Relevance: GS-1 (Art & Culture, Modern Indian History) |  Source: The Indian Express

1. What is the Core Issue?

India recently celebrated the 75th anniversary of the rebuilding of the Somnath Temple. While we see it as a symbol of our national spirit today, an administrator must also study its past. Specifically, in 1842, the British government tried to misuse the temple’s history to divide Hindus and Muslims for their own political gain.

2. Basic Facts about Somnath

• Location: Prabhas Patan, Gujarat (on the western coast).
• Cultural Importance: It is highly sacred. It is the first of the twelve Jyotirlingas (shrines of Lord Shiva). It is also the holy land where Lord Krishna took his last journey.
• The Plunder (1026 CE): Because of its huge wealth, it was attacked many times. The most famous attack was by the foreign invader Mahmud of Ghazni, who looted the temple and broke the idol.

3. The 1842 British Lie: The “Fake” Gates

The British tried to play politics with this history.

• The Background: The British army suffered a terrible and shameful defeat in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842).
• The Cover-Up: To hide this military failure, Governor-General Lord Ellenborough brought some wooden gates from Mahmud’s tomb in Afghanistan back to India.
• The False Announcement: He proudly announced to Indians that the “insult of 800 years is avenged.” He claimed these were the original sandalwood gates of Somnath that Ghazni had stolen.
• The Truth: Later archaeological studies proved he lied. The gates were fake. They were made of local Afghan Deodar wood (not Indian sandalwood) and had Islamic carvings on them.

4. Why did the British do this? (Divide and Rule)

For a UPSC student, understanding the administrative motive behind this lie is very important:

• Distracting the Public: The British wanted a fake “victory trophy” to distract people from the heavy loss of British soldiers in the Afghan war.
• Creating Communal Tension: By framing this as a “Hindu revenge against a Muslim invader,” the British deliberately tried to make the two communities fight. This is a classic example of the “Divide and Rule” policy.
• The Backlash: This was such bad governance that even the British Parliament in London criticized Lord Ellenborough for his cheap and undignified politics.

5. India’s Response after Independence (Secular Governance)

After 1947, Indian leaders handled the Somnath issue very differently. They used it to unite the country, not divide it.

• The Leaders: Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel took the lead to rebuild the temple, with help from K.M. Munshi.
• Secular Statecraft: Mahatma Gandhi gave a very important piece of administrative advice: the government should not pay for the temple. To protect India’s secular values, the temple was built entirely using public donations.
• The Message: In 1951, India’s first President, Dr. Rajendra Prasad, inaugurated the new temple. He gave a humanistic message: the power of creation is always stronger than the power of destruction.
• Architecture: The new temple is built in the grand Māru-Gurjara style, famous for its tall spires (Shikharas) and beautiful stone carvings.

UPSC Value Box

• Colonial Statecraft: The tricky methods and policies used by the British to control India.
• Secularism: The principle that the government will treat all religions equally and will not favor any one religion using state money.
• Māru-Gurjara Architecture: A traditional style of temple building from western India (Gujarat and Rajasthan).

With reference to the Somnath Temple and modern Indian history, consider the following statements:

1. The Māru-Gurjara architectural style is characterized by intricate carvings and grand Shikharas.
2. Lord Ellenborough’s 1842 proclamation regarding the “Gates of Somnath” was based on verified archaeological findings.
3. Following Mahatma Gandhi’s advice, the post-independence restoration of the temple was funded through public contributions rather than the state treasury.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 and 2 only

(b) 2 and 3 only

(c) 1 and 3 only

(d) 1, 2 and 3

Correct Answer: (c)