From love to liberation: 'Written in History' combines solitude and company

Written in History
 

Letters that changed the world 

Simon Sebag Montefiore

Weidenfeld & Nicolson

247 pages , Rs 599

Sample this text from a letter written by one of the greatest invaders India has ever seen (and one who arguably established the most influential dynasty ever to have ruled this land) to his son and the future king: “Oh my son! The realm of Hindustan is full of diverse creeds…It is but proper that you, with your heart cleansed of all religious bigotry, should dispense justice according to the tenets of each community. And in particular refrain from the sacrifice of cow, for that way lies the conquest of the hearts of the people of Hindustan…And the temples and abodes of worship of every community under the Imperial sway, you should not damage…And bring together the subjects with different beliefs in the manner of the Four Elements, so that the body-politic may be immune from the various ailments…”   

If readers know about the Indian Constitution, they would recognise more than a few Directive Principles of State Policy and some Fundamental Rights. But the writer is remembered more for a Masjid today, which was brought down by radical Hindu vigilantes in 1992. Yes, indeed, this is Babur, the emperor of Hindustan, writing to his son, Humayun, a year before his death in 1529. 

This is not the only letter that would make you look back at history differently, or indeed reassess the present, that is available in this rich collection of letters compiled by  Simon Sebag Montefiore, known for his biographical work on Stalin and Jerusalem, among many others. Written in History presents over 100 such “timeless” letters chosen by the author not just because they are entertaining but because “they somehow changed human affairs, whether in war or peace, art or culture”. Most letters do not run beyond a page or two, and reading them is quite a lot like travelling across time and cultures in rapid succession — thrilling and yet full of insights, whetting your appetite for the concerned era or event in history. 

The book is divided into 18 sections, based on different themes such as “love”, “downfall”, “liberation” and “courage” etc. Babur’s letter above is quoted under “power” but it is just one of the several in a large delectable menu of engrossing letters. So you have Adolf Hitler writing to his friend Benito Mussolini the night before his disastrous decision to invade Russia (June 21, 1941). That the letter is filed under “friendship” is just one of the little quirks because it is full of half-truths and hubris. 

Then there is one from Mahatma Gandhi to Hitler, written on December 24, 1940. On the face of it, Gandhi’s ideas of passive resistance and non-violent struggle may appear pointless before the bigotry and militant nationalism of Hitler yet the letter provides a glimpse of the deep wisdom in Gandhi’s approach. Sample this: “Dear Friend…many of your acts are monstrous and unbecoming of human dignity… we would never wish to end the British rule with German aid…If not the British, some other power will certainly improve upon your method and beat you with your own weapon. You are leaving no legacy to your people of which they would feel proud. They cannot take pride in a recital of cruel deed, however skilfully planned…” Imagine for a moment the amount of shame that Germans have had to suffer since the war to understand what Gandhi meant. This one is filed under a category — “decency” — that has some of the best letters such as Abraham Lincoln writing to General Ulysses S Grant not just congratulating him after a crucial victory during the American Civil War but also apologising for getting the situation completely wrong himself . He ends the letter by saying, “I now wish to make the personal acknowledgement that you were right, and I was wrong. Yours very truly, A Lincoln.” 

The list of lovely letters goes on and there are several surprises as well. For instance, in the last section — titled “Goodbye” — one gets to read some of the most poignant letters as people write to their friends and lovers just before they die. Yet, even though there are the likes of Leonard Cohen, it is Winston Churchill’s far less poetic letter to his wife — written during the World War I — that steals your heart as he tells her: “…On the whole, especially since I met you my darling one, I have been happy, and you have taught me how noble a woman’s heart can be. If there is anywhere else I shall be on the lookout for you…”   

It is true that letters sound like an anachronism in today’s world; short text messages and tweets have taken away from us the ability to write a letter in the old-fashioned way. And that’s a pity. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe, the German intellectual, had said that letters were “the most significant memorial a person can leave” and described them as “the immediate breath of life” because a letter reflected a single moment in time and experience. He believed that destroying a letter out of discretion was akin to destroying life itself. By that measure, the author, by compiling this fabulously rewarding volume has done nothing short of recreating history. This is a must-have if you enjoy snuggling into a cosy chair with a hot cuppa and treating yourself to some great writing.