In 1990, four eminent historians submitted a document titled, Babari Mosque or Rama's Birth Place? Historians Report to the Indian Nation, to the then Union Home Minister.



The Muslim petitioners have since often relied on that document to contest the Hindu petitioners’ claim that the Babri (aka Babari) Masjid was built atop a Hindu temple. The document was authored by R S Sharma, M Athar Ali, D N Jha, and Suraj Bhan, all scholars of repute.

The document dealt with the historic and archaeological aspects of the dispute. The archaeological aspects of the report were authored by Suraj Bhan, who was at the time a professor in the Ancient Indian Archaeological Department of Kurukshetra University, Rohtak.



As per court records, he had claimed in court that ‘according to his research, no evidence he could find whereupon it could be said that the Babari Mosque was constructed after demolition of a temple.’

It was a different case altogether when he was examined in the court.

Suraj Bhan testified in court as follows:

‘I did my B.A. in 1953. Sanskrit and Economics were my subjects in B.A.. English literature, too, was my subject. I did not study history and archaeology as subjects up to B.A. I passed the M.A. Examination with Sanskrit and also with Archaeology and Culture. I only remember that ancient history and early medieval history were not in my course. The said two parts of history was of India only.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3627; emphasis mine)

As for his archaeological and historical experience, he said:

‘I am a scholar of archaeology. There are many specialists in several areas of archaeology. My subject in the realm of archaeology is proto-historic archaeology of Satluj-Yamuna basin.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3627)

‘Since construction of mosques after demolishing temples is not the subject of my research, so I did not make an endeavour to make study of those places. Otherwise also, I am not a historian with regard to medieval period.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3629; emphasis mine)

Earlier, he had also said:

‘When I joined my service [at Archaeological Survey of India], I was an M.A. in Sanskrit. I was appointed to the post of technical assistant. I was appointed in 1956 or 1957. I undertook excavation work at Lothal [an Indus Valley Civilisation site] from 1956-57 to 1959-60. At that time I was working as a technical assistant in the office. In that very capacity I was then engaged in the excavation work.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3626; emphasis mine)

Subsequently in his examination, he also admitted:

‘I am not a student of History. [...]’ ‘I am not a specialist in architecture. I have an ordinary knowledge of it.’ [...] ‘I am not a specialist in sculpture.’ [...] ‘Epigraphy, too, is not my field.’ [...] ‘My speciality was field archaeology, not ethnography.’ [...] ‘I am not a specialist in history of temple architecture.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3631; emphasis mine)

In the document [report] that the eminent historians, including Bhan, had submitted, they had contested the findings of the ASI team, led by archaeologist B B Lal.



During the examination, Bhan admitted that ‘pressure was being repeatedly exerted [by the Babri Masjid Action Committee]; so, we submitted our report without going through the record of the excavation work by B.B.Lal.’ (Allahabad High Court 2010 judgement, Volume 15, Page 3632)

So, Bhan had contested and criticised B B Lal’s excavation work that he (Bhan) had not even read about!

Despite, as per his own admission, not having an expertise in medieval history, construction of mosques after demolishing temples, or temples’ architectural history, or architecture in general, Bhan commented on multiple forums about Ayodhya’s disputed site.

In an interview to Frontline, he contested ASI’s excavations and said, “...[o]ne thing is certain: it was not a temple. There is a great possibility of the structure being a Sultanate mosque.

“Its plan broadly corresponds with that of the Babri Masjid in the lay-out of the western wall, the southern chamber below the southern dome of the Babri Masjid and the extensive floor area of the court yard. It is well known from Mansura in Sindh that the early mosques had pillars in them.”

He was quoted as saying in Outlook that: