The formation of a historical consciousness in India that is adequate to the modernizing society is integrated into the cultural processes of the era called the Indian Renaissance of the XIX-early XX centuries in the world science. This national-cultural revival combined a number of regional renascences-variants, among which the Bengali Revival was the leading one. This option is exceptional due to the fact that Bengal was the most intense place for the collision of European and Indian cultures [Serebryany, 2003, p.128].

The new Bengali intelligentsia, which received a European education along with the traditional one, not only perceived the external influences of the West, but also criticized them, resisting foreign cultural expansion. Representatives of the Bengali "creative minority" (A. Bergson) They try to justify the socio-cultural synthesis of the traditional heritage of Indian civilization with European rationalism, achievements, forms and methods of transforming social reality, and this happens in philosophy and in practice - in religious and social reformism, education, science, and artistic creativity [Skorokhodova, 2007]. The need to solve social, political and cultural problems is the reason for the growing interest in the history of India, as the synthesis is impossible without the analysis of historical experience. Indian traditions, religions, culture, institutions, values and norms of social life (in comparison with Western ones) became the subject of self-conscious reflection of Bengali intellectuals, which was structured by the problem of "West and us" - "we and the West" (Rashkovsky, 1999, p. 134). Understanding the historical destinies of the country is integrated into the transformation of national identity and the search for ways to revive India.

The general context of the formation of historical consciousness is set by the interaction of liberalism and conservatism, which, according to the apt expression of S. Shorkar, lead "a battle in the minds of people" [Sarkar, 1970, p.153]. The first is associated with Western orientations, openness to Western socio-cultural experience along with an interest in one's own heritage; conservatism (quite different from Hindu Orthodox thought due to the English education received by its supporters) - with ethnophile tendencies of respect for tradition and culture, with an appeal to the past to criticize the colonial present. By solving the issues of the correlation between national and universal, tradition and innovation, religious and secular in the synthesis of Indian and Western values in different ways, supporters of liberalism and conservatism build a common intellectual project for the social and spiritual revival of the country.

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In this context, there is a problematic field for the development of historical consciousness. Its semantic dominant is vector historicism, which includes the idea of development. In the Indian religious tradition, the human world and history in the kalpa (cosmic cycle) had no other sacred meaning than the approach/distance of the goal - liberation from rebirth in the profane world. The religious consciousness was dominated by the idea of moving from the Satya Yuga ("golden age") to the Kali Yuga (Iron Age), which is caused by the decline of dharma (religious law) and ends in total destruction. A linear representation of time existed in historical traditions, in ancient and medieval chronicles - community, temple, palace. The imprint of religious ideas about time was expressed in the absence of a clear strict chronology [Torchinov, 2005, p. 219]. It is not surprising, therefore, that G. W. F. Hegel, who connected historicism with monotheism, stated in the Philosophy of History:: "Since the Hindus do not have history as historiography, they do not have history as acts (res gestae), i.e., there is no development that would establish a truly political state" (Hegel, 1935, vol.8, p. 154).

Bengali thinkers had three approaches to the history of India: traditional, based on Hindu religious historicism; Muslim, based on the belief that Hindus lack a sense of history and method (Biruni) and describe their history from the standpoint of linear historicism; and European. In the latter, there were opposing points of view: 1) about the" unhistorical nature " of the Indians, whose history begins with the arrival of the British (J. Mill); 2) about the long and eventful history of the Indians, which is subject to reconstruction by the methods of European science. Indian interest in history was stimulated by the research activities of British Orientalists, who imported the traditions of European historiography (Serebryany, 1987; Kopf, 1969). Despite the great contribution of orientalism to the study of Indian history, this was a European, largely Eurocentric - and therefore not entirely acceptable to Indians - vision. To develop their own approach to the history of India - this was the objective goal of the Bengali intelligentsia. To do this, it was necessary to review the traditional ideas about the meaning of existence in time, master European historicism in the study of specific history, and find the purpose and meaning of Indian history.

The founder of the Renaissance, the philosopher and reformer Rammohan Rai (1772-1833), who was greatly influenced by Islam and Christianity, was the first to proclaim the urgent need for monotheism for all Hindus: "Faith in the one and only Almighty God is the fundamental principle of any religion" (Roy, 1982, vol. IV, p. 927]. The idea of the superiority of monotheism in religion and spiritual life was shared by all its spiritual heirs, which played an important role in their conversion to vector historicism. This approach has given rise to the idea that the history of India is inscribed in the world-historical process and its revival is connected with the development in history.

Rammohan Rai's vector understanding of history and historicism as a way of thinking allowed him to identify the themes of the problem field of historical consciousness. It combines a regressist view of ideas and traditions changing over time with a European understanding of development. In his writings devoted to the justification of reforms, Rammohan presents ancient ideas and traditions as an ideal that has been forgotten and distorted, but the historical moment requires its revival and, consequently, further development. A humanist who is convinced of the value and significance of man as God's creation, Rammohan proves the value and significance of worldly life. His vision of history is part of his socio-philosophical ideas.

In a Brief Sketch of the Ancient and Modern Frontiers and History of India (1831), Rammohan Rai rationally explains the peculiarities of Indian history, based on the enlightenment of the world.-

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audience's historical optimism. He talks about three periods of Indian history: 1) the period of principalities and states; 2) the Muslim conquest; 3) the modern period of the British conquest. The civilizational (cultural and religious, but not political) unity of India has been a given for Rammohan since ancient times: "Vast areas were ruled by various rulers who, although politically independent and hostile to each other, adhered to the same religious principles, observed generally recognized rites and ceremonies, and were taught in Sanskrit" [Roy, 1982, vol. I, p. 231]. But the structure of social and political unity was constantly broken by various castes and sects, which made various areas of the country vulnerable to foreign invaders (including the British). India was naturally subjected to conquests, since it is "a country in which the concept of patriotism has never arisen" [Roy, 1982, vol. I, p. 233]. Rammohan implicitly outlines the theme of historical originality-both positive and negative - when he lists among the objective reasons for the British conquest the lack of patriotism, the hostility and cowardice of Indian princes and tsars, and the ignorance of the population.

Rammohan sees both positive and promising aspects of British rule, despite his consistent strong criticism of its negative features. "I feel inspired to think," he writes, " that literature is being diligently encouraged in Europe, knowledge is being widely spread, mechanics are in an almost perfect state, politics are progressing daily, and moral duties are generally observed with exemplary precision... religion is spreading, even in the midst of skepticism and false philosophy "(Roy, 1982, vol. I, p. 236]. Rammohan is convinced that British rule should benefit India in its development-not so much by implanting English political and legal institutions, but by spreading European enlightenment, Western science and culture among the conquered people - then the conquest will be justified. In a private letter, Rammohan declares his sympathies for European liberalism and reforms that are becoming necessary components of social development around the world:" ... Reflecting on the events of history, we clearly see that liberal principles in politics and religion are slowly but steadily gaining ground, despite the opposition and persistence of despots and fanatics "(Roy, 1982, vol. IV, p. 925]. Rammohan's sympathies for revolutions and reforms, for the problems of freedom, allow us to state that the general meaning of the development of society over time is the realization of human freedom in the social world, and accordingly there is an approach to the history of the country as a pan - Indian - social and political-history. He is convinced that the enlightenment of the people is a factor of historical development and a panacea for all evils, and the enlightened state of India is its future.

Based on the ideas and meanings of the works of R. Let us denote and consider in more detail the themes of the problem field of historical consciousness: 1) the development of Indian society in time; 2) revival as the immediate goal of history in the present and future; 3) historical and cultural identity and socio-cultural (civilizational) unity; 4) historical originality. The disclosure of these topics was part of the process of self - determination - the formulation and resolution of issues related to one's own identity-regional, pan-Indian, Asian and world, so Bengali thinkers are characterized by a certain syncretism of the desired and the real in the interpretation of history. The movement of Bengali thought in the problematic field of historical consciousness united two aspects: the progress of historiography associated with the formation of a rational and scientific study of history, and the emergence of ideas of the philosophy of Indian history.

1. The theme of the development of Indian society in time. Historical existence appears as the existence of peoples, expressed in the continuity of generations, generally progressive, but knowing periods of rise and decline. At the same time, the scale of understanding events in time covers both antiquity, the Middle Ages, and the present. In spatial-

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The history of India (Hindustan) is considered in the first dimension, and its analysis in Asian and global contexts is outlined.

We can talk about the formation of the foundations of scientific research of history in the 1830s - 1840s, starting with the works of the Young Bengalis-students and followers of the educator and poet, teacher of the Hindu College G. V. L. Derosio (1809-1831), who became famous for his free-thinking. He instilled in his students an interest in the history and philosophy of Europe in the Academic Association (Young Bengal, 1828), and for the first time clearly formulated the idea of pan-Indian patriotism. In it, admiration for the former greatness of history and culture was combined with hope for the revival of India. Derosio's students defined the subject and direction of their research, and offered methodological grounds for analyzing events from the standpoint of Western historicism.

Historical development for the Young Bengals is a political development, but also a social and cultural one. "Vast empires... and life... kings, princes, ministers can serve as a warning and encouragement to every statesman, " says Krishnomohan Banerjee. "The forms of the emergence of kingdoms, the principles on which they built their greatest prosperity, the causes of their decline and demise-all of them must be collected by a thinking observer, as they are of the greatest importance for those who want to control the politics of their country" (my italics - T. S.) [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 21]. Long before the founding of the Indian National Congress, he told his countrymen: to learn how to govern India independently, you need to study history.

Attention to politics is due to the Westernist views of the Young Bengals, who saw the political ideal in democracy, European parliamentary systems and institutions. Thus, polemicizing with well-established cliches, Perichand Mitro proves with facts in hand that, despite the predominance of monarchy since ancient times, despotism in the kingdoms and cities of Hindus is absent [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 168]. P. Mitro idealizes the political system of ancient India (power in it is subject to sacred laws, to" bring prosperity to the people " (Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 169), and also speaks of the republics of Western India, wanting to show that the republican form of government that existed in ancient times is not alien to Indians and should be revived at a new stage of history. Historical research becomes a form of justification for innovation, but the external westernism of the Young Bengals is enriched with patriotic sentiments: they see the purpose of history in that it enlightens and educates, and true education is inseparable from knowledge of their own cultural heritage.

Young Bengalis treat the subject of history broadly: it is the history of peoples, their culture, religion, politics, economy, local lore and ethnography. P. Mitro offers a problem-thematic approach, considering the problem of the origin of the Brahmins, the role of the Kshatriya army, economics, law, and especially social institutions and social structure. This enlightening vision of the subject had a deep historical background in India: the social organization of Indian society had a much greater influence and regulatory impact than political structures and institutions [Eisenstadt, 1999, p. 163-167]. However, attention to the history of peoples and culture also connects the Young Bengals with representatives of the Romantic historiography of Europe. In the sources, they see not only facts, but also monuments of folk poetry, mythology, and evidence of the character and customs of the Indians. The Young Bengals declared the need for social history, arguing with the Western idea of the primary importance of political history and with the traditional idea of the opposite of the sacred order to the mundane, which requires not description and explanation, but overcoming.

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Christian historicism plays a significant role in considering Indian history in the context of world history. Young Bengalis date the events "before and after the Birth of Christ". K. Banerjee offers a periodization of the progress of world history from the "childhood of mankind" to civilization and enlightenment. The history of civilization begins with the "era of the ancient glory of Asia", when writing flourishes, forms of government arise, laws are established and empires arise (Egypt, Nineveh. Babylon, India), but the axis that structures it is the progress of a new religion based on Jewish monotheism (Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 15-17). All history, according to K. Banerjee, is progress in the development of enlightenment and overcoming evil in the name of justice and humanity, and the engine of progress is morality and enlightenment. The thinker suggests considering processes and phenomena in development, since "what was not completed in one epoch will be continued and improved in the next" (Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 19).

The history of India is embedded in the history of Asia and the whole world. The view of the religious and social reformer Keshobchondro Sen (1838-1884), who was strongly influenced by Christianity, is characteristic in this sense. In his vision of world history, the birth of Christ is the main historical milestone in the history of the West and the East. Earlier, Rammohan Rai emphasized that in history, the first dawn of knowledge arose in the East, and the prophets and Christ were Asiatics [Roy, 1982, vol. IV, p. 906 - 907]. Keshobchondro repeats this idea in his speech "Jesus Christ: Europe and Asia", replacing Eurocentrism with Asia-centrism:" ...In fact, Christianity was founded and developed thanks to Asians " [Sen, 1954, p.26]. It also declares the universal basis of history, since the religion of Christ is the absolute, universal truth of God for the benefit of all mankind-for Europeans and Asians alike. After a "long and dark night", Providence sent Christ into the world to "transform and regenerate humanity" and save it from suffering. Inspired by his personality and teachings, Europe and Asia, West and East should learn to find harmony and unity [Sen, 1954, p. 4, 6, 26]. Keshobchondro's providentialism is combined with an emphasis on the role of the subjective factor in history - "prophets" who overcome chaos and lead humanity to a new stage of evolution.

Traditional regressivism is opposed by the scheme of stages of the world historical process proposed by the philosopher and public figure Swami Vivekananda (1863-1902) in his article "Modern India "(1889). "From nature, every person has a strong desire for progress," Vivekananda believes, "as well as in a society that "matures" and develops like a human being "[Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. IV, p. 457]. The well-known conservatism of his thinking led to a description of the development in terms of the ancient Indian concept of the division of society into varnas (estates, strata). The story is shown to them as a change of Varna in power: 1) the kingdom of the brahmanas (priests and philosophers) on the basis of intellectual power; 2) the kingdom of the kshatriyas (kings and warriors) on physical strength; 3) the kingdom of the Vaishyas (merchants and usurers) on the power of gold; 4) the coming kingdom of the sudras (working population). These stages, according to Vivekananda, are "historically necessary" and are observed in all civilizations. As the society "matures", it comes into conflict with the authorities, and one power gradually replaces another.

The Vaisya kingdom is the modern world of Vivekananda. Through the trade of an ignorant Vaishya, " the wisdom, civilization, and arts accumulated in the heart of the social organism during the time of the supremacy of the Brahmans and kshatriyas spread in all directions along the arteries of trade to the diverse markets of the Vaishyas "[Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. IV, p. 466]. In the future, the kingdom of the sudras must come; the power and prosperity of the three higher varnas is only possible because of the sudras, the " real body of society." They are beginning to awaken in all countries, but

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they lack proper education. However, " ... there will come a time when the sudras... with their inherent nature and qualities... they will gain absolute superiority in every society "[Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. IV, p. 467,468]. Vivekananda's story is based on human labor, and its driving force is the people who create culture. Vivekananda showed historical development as a conflict process, as a social struggle, despite the fact that, according to tradition, he declared the evolution of the human spirit and knowledge to be the main content of history. Progress, therefore, is a gradual increase in the role and significance of the creative individual on the one hand, and of the people on the other.

2. The theme of rebirth as the immediate goal of history in the present and future. The general meaning of Bengali reflections is that if the high ideals and achievements of the past are forgotten in history, stagnation and crisis begin, the way out of which is their revival, which does not exclude the perception and assimilation of the new. This vision of progress fancifully melts echoes of the traditional Hindu view of the decline of dharma as we move towards Kali Yuga and the belief that it is possible to bring society out of crisis through enlightenment and social reform.

K. Banerjee was the first to speak about the study of history as one of the means of successful development in his speech "On the nature and importance of historical research". In preferring "fairy tales and romantic stories" to a true historical narrative, and neglecting historical works, he sees an indicator of the decline of a person's spiritual powers, while a true study of history "enriches our mind with the experience of the whole world" (Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 17). It is important to "benefit from the experience of the past" and learn its lessons in the present: "We wish to be surrounded by less unhappy and degraded compatriots, so that we can be proud of wiser and more perfect minds and be inspired by the persistent spirit of the people" [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 22]. According to Banerjee, helping to improve the intellectual and moral condition of Indians is impossible without reference to historical experience.

His contemporaries marked the beginning of independent acquisition of historical memory by Indians. Since the 1840s, original essays on Indian history have been published by N. Banerjee, I. Biddeshagore, O. Dotto, B. Mukherjee and R. Bhottacharjo. The development of the" sense of history " was also reflected in the development of the Bengali historical novel, which was founded by the enlighteners Bhudeb Mukhopadhyay and Bonkimchondro Chottopadhyay. The latter saw history as the main source of moral and spiritual strength needed in the struggle for national revival [Novikova, 1969, p. 161-162], and was going to write a work on the history of India, but instead created a number of historical novels, including the famous "Abode of Joy".

"Great nations have great historians," Bonkimchondro wrote. "There were never any in India. Its weakness lies in the fact that it has severed its ties with the past because of its lack of understanding of the historical perspective; but what, apart from the heroic pages of history, can awaken the patriotic spirit and national pride?" [cit. by Clark, 1970, p. 66]. For the writer, a developed historical consciousness was a condition for the real awakening of the people. Showing in his novels broad popular movements and the activities of specific personalities, he stated that history is not created by rulers and generals alone, that individual destinies are interwoven into historical events and that the people are the subject of history when they fight against political and social unfreedom.

In 1876, Surendronath Banerjee (1848-1926), a liberal public figure who was at the origin of the creation of the Indian National Congress, delivered a lecture on "Research in Indian History". E. B. Rashkovsky compared his lecture with the First "Philosophical Letter" of P. Ya. Chaadaev and "Historical Letters"

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P. L. Lavrova [Rashkovsky, 1990, pp. 108-109]. "We must seriously undertake the task of studying the history of our country... - says S. Banerjee to his contemporaries. "If you seriously want to revive your country, if you want to see it great and prosperous (my italics - T. S.), then you must have perfect knowledge of the troubles that surround it, of the misfortunes that cause it pain "[Banerjee, 1970, p. 230].

Studying history in the eyes of S. Banerjee is an intellectual and practical way to revive the country, a rationally based recipe: "Studying history... shows in a striking way the great truth: ...our misery and humiliation... "the result of a chain of consequences, each link of which explains that we are not dominated by the iron hand of fate, that we have not become hopeless victims, we can, by making a choice, partially control these circumstances and thus change the face of India and, possibly, the world as a whole" (emphasis added - T. S.) [Banerjee, 1970, p. 226]. The meaning of S. Banerjee's thoughts is as follows: if the ancestors were capable of impressive achievements in various spheres of life, then the contemporaries cannot but show their strength - first in historical writing, then in social practice. On this path, it is necessary, first, to study the causes of the disease that affects modern India, which has given so much to the world in the field of sciences, arts and morals. Secondly, to find out the contribution of India to the development of world culture and civilization, to confirm its significance. Third, to trace the influence of the British government's policies on the fate of India and the national character of Indians. This is especially important "in the days of political lifelessness and political stagnation, when the future prospects look really bleak" (Banerjee, 1970, p. 241). In other words, practical action should be preceded by theoretical knowledge of the essence of social problems based on a comprehensive rational study of historical experience.

"The intellectual, social and political revival of our country depends on the moral revival of our country," S. Banerjee concluded the lecture. "You must choose between a life of active and patriotic service and a life of indifference, carelessness, and disregard for sacred duties" [Banerjee, 1970, p. 244]. He proposed rational, emotionless, and objective ways of studying history, and elevated historical writing to the rank of a moral imperative. S. Banerjee's idea of progress as the country's rebirth is refuted by Hindu orthodox historicism, which sees modernity as the "age of Kali". It is in the power of the people to do everything possible to improve the present and future, instead of regretting the irrevocably gone past.

3. The topic of historical and cultural identity and socio-cultural unity is solved in two directions: 1) refutation of the Eurocentric ideologeme about the absence of history among Indians and 2) development of our own approach to the study of the country's history as a culturally unified whole and an attempt to determine the adequacy of considering the history of India as the history of Hindus or Indians (religious or secular approach).

"Some people complain that Hindus have no history and that their books are rich in poetic embellishments, but they cannot shed light on what India was like in ancient times. ...The history of each ancient nation... it contains an almost equal mixture of truth and error, probable and improbable, fiction and contradictions, which should be obvious to every open-minded person who has made history a part of his academic studies. The early evidence of most ancient countries of the world more or less includes legends, and those who blame only Hindus for this are at the height of partiality, " says P. Mitro [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 132]. The historiographical works of the Young Bengals are focused on proving the qualitative similarity of the history of India as the history of one of the oldest peoples of the world.-

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dov mir with the history of the West. In 1828, Derosio's student Kashiprosad Ghosh defended an Essay on the History of British India by J. Mill, in which he criticized the author, who considered the Indians "ignorant barbarians". K. Ghosh pointed out the lack of "Brahmin tyranny", the restriction of the power of rulers by law, and the achievements of Hindus in the sciences arts, jurisprudence, and the art of state administration [cit. by: Kopf, 1969, p. 263-264]. His argument was based on the writings of the Calcutta Orientalist scholars, but it is with him that attempts to interpret the history of India begin.

Young Bengalis speak and write about "the history of India", "the history of Hindustan", i.e. they accept the socio-cultural unity of the country as a starting point for reflection, following Rammohan Rai, realizing the political and ethnographic heterogeneity of the subcontinent. They are driven by a desire for historical truth. Thus, developing the idea of the enlightening vocation of the historian, who must relate historical events to the present, K. Banerjee suggests "always formulate a satisfactorily accurate assessment of the principles that affect human actions in general" and strive to truthfully present history so as not to deliberately deceive posterity [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 9-10].

The path to truth lies through direct reference to the sources of Indian history, and here the approach of European historical science is combined with the traditional method of referring to the text to justify one's views. Young Bengalis form the principles of interpreting the evidence of sources. K. Banerjee calls for taking from them only facts that do not contradict common sense, without mixing them with mythology, comparing the facts of different sources, avoiding blind credulity and excessive skepticism, and not discarding "gold along with garbage", since even legends can be " highly valued in terms of poetry and show the former greatness of our country " [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 7-8]. P. Mitro is convinced that ancient cultural texts contain a lot of valuable information on history, they only need to be studied [Awakening in Bengal..., 1965, p. 136], as they reflect the richness of the world. real events: cities, coins, and the peoples described in them have been preserved to this day. When reconstructing events and social structures, they combine all the sources available to them (including monuments of material culture, architecture, and ethnographic materials).

B. Chottopadhyay refuted the view of India as a "country without a history", the fate of the people of which is poverty and dependence. Depicting heroic resistance to the conquerors, he turned history into a means of asserting national dignity, offered examples of the struggle for freedom dictated by moral and patriotic feelings and duty. His approach to the reconstruction of history is somewhat different from that of the Young Bengali: seeking to accurately depict historical conditions, the color of the era and personalities, Bonkimchondro develops in his novels the romantic principle of" getting used to"," feeling " in the era. He considered himself entitled to resort to fiction and intuition and thereby reconstruct the gaps in historical research, dynamically, vividly and colorfully represent the dynamics of the historical process in India. However, Bonkimchondro, with his penchant for conservative sentiments (especially after 1880), celebrates the former glory of India as a Hindu glory, based on the worship of which, the consciousness of Hindu superiority and the tendency of mysticism, as noted by Sh. Shorkar, traditionalism is being built up [Sarkar, 1970, p. 155-156]. And if P. Mitro's " history of Hindustan under the Hindus "(vol.e. in the pre - Muslim period) - this is basically a liberal secular view, then in Bonkimchondro, Hindus fighting Muslim or British conquerors turn out to be the main characters of Indian history, and the latter is the history of Hindus. But even those who are inclined to liberalism have some traditionalist tendencies.

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notes when they talk about the greatness of Hindu India and "bad governance" under Muslim rulers.

But poly-confessional Bengal (and India!) It required a secular view of history, which S. Banerjee suggested. He asks the question: "Can we conclude that our ancestors, the great Aryans of ancient India, were ignorant of the art of historical writing, never wrote 'history'? " [Banerjee, 1970, p. 226] - and argumentatively proves the hypothesis that historical writing was known to Indians who achieved impressive success in the sciences and the arts. Many Sanskrit works seem to have been lost, since India is "an arena of constant coups, constant bloodshed and constant change of dynasties "[Banerjee, 1970, p. 229], looting and outrages of the conquerors. The narratives of court officials who recorded facts and events are nothing but history, as well as historical poems. In the full sense of the word, history was not known even in Europe until the French Revolution, which ushered in the dawn of human reason and freedom [Banerjee, 1970, pp. 227-230]. S. Banerjee paid tribute to the British who wrote the history of India, but they, as foreigners, knew very little about the country under study. If Indians are interested in the Truth, they must correct the mistakes and shortcomings made by the British, and fight against distortions and falsifications of Indian history through their own objective research.

Rationality and objectivity are the pursuit of an approach that is free from deliberate design-this is the meaning of S. Banerjee's reflections. His liberal view of history and progress implies that the history of India cannot be reduced to the history of a religious community, because the historical reality has changed: from the society of ancient Aryans, a path has been made to a multi-confessional society. "We have always been of the same opinion... that what is needed is not the progress of Hindus or the progress of Muslims, but the progress of both communities in knowledge, culture, and those high qualities that contribute to national greatness "(Bose, 1974, p. 204). Bipinchondro Pal expresses similar thoughts that the history of India is the history of all Indians. He points out that the new India differs from the old one in its multicultural character: five great communities co - exist in it, representing the world's great cultures-Hindus, Zoroastrians, Buddhists, Muslims and Christians. The task of creating an Indian nation implies convergence on the basis of a "modern ideal", but at the same time preserving the identity of cultures [Saggi, 1962, p. 261]. B. Pal appeals to the ideas of Rammohan Rai, who, in his opinion, "wanted to create a new Indian nation".. to obtain for the Indian people the right to enter the wider world of modern humanity on the basis of their legitimate rights and high dignity, and thus to cooperate with other peoples and civilizations on an equal footing, and to take an appropriate place in the future World Federation" [Saggi, 1962, p.260].

R. Tagore summed up the search for an adequate approach to the study of the country's history in his essay "The Message of Indian History". He saw a fundamental flaw in the modern study of history in the fact that bloody fratricidal wars, violence, conquest, and imperial pride of the British appear on the pages of books. "But to look at India against this shifting blood-red ghostly backdrop is to miss the real India," Tagore writes. "What is considered Indian history can tell us nothing about the people of India" [Tagore, 195 -, p. 1]. There is no place in the existing works to study internal social changes in the life of the people. The true approach to the history of India is to study the life of the people, their work and the culture they create.

4. The theme of historical originality is generally the result of understanding a particular story. The search for identity and unity logically continues in addressing the question of the meaning of India's history in a global context. Initially, it is thought of as an equal component of the universal historical process, but this liberal view of the world is based on the same principle.-

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As attention to the values of the Hindu tradition increases, this view is being revised and adjusted in order to gain a common sense of the country's history in the past and future.

The interweaving of liberalism and conservatism is present in Vivekananda's views. On the one hand, the history of India is embedded in the context of world history, as it passes through the aforementioned stages- "kingdoms": the Vedic period (the kingdom of the Brahmins); the Buddhist period and the Rajput-Indian era; the Muslim rule (the cooperation of previously rival Brahmins and Kshatriyas in the name of personal interests); the period since the beginning of the English occupation of India (the Kingdom of vaishyas). Despite the obvious artificiality of this division, Vivekananda overcomes traditionalism, since he does not consider the "Brahmin kingdom" to be a "golden age" on the scale of the subcontinent and does not call for reviving the glory of Hindu India, but, on the contrary, connects the future with increasing the role of the people at the bottom of the social hierarchy. On the other hand, Vivekananda reveals the cultural, religious and social identity of India, talking about its future role in the world historical process. Defines the ideas of the philosopher's solution to the problem of synthesis of East and West. "Didn't we sit at the feet of Westerners and learn everything, even religion? "What is it?" he asks. "We can learn mechanics from them. We can learn many other things. But we must teach them something ourselves, and this is our religion, this is our spirituality. The completed civilization of the world is waiting, waiting for the treasures that will come from India, waiting for the wonderful spiritual heritage of this race, which, despite decades of decline and suffering, the nation still carries in its heart " [Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. III, p. 317]1.

Vivekananda sees the uniqueness of India in its spirituality, and its mission in history is to bring the treasures of the spirit to all peoples who have lost spirituality. However, India will be able to fulfill this mission only by solving its internal problems. Religious movements and doctrines that came in different periods of history - from the Buddhist period to the modern period-are only the "first plan" of "changes that revolutionize society", while social needs are in the background [Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. IV, p. 462]. Vivekananda sees the way to overcome internal problems in uniting Indians who are proud of their cultural heritage and country in a common brotherhood and humanity [Vivekananda, 1998-2000, vol. IV, p. 280].

R. Tagore also speaks about the mission and special history of India, because his view is more secular than that of Vivekananda, who believes that Hinduism, and especially Vedanta, constitutes all the spiritual riches of the country. In his search for the meaning of Indian history, R. Tagore compared it to the history of the West, which is filled with a spirit of confrontation and competition and considers political glory to be the goal of society. Constant conflicts between individuals, rulers and ruled, rich and poor destroy social harmony and reproduce hostility in the Western world. India, on the other hand, according to Tagore, was guided by the basis of moral and social progress - the harmony of competing elements - and therefore sought to establish a bond of sympathy with everyone, having "a talent for turning enemies into friends."

Harmony and unity as the social order of India arise from the analysis and classification of heterogeneous elements and factors, determining for them the corresponding "spheres of utility" in society as a single "social factory" intended "for the implementation of the widest variety of functions". The secret and guarantee of unity is that India "has never allowed any part to go out of its proper sphere, to disturb the order and balance of the whole." "The opening is identical-

1 B. Z. Falikov characterizes these views with the little-known term of N. A. Berdyaev "missionism "(instead of the term" messianism"), since there can be any number of peoples with a historical/religious mission [Falikov, 1994, p.194].

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Achieving unity and creating stability and peace in society is the ideal of India "[Tagore, 195 -, p. 6-7], the thinker concludes. According to R. Tagore, at all times, despite all external invasions and devastation, there was an authentic India that gave birth to people like Kabir, Nanak, Chaitanya and Tukaram. Therefore, we should reject the erroneous idea that the history of different countries is similar and consists mainly in the study of politics. "If... Anyone who wants to know clearly what India's special significance is, then there is an answer that the entire history of India confirms is true, " Tagore says. "Throughout its history... there is an attempt to establish unity in diversity, to approach the truth in various ways, and to realize the fullness of the belief that the One is in many ways like the innermost reality; it does not destroy external differences, but reveals their inner connection" [Tagore, 195 -, p.5]. Therefore, for centuries, true India did not seek political glory, but sought "to see the One in the world and in itself, to establish the One among many things, to discover It with knowledge, to realize it in love and to declare It in life" (Tagore, 195 - p.9).

So, according to Tagore, the path of the historical development of the West is the path of disagreement and conflict, the path of India's development is the establishment of ties of interaction and harmony based on its idea of Unity [Tagore, 195 -, p.8]. From the desire to show the uniqueness of Indian history and the meanings revealed by Indian culture, he has an ideal idea that the" message " of Indian history is harmony and tolerance. Here, unlike other later works, he does not emphasize the intolerance of the caste system or traditionalism in India, nor does he say that Europe has been moving towards tolerance for centuries. But in the historiosophical sense, Tagore's vision of the East-West problem is an attempt to solve the problem of differences between them as the opposite of struggle and unity, conflict and social harmony. Understanding the meaning of the country's history as an attempt to synthesize diverse elements was important for the emerging secular approach to its study in a multicultural society, since any interpretation of events from the point of view of religion and ethnocentrism is fraught with ideological and social conflicts.

The constructions of Bengali thinkers thus indicate the features of the" national myth", the meaning of which is that Indians should achieve" unity in diversity", revive and creatively update the historical heritage, resolve social contradictions through the search for harmony, strive for harmony in all aspects of life.

As a result of the rapid development of historical consciousness in Bengali thought, the provisions of the philosophy of Indian history are being formed. Its key meaning lies in a positive answer to the question of the possibility of combining civilizational tradition with modernity and, consequently, the further development of society in a changing world. The development of historical heritage, the acquisition of historical memory and a "sense of history" appear to be a method of learning about tradition and at the same time - a method of reviving society and adequately integrating into the modern world, since in the tradition, correlated with the achievements of other, primarily Western, peoples, it is possible to find a solid foundation for development. This correlation with Others - peoples, civilizations, religious communities - opens the way for Indians to find themselves - in time (from antiquity to the present day), in space (the Indian subcontinent in the Asian and global context), in culture (common Indian heritage) and in spirit (the correlation of a person/community/society with universal meaning (By the Truth, by God).

The philosophy of Indian history is based on a new view of the meaning of human existence in the world: he is called to realize himself in service to people, in work that improves society, and therefore in history. Accordingly, a society accumulates experience over time that plays a crucial role in the development of its civilization, creates social and cultural values that are significant for the whole world.

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critics of Eurocentrism Bengali thinkers have come to substantiate the meaning of Indian history - achieving harmony in all spheres of society, its focus on improving existing relations, developing cultural traditions. The semantic core of their history is the ability of India to synthesize its own values with values coming from outside.

The main provisions of this philosophy of history will be formulated as follows. 1) Indians (residents of the subcontinent) are modern heirs of an ancient civilization with a glorious history rich in achievements, moving forward, mastering new things and developing their traditions in dialogue with other peoples; 2) The goal of development in history at the moment is the spiritual, moral, social, economic, political and cultural revival of the country; 3) The peoples inhabiting the subcontinent are different in social, religious and ethnic terms, but they are united by a common past, present and future, common values and heritage; 4) The historical identity of Indians consists of positive qualities - the ability to create, intelligence, hard work, peace-loving-and negative-the ability to forget about high values and ideals, attention to what divides people, preference for external form to internal content, oblivion of patriotism. However, the proper work of education and social development will overcome these negative characteristics - this is an optimistic view that all Bengalis agree on.

The reconstructed philosophy of Indian history - despite the conventionality of this term-like any other philosophy of history, was, as E. B. Rashkovsky aptly put it, a" theoretical adventure "of categorical understanding of the almost chaotic flow of Indian history in the context of" elite modernization " [Rashkovsky, 1999, p.9]. However, its provisions greatly contributed to the formation of a pan-Indian historical consciousness, which was later integrated into the concepts of the Indian National Congress.

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