14 Facts About Irfan Habib

Irfan Habib was born on 10 August 1931 and is an Indian left historian of ancient and medieval India, following the methodology of Marxist historiography in his contributions to economic history.

Irfan Habib is known for his strong stance against Hindutva and Islamic fundamentalism.

Irfan Habib was the son of Mohammad Habib and Sohaila Habib.

Habib's wife Sayera Habib was Professor of Economics at Aligarh Muslim University.

Irfan Habib delivered the Radhakrishnan Lecture at Oxford in 1991.

Irfan Habib is an Elected Corresponding Fellow of the British Royal Historical Society since 1997.

Irfan Habib has worked on the historical geography of Ancient India, the history of Indian technology, medieval administrative and economic history, colonialism and its impact on Indian historiography.

Irfan Habib was the general secretary, Sectional President, and then the General President of the Indian History Congress.

Irfan Habib has written books about Vedas and Vedic age, and he considers the Vedas to be a good historical source, which describes transmission in a priestly culture, that valued faithfulness.

Irfan Habib further lays out the reasons that the texts were orally transmitted for hundreds of years, then they were finally written down.

Irfan Habib led the historians at the Indian History Congress of 1998 who moved a resolution against the "saffronisation" of history.

Irfan Habib has said that the BJP government at the Centre which was in power from 1998 to 2004, especially the MHRD Minister himself, were responsible for inventing facts and dates to suit their interpretation of Indian history.

Irfan Habib condemned a decision led by the BJP which removed chapters on Muslim rule, including the Mughals, from some school textbooks, along with references to Muslims' contributions to the country's freedom struggle.

Irfan Habib argues that these revisions aim to deny Muslims their place in India's history and are part of an Islamophobic agenda.