Kolkata, Dec. 9 -- British scholars long dismissed India's civilisational narratives as "myth" while treating their own stories as historical fact, says celebrated author Amish Tripathi, hitting out at the double standard built into colonial scholarship.
Delivering a thought-provoking critique of colonial historiography at the curtain raiser of the 17th Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival, Tripathi explained that while the English term "myth" traces its roots to the Greek word mythos, meaning "a story that hides the philosophical truth", its usage in India has been shaped by the British Raj's hierarchical worldview.
But in the Indian language, he said, myth has often been confused with 'mithya' or falsehood, a confusion deepened during colo...