SPECIAL FEATURE
Dr Vikram Sampat, based in Bengaluru, Karnataka, is a renowned Indian popular historian and author. In the year 2021, he was elected as a Fellow of the prestigious Royal Historical Society. This honour is conferred in England upon individuals who have made significant contributions to the field of history and undertaken high-level research.
He is the recipient of the first-ever Sahitya Akademi Yuva Award for English. His book My Name Is Gauhar Jaan: The Life and Times of a Musician received the ARSC International Award for Excellence in Historical Research, presented in New York. This book has also been adapted into the play Gauhar by Lillete Dubey.
Just as the Mavlas and Shiledārs made the supreme sacrifice for the Hindavi Swarajya of Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj, even today, many Hindutva-rooted and nationalist citizens continue to work as ‘Shiledārs’ for the protection of Dharma and the Nation. The column ‘Hindutvache Shiledār’ shares the inspiring struggles of such warriors for Hindu Dharma—so that others may be inspired by their legacy. — Editor |
1. Dr Vikram Sampat’s research, institutions established, and other key details
In 2015, Dr Vikram Sampat was one of four authors selected for the ‘Writer-in-Residence’ programme at Rashtrapati Bhavan. He earned his doctoral degree in ‘History and Music’ from the University of Queensland, Australia.
He has served as a Senior Research Fellow at the Nehru Memorial Library, New Delhi. Additionally, he has been a Fellow at the Aspen Global Leadership Network, the Eisenhower Global Fellowship, and the Wissenschaftskolleg zu Berlin.
Currently, he holds the position of Adjunct Senior Fellow at Monash University, Australia. Dr Sampat is the founder of both the ‘Archive of Indian Music’ and the ‘Foundation for Indian Historical and Cultural Research’—organisations dedicated to the re-examination and in-depth study of Indian history.
He has also curated the ‘Arth: A Culture Fest’, a large-scale cultural event. Furthermore, he is the founder of the Bengaluru Literature Festival.
Awaiting Shiva: The Truth of Gyanvapi in Kashi
In 2024, his book Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyanvapi was released. The book launch took place at the Prime Ministers’ Museum and Library Auditorium, and it was graced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman.
This book presents an analytical perspective on the Hindu effort of reclamation—through the lenses of history, Dharma, archaeology, and law. Dr Sampat draws a poignant comparison to Shiva devotion by invoking the imagery of Nandi patiently awaiting the darshan of Shiva in the temple.
Through this work too, he has brought to the forefront the magnificence of India’s spiritual and cultural heritage.
2. Dr Vikram Sampat’s notable writings
A. Major works authored by Dr Vikram Sampat:
- Splendours of Royal Mysore: The Untold Story of the Wodeyars
- Voice of the Veena: S. Balachander
- Women of the Records
- Indian Classical Music and the Gramophone
- Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past
- Savarkar: A Contested Legacy
- Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History
- Waiting for Shiva: Unearthing the Truth of Kashi’s Gyanvapi
- These are among the most widely sold and acclaimed books across India.
B. Dr Vikram Sampat – Biographer of Gauhar Jaan and Guardian of Indian Tradition
In 2012, Dr Vikram Sampat published a biography of Gauhar Jaan, India’s first classical female vocalist and the first woman singer to be recorded on gramophone. Through this work, he preserved a vital strand of India’s cultural and musical heritage.
Dr Vikram Sampat – Not just a historian, but also a guardian of Indian tradition
Dr Vikram Sampat is not merely a historian; he is also a dedicated custodian of India’s cultural heritage. He has written extensively on Indian classical music and tradition. In his book My Name is Gauhar Jaan!, he highlighted the need to revive India’s rich musical legacy through the life story of Gauhar Jaan.
In Voice of the Veena: S. Balachander – A Biography, he deepened cultural appreciation for classical music and the Veena tradition. Dr Sampat has actively promoted cultural awareness and encouraged rigorous study to preserve Indian art, music, and traditional practices.
C. Digital Music Archive
During the research for Gauhar Jaan, Dr Sampat initiated a private, non-profit project in collaboration with Manipal University to digitally preserve ancient gramophone recordings and make them publicly accessible for free.
In 2015, this archive was donated to the Indira Gandhi National Centre for the Arts. Since 2013, the collection has been available for free streaming on SoundCloud. By 2021, over 7,000 out of 15,000 records had been digitised.
3. Contribution to Nation and Hindu Dharma
As one of India’s most prominent historians, authors, and researchers, Dr Vikram Sampat has made a rare and exceptional contribution to the spirit of nationalism and the Hindu tradition. His central focus has been on conducting unbiased research into history, presenting an accurate portrayal of Hindu culture, and bringing to light the true stories of the valour of Hindu rulers.
4. Historical Re-evaluation of Veer Savarkar
Dr Sampat is the author of two significant volumes: Savarkar: Echoes from a Forgotten Past (1883–1924) and Savarkar: A Contested Legacy (1924–1966). These books offer an in-depth analysis of Savarkar’s ideology of Hindutva, his role in India’s freedom struggle, and his efforts toward social equality.
Dr Sampat forcefully argues that Western historians have misinterpreted Savarkar’s philosophy of Hindutva. Through his scholarly work, he has made a monumental contribution by bringing the true essence of Savarkar’s contributions to public knowledge.
5. Restoring the true meaning of history
After India’s independence, some Marxist historians attempted to distort the true narrative of the country’s history. Dr Vikram Sampat has undertaken the crucial task of correcting these distortions.
For example, Marxist historians portrayed Tipu Sultan as tolerant, temple-supporting, an ideal king, the “Tiger of Mysore”, and a participant in India’s freedom struggle. However, Dr Sampat exposed the true record of Tipu Sultan’s destruction of temples and acts of oppression, thus presenting a more accurate and fact-based historical account.
Through his writings, Dr Sampat has consistently promoted the view that India’s history must be seen without superstition, grounded in truth, and viewed from an Indian perspective. His efforts have ensured that history is no longer filtered through Western or Marxist ideologies, but instead reaches people rooted in Indian tradition and authenticity.
Dr Vikram Sampat – A Historian Who Unveiled India’s Heroic Past to the World
Dr Vikram Sampat has made a significant contribution toward the re-evaluation of Indian nationalism, Hindutva, and cultural heritage. His rigorous scholarship on Savarkar has given impetus to the idea of Hindu Rashtra. His thorough research on Tipu Sultan represents an attempt to purify historical narratives. His work on Indian cultural and musical traditions has helped revive respect for Indian art.
He has presented strong arguments and rebuttals against the inaccuracies spread by Western and Marxist ideologies in history and has laid emphasis on the protection and preservation of Hindu Dharma.
Through this, Dr Vikram Sampat has emerged as a historian of immense importance, offering invaluable contributions to the Nation and to Hindu Dharma.
A courageous stand against falsehoods – and a revival of India’s authentic history
While undertaking the noble task of reviving India’s history, Dr Vikram Sampat was targeted by several foreign historians, such as Audrey Truschke, Rohit Chopra, and Ananya Chakravarti, who wrote letters to the Royal Historical Society. In these letters, they accused Dr Sampat of plagiarism and demanded an investigation into his membership.
As a result, Dr Vikram Sampat had to face such false and baseless allegations. Yet, undeterred by all this, Dr Sampat continued his work with unwavering resolve—a fact worthy of immense appreciation. In the modern era, he has authored India’s glorious history with utmost honesty and brought the saga of India’s valour and heroism to the world.
Through his efforts, the true essence of India’s history is now reaching future generations, just as it truly happened. In doing so, he has infused new life into India’s historical consciousness. Every individual must read Dr Vikram Sampat’s works, and the Government should take steps to include his books in the school curriculum. This is the urgent need of our times.
6. A strong critique of Western and Marxist ideologies
Western historians have portrayed India’s history from their own ideological perspective. Dr Vikram Sampat has raised critical questions on these false narratives and has consistently insisted on re-evaluating Indian history through the lens of Indian tradition.
He has also conducted in-depth research on the Nizams of Hyderabad and the British administration, shedding new light on the exploitation of Indians and atrocities committed against Hindus. As a result, his work has inspired fresh perspectives and encouraged the pursuit of truthful, tradition-based historical study.
7. A documentary on the forgotten Baul community
In 2022, Dr Sampat collaborated with musician Ricky Kej and researcher Rajiv Sharma to produce a documentary titled Who is Baul?, based on the forgotten Baul tradition of Bengal. The film was directed by Sairam Sagaraju.
8. The Bravehearts of India
Dr Sampat’s 2022 release Bravehearts of Bharat: Vignettes from Indian History tells the heroic tales of 15 men and women warriors who valiantly fought against foreign invaders. These figures had been deliberately erased from popular historical narratives.
The book is a collection of biographies of 15 individuals, selected under the concept of ‘Warriors of a Forgotten Culture’. Through this, Dr Sampat has once again made a commendable effort to bring the real history of India to light.
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