Annigeri skulls and skeletons, found in August 2010: Different misinterpretations made initially are used even today to beat Rajaraja and Rajendra! [2]

Annigeri skulls and skeletons, found in August 2010: Different misinterpretations made initially are used even today to beat Rajaraja and Rajendra! [2]

Photo courtesy: Dr Ashith Acharya

 

August 2012 – US-based Beta lab-tested tat the skulls were 180- year-old: The second report, submitted in November 2011, was prepared by the private Beta Analytic Laboratory in Miami, US, and used a small 10g bone sample sent by the Dharwad authorities. Their carbon dating methodology has indicated that the skulls are about 180-200 years old, and bear no signs of violence, placing them somewhere around 1810-1830. The C-14 report from Beta Analytic, Florida, a radiocarbon dating laboratory, confirmed the skulls were just 180 years old[1]. Thus, the mystery of 610 human skulls that were found a couple of years ago near Annigeri town in Navalgund taluk, Dharwad district, was solved[2]. According to the experts they belong to victims of a famine that had hit the region in 1790. Even the gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency has a mention of this severe drought which is known as the ‘Daugi Bara’ (skull drought) and hit the region from 1792 to 1796. The drought was so severe that a large number of people left the area in search of food and water and most of who remained died due to starvation. Wild animals fed on these carcasses leaving the bones and skulls. It may be recalled that according to the C-14 ‘carbon dating’ test conducted by US-based Beta lab, the skulls were 180- year-old[3]. Department of Archeology and Museum Director R Gopal told Express that based on reports submitted by US lab and forensic experts of Department of Forensic Odontology and SDM College it has been concluded that the skulls belonged to the famine victims.  SDM College’s report said that the skull belonged to men and women aged between 6 and 60 years. The people who had returned to their native after a few years following the famine mobilised the remains there and performed mass burial of skulls in one place and other bones at the other. They placed the skull beside a water body and buried them to show respect to their loved one. “Taking into account all the research results we have come to a definite conclusion that the victims were of a famine. The death was not the result of any battle as none had taken place. No further test would be conducted. A  report on this will be submitted to the government in the first week of next month,” he added.

C-14 date tallies with the gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency: Carbon dating analysis done in a laboratory in the United States of America revealed that the remains were likely to be 180 years old. The conclusion by the dentists that the remains comprised a heterogeneous mix of males and females, and children and adults helped dispel certain theories and contributed to the authorities’ conclusion that the skeletal specimens were most likely of victims of a famine from 1792 to 1796, as was also recorded by the gazetteer of the Bombay Presidency. In fact, the Archaeology Department acknowledged that the conclusion was arrived at based on the carbon dating analysis and the report submitted by the Department of Forensic Odontology in Dharwad — just one of the many examples and applications of teeth in solving ages-old and present-day mysteries[4]. Prof Emeritus of University of Mysore M S Krishnamurthy, who led the excavation work, clarified that the skulls found at Annigeri were not, therefore, that of victims of black magic. Directorate of Archaeology and Museums Director R Gopal said hundreds of people may have been beheaded in a massacre, and later buried in a systematic manner. “There is also a possibility that the skulls were brought from elsewhere, which is strengthened by the missing body parts,” he said. As for as Karnataka is concerned, the issue is settled. Whereas, in Tamilnadu, it is raked up.

The controversial scholars tried to politicize: The dual dates had led to a verbal feud between scholars, which has the potential to be socially and politically damaging[5]. A set of scholars led by the eminent researcher, critic and former vice-chancellor of Hampi Kannada University M.M. Kalburgi, was of the opinion that the skulls were of a sect of Shiva followers called Veera Maheshwaras who, he said, were the predecessors of a sub-sect of Karnataka’s single largest community, the Lingayats[6]. “These Veera Maheshwaras are the predecessors of the Veera Shaiva cult, who later got amalgamated into the Lingayat community. The Lingayat philosophy is based on ahimsa and is anti-temple, but the Veera Maheshwaras and Veera Shaivas were a brutal people who believed in idols, rituals and temples,” Kalburgi, himself a Lingayat, told India Today. Kalburgi’s theory has its roots in the Jaina-Shaiva battles in the region in the 14^th century. He claims the poetry, picture-sculptures and rock inscriptions of the period back his theory. According to him, the Veera Maheshwaras had a ritual of destroying Jain temples and killing thousands of Jains before beheading themselves as an offering to Shiva. The theory has angered many Lingayats who resent being portrayed as having links with such a brutal sect. Their objection has found an outlet with the second report putting the age of the skulls at 200 years. The state’s archaeological department was also keen on accepting the second report as the Bombay Gazetteer mentions a drought in the region 200 years ago which caused large-scale deaths. “Kalburgi is wrong. Those skulls are 200 years old and a drought caused all those deaths,” says litterateur and researcher M. Chidananda Murthy, who is also a Lingayat. The Dharwad district administration was in a fix as the Lingayat community is the largest in the region. Deputy Commissioner Darpan Jain sent samples to Miami for re-testing, in the hope of establishing the precise age of the skulls. Of course, the date of the skulls was 180-200 years old.

The involved experts, archaeologists, historians and others: After reading all reports, it is found that the following experts have played role in the issue. They had called for “Press conference” and briefed the details regularly. They were also having contacts with the local newspapers.

1. Shreya, a professor of archaeology in Karnataka University
2. Shetty, a retired geologist.
3. Darpan Jain, Deputy Commissioner of Dharwad
4. Gopal, Director of the Department of Archaeology and Museums
5. S. Krishnamurthy, historian
6. Prof D P Mohapatra, Institute of Physics (IoP) Bhubaneswar
7. Prof R M Shadaksharaiah, Karnataka University, Dharwad.
8. Prof M M Kalburgi, Karnataka University, Dharwad.
9. Associate Prof J M Nagaiah, Karnataka University, Dharwad.
10. Forensic experts of the Department of Forensic Odontology and SDM College
11. Beta Analytic Inc, a private lab located in Miami, Florida, USA.

During the 2010-2012 period, they started giving an opinion to the press and the dailies also printed such varied views of them with catching headlines. And all these were going on before sending the samples for testing the date. Even after getting the details, initially, from the Institute of Physics, Bhubaneswar, they continued to blow up the hypotheses of black magic, human sacrifice, tantric practices, Saivas killing Jains etc. After getting the date from the Beta Analytics only, the issue was settled down.

The Role of media: As noted already, the involved persons, were briefing to the press by conducting press conference / meet. The dailies carried on the views of the scholars, Kannda language experts, archaeologists, historians and ASI officials and presenting them as news. The reporters and editors involved might be known to each other or as usual, they were mutually interested in each other. Had they been unbiased and truly secular, the communal and sectarian interpretations would not have been aired and getting printed in the newspapers. However, as they have vested interests for politicization etc., the news have been still biased, prejudiced and manipulated. And the Indian historiography has also been in the same way getting affected.

The double-standards of the enthusiastic and biased researchers: Why the misinterpretation of J.M. Nagaiah was happily carried on by the pro-Tamil enthusiastic propagandists and anti-Chola / Rajaraja-Rajendra lobby to assert that Rajendra killed so many people of the Chalukyadesa and so on. Generally, they do not bother the subsequent data and information of research, reports etc., but, just stick to their agenda. Thus, they circulated such stuff through internet yahoo groups, blogging, discourses and so on. The pro-Tamil enthusiastic propagandists have now taken the “dead news”  and started producing very dangerous fake narratives in the social media. Unfortunately, the persons appear to have links with each other and promoting others, working together from non-Indian countries and sources. One person just sows such narrative and other experts, historians, archaeologists and others started commenting, sharing and spreading such stuff with their valuable and faithful additions. If they want to claim the glory of architecture etc., they take “Big Temple,” when, other stances come, they accuse Rajaraja of his promotion of “Parappaniyam,” killing of Jains by Rajendra and so on. Again, when the question of maritime trade, oversea expedition and the influence of the Tamils, they take Rajendra!  As even today (01-05-2020), I find some people have engaged in circulating the old stuff based on J.M. Nagaiah, I have to go through all the available material and write this to blog. Hope this would clarify the position and they change themselves with the subsequent data and information. It may be noted that the Beta Analytics only dated the samples of Keeladi / Kizhadi.

© K. V. Ramakrishna Rao

01-05-2020

[1] Times of India, ‘Annigeri skulls belonged to 18th century victims, TNN | Updated: Aug 21, 2012, 15:20 IST.

[2] https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/hubballi/Annigeri-skulls-belonged-to-18th-century-famine-victims/articleshow/15584767.cms

[3] Indian Express, Nature’s wrath: Mystery of Annigeri human skulls solved, Published: 20th August 2012 08:39 AM | Last Updated: 20th August 2012 08:39 AM

https://www.newindianexpress.com/states/karnataka/2012/aug/20/natures-wrath-mystery-of-annigeri-human-skulls-solved–398568.html

[4] http://ashithacharya.com/cases

[5] India Today, Annigeri skulls become a political flashpoint after attempts to link them to Lingayat community, Sowmya Aji, January 14, 2012; ISSUE DATE: January 23, 2012UPDATED: January 20, 2012 09:35 IST.

[6] https://www.indiatoday.in/magazine/nation/story/20120123-karnataka-annigeri-skulls-lingayat-community-756979-2012-01-14