
Full review here: Ayodhya The Dark Night Book Review
May 1, 2013
Concise and gives some clarity on how the politics of the United Provinces developed during and after Partition and gives a real view into the Hindu fundamentalism and the mindset and powers behind it. Describes the Ayodhya incident in a localized context, an angle that was much needed into what will go down as one of the most shameful episodes in the history of Modern India. It can get a bit heavy on the details of local politics but for anyone who wants to know how Nirmohi (without attachments) the Nirmohi Akhara really is ,this is an eye opener.
March 18, 2013
Decent work.
Although you could feel the prejudice in the words/narration, the collections of facts is what amazed me.
Never knew Ayodhya was in action back in 1949.
Good read if you are interested to understand/analyze history.
Although you could feel the prejudice in the words/narration, the collections of facts is what amazed me.
Never knew Ayodhya was in action back in 1949.
Good read if you are interested to understand/analyze history.
April 12, 2014
great story of how the babri masjid issue started. unnerving details of links to gandhi assassination. i never knew such nitty gritties and bavkground info to the ram janambhoomi/ babri masjid scandal. better than a conspiracy theory novel.....this is history.
read it!!!!!
read it!!!!!
September 17, 2018
Thanks for writing this book. It gives a good insight into the history of the issue and the then role players. From a politics and religion perspective, nothing has changed between then and now except for the characters. This is our past and present.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews