Profiles in deception: Ayodhya and the Dead Sea Scrolls [Jan 01, 2000] Rajaram, Navaratna Srinivasa

by Navaratna Srinivasa Rajaram

316About the BookThe present book began as a work on the Ayodhya dispute. Upon examining the historical record, and the behavior pattern of the participants, we find that there are really two Ayodhya the first, about the right of possession to the sacred site known as Rarna-Janmabhumi; the second, about the historicity of the temple itself, whether it ever existed at all. The real conflict over Ayodhya is, therefore, over conflicting versions of history-one national and rooted in the soil, the other a mix of alien and imperialist ideologies controlled by an elite seeking to perpetuate itself. This is what the Ayodhya dispute is really about- not any destruction of a dilapidated mosque used by no one. All the hue and cry over the Ayodhya demolition is a diversion-a smokescreen to conceal the real agenda of this interest group. Deception has been its currency.This book is about deception used as part of ideology

294 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2000

About the author

Navaratna Srinivasa Rajaram (born 1943 in Mysore) is an Indian mathematician, notable for his publications with the Voice of India publishing house focusing on the "Indigenous Aryans" controversy in Indian politics, in some instances in co-authorship with David Frawley. He is also a member of Folks Magazine's Editorial Board since 2009.

Professional career

Rajaram holds a Ph.D. degree in mathematics from Indiana University, and has published papers on statistics in the 1970s and on artificial intelligence and in the 1980s.
Indian history

Rajaram has published on topics related to ancient Indian history and Indian archaeology, alleging Eurocentric bias in Indology and Sanskrit scholarship, arguing within the "Indigenous Aryans" ideology instead.

He has criticized the process by which, he says, Eurocentric 19th century "Indologists / missionaries" arrived at many of their conclusions. Rajaram questions how it was possible for 19th century European evangelical "Indologists / missionaries" to study and develop hypotheses on Indian history, claiming many of them were "functionally illiterate" in Indian languages, including even the fundamental classical language, Sanskrit, he suggests that:

"Ancient Indian history is ripe for a thorough revision…. one can begin by clearing away the cobwebs cast by questionable linguistic theories, … using every available modern tool from archaeology to computer science."

Rajaram has also published on historical Indian mathematics found in the Sulbasutras and the Vedas.