Mapping the Polemics of History: from Marxism to Subaltern Studies

Abstract

: The paper provides an exhaustive overview of the development of subaltern historiography. It substantiates how there has been a progress in the field of historiography as it has evolved from being a secluded and a separatist representation of the elite into an encompassing mirror of the subaltern as a whole. The paper has addressed the disengagement of subaltern history from the official accounts, which renders the subaltern vulnerable to misrepresentation, and consequent subjugation. From Marxist to Subaltern discourse, history has transited from being a homogenous account of the elite to a multitudinous account of the subalterns. It has also been analyzed how from Marxism to Subaltern studies, History is generally taken at its face value, especially if formulated by the elite authority. Under these circumstances, the subalterns who are misrepresented by the elite remain a scapegoat. It is in consideration of these putative reasons the need to rectify and reclaim subaltern history is paramount