The Facebook and Instagram memes bringing Indian history (and independence struggle) back to life

Mad Mughal Memes, Heritage Hindustan and Indian History Meme are among a new wave of social media sites using a healthy dose of laughter to deliver lessons from the past

Among their fans are noted historians and authors, from William Dalrymple and Manu S. Pillai to Rana Safvi, Ursula Weekes and Ira Mukhoty

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Yakshis: social influencers of the ancient world? Image: The Heritage Lab

Published: 2:00pm, 15 Aug 2021Updated: 2:09pm, 15 Aug 2021

“So you’re saying that your mom’s a Rajput, but your dad’s a Mughal?”, says the text on a meme featuring Severus Snape from the Harry Potter universe.

“Yes, I’m the Half-Blood Prince,” replies not Snape but Salim, the future Mughal emperor Jahangir – who was born to a Hindu mother and Muslim father, a fact many are unaware of or forget. The meme is contemporary, relatable, and most of all, gets viewers to learn about the past.

Just as the digital age has led to the emergence of endless TikTok videos, podcasts and Spotify playlists, it has also led to Indian history becoming an engaging and fascinating subject thanks to the use of memes and social media platforms.

A meme that mixes Harry Potter with Mughal history. Image: Mad Mughal Memes

In a country where rote learning is a norm and studying history usually involves the memorisation of dates, significant events and personalities, the true essence of the past lies forgotten, making many consider it a dry subject.

Today, Indian social media pages such as Mad Mughal Memes, Heritage Hindustan, Karwaan Heritage, Sarmaya, The Heritage Lab and Indian History Meme across Facebook and Instagram are bringing history alive through artworks, informative pictorial posts and even quizzes, leading to a renewed interest in the subject.

“The initial aim behind starting my page was to make history more relatable and understandable to everyone, and what better medium than memes. The goal is to educate more people about the past while making them laugh at the same time,” said Rishika Gupta, founder of Indian History Meme, which covers the ancient and medieval eras, the British era and even India’s freedom struggle and independence.

A meme depicting the Simon Go Back protests in 1920s British rule. Image: Indian History Meme

Mad Mughal Memes (MMM) on the other hand, focuses primarily on the period it takes its name from, the emperors of which ruled for almost 300 years. While their reign remains a point of contention with many terming them “invaders” and “plunderers”, the page attempts to showcase the empire’s glories, victories, losses, art and culture in an enjoyable manner.