Ex-ICHR head who played major role in shaping historiography dies at 93

Eminent historian, academic and former chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) MGS Narayanan died at his residence in Malaparamba, Kozhikode, on Saturday due to age-related ailments, family members said.

- Press Trust of India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM/KOZHIKODE: Eminent historian, academic and former chairman of Indian Council of Historical Research (ICHR) MGS Narayanan died at his residence in Malaparamba, Kozhikode, on Saturday due to age-related ailments, family members said.

He was 93 and is survived by wife, son, and daughter.

One of India's most reputed historians, Narayanan headed the department of history at University of Calicut from 1976 to 1990 and served as ICHR chairman from 2001 to 2003.

Offering condolences, Kerala governor Rajendra Vishwanath Arlekar said that the noted historian, writer and columnist had left a deep imprint on the field of historiography. His commendable contributions as the former chairman of ICHR will always be remembered, he added.

Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan condoled his death, saying it was a great loss at a time when organised efforts are being made to misinterpret and rewrite history for narrow interests.

"MGS adopted a different path from the traditional historical writing by comprehensively analysing documents and interpreting them scientifically," the CM said in his message, adding that Narayanan did not try to completely reject myths, but analysed the social role they played, and made them a part of our history.

"Narayanan played a major role in shaping history and historiography as a form of knowledge and contributed writings to society that could be studied and analysed again," he said.

While at one point he expressed strong disagreement with the Left, he later strongly resisted the right-wing pressure to subordinate history writing to narrow interests, the CM said.