Evaluating Consequences of Authorised Heritage Discourse in Old Dhaka’s Historic Mosques Imamur Hossain dissertation submitted in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of MA in Heritage and
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Figure 1 Lalbagh Killa Mosque. Source: Author (june, 2021)
‘Whose Heritage is it Anyway?’
UniversityInterpretationofLeicester2021
‘Whose Heritage is it Anyway?’: Evaluating Consequences of Authorised Heritage Discourse in Old Dhaka’s Historic Mosques
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By evaluating the negotiations, the research revealed that authorised and subaltern discourse coexists within a heritage continuum. When they negotiate to retain value establishment, representation, knowledge claims, inheritance, or meaning making activities, it results in conflict, balance, or harmony. While the dominant discourse suppresses subaltern representations at emblematic sites, it adopts a dualistic mode of expression at sites devoid of significant national narratives, exemplifying both the authorised and subaltern dichotomy. Furthermore, while confronting authoritarian impositions, AHD’s dominance is significantly deflected at sites illustrating non elite biographies, representing subaltern religiosity and historicity. The research concludes that subalterns’ understanding of heritage is sculpted by cultural processes of meaning making and provides new insights into harmonious and non binary contexts engendered by resistance and diplomacy through negotiations. Based on the findings, further research should focus on interpreting the intricacies of sub AHDs to develop frameworks for integrating subaltern narratives so that authentic heritage experiences and cultural continuity can be ensured at community centric religious heritage places.
Heritage mosques within the traditional neighbourhoods of Old Dhaka are culturally vibrant places embodying subaltern religiosity and historicity. However, the state sanctioned discourse in Bangladesh favouring monumentality and grandness intends to preserve the mosques’ innate materiality while ignoring the underlying cultural process. This hegemonic ‘Authorised Heritage Discourse’, while regulating heritage notions and dictating interpretations, competes against other discourses, engenders several negotiations. By unfolding the underlying cultural process, this study aims to clarify these negotiations and evaluate the extent of their
Imamur Hossain
on power knowledge representational apparatus has been devised by synthesising the literature on religious heritage and Authorised Heritage Discourse. This study analysed Old Dhaka’s three heritage mosques using a qualitative research method. The research elicits that the intensity of AHD’s enforcement in marginalising subaltern discourses is contingent upon a correlation between authorised discourse’s political intent and the site’s biography.
Abstract
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I would first like to thank my supervisor Dr Paul Martin whose insights and suggestions were invaluable in shaping this dissertation. He was also a tremendous source of inspiration and encouragement to me in my academic journey. I would like to convey my gratitude to the Department of Museum Studies for being supportive throughout my studies. I am also indebted to the Commonwealth Scholarship Commission, UK, for awarding me a scholarship to pursue my Master’s studies at the University of Leicester.
Fariba, my wife, has been an incredible source of motivation for me throughout this dissertation process. Lastly, I would like to thank the interviewees and the participants of this study. Exploring, documenting and communicating with local people, stewards, and heritage visitors at the religious heritage places was an incredible experience that I will cherish for a lifetime.
Acknowledgement
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4.6 BRIEF BIOGRAPHY OF THE CASE SITES 29
1.3 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND OBJECTIVES 5
CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION
Table of Content
CHAPTER 2: HERITAGE MOSQUES: A THEORETICAL EXPLORATION 10
2.1 HERITAGE MOSQUES AND COMMUNITY 10
4.2 RATIONALE FOR CASE STUDIES SELECTION 22
4.3 DEVELOPING A TEMPLATE 24
ABSTRACT
1.6 LIMITATIONS 9
5.2 ANALYSING THE VISITORS: OUTLINING SUBALTERN NARRATIVES 34
CHAPTER 3: EXPLORING THE DYNAMICS AND CONSEQUENCES OF AHD 17
CHAPTER 6: EVALUATION AND DISCUSSION 44
56 APPENDICES 59 REFERENCES 81
1.4 STRUCTURE OF THE STUDY 5
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1.5 DEFINING TERMS 7
5.3 ANALYSING THE MANAGEMENT: OUTLINING DOMINANT NARRATIVES 39
4.1 LOCATING THE GAP AND FORMULATING HYPOTHESIS 21
6.1 EVALUATION BASED ON TEMPLATE 44 6.2 FINAL DISCUSSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 52
2.2 PRESERVING THE SIGNIFICANCES 13
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT III
3.2 MAPPING THE NEGOTIATIONS IN GLOBAL SOUTH 19
CHAPTER 5: FINDINGS AND OUTLINING DISCOURSES 33
3.1 EXPLORING THE CONSEQUENCES 17
CHAPTER 1: CONTEXTUALISING THE STUDY 1
4.4 DEVELOPING CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK AND METHODOLOGY 25
5.1 SUMMARY OF THE FIELDWORKS 33
4.5 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS 28
1.1 BACKGROUND AND RATIONALE OF THE PROJECT 1
CHAPTER 4: RESEARCH DESIGN 21
1.2 EXPLORING HERITAGE MOSQUES IN OLD DHAKA 3
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Figure 6 A graphical representation of the relationship between heritage mosques and the local believers’ community based on the literature review. 15
Figure 7 Locating the research gap in the theoretical framework. 21
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Figure 14 Comparison of the significances of the mosques 36
Figure 15 Visitors’ opinion on their experiences and activities at the mosque complex37
Table 10 Synthesising data to construct Dominant Discourse 43
Figure 2 Mosque at Babubazar, Old Dhaka. Circa 1880. 4
Figure 3 Location of historical listed and non listed mosques in Old Dhaka. 4
Table 5 A Brief overview of the case study sites. 29
Table 3 Final selection of the case study sites at Old Dhaka 23
Figure 11 Plan and site context of Kosaituli Mosque 32
List of Tables
Figure 16 A comparative visual representation of the evaluation depicting how it aligns or contradicts the hypothesis. 54
Table 8 Synthesising data to construct Subaltern Discourses based on Appendix H and observations from Appendix J,K,L 39
Table 6 Summary of conducted surveys and interviews 33
Figure 5 Relationship of tangible heritage and monumental values in religious heritage places. 14
Figure 8 The conceptual framework. 26
Table 9 Emergent themes from quantitative analysis of the conducted interview 40
Figure 10 Plan and site context of Haji Khawaja Shahbaz Mosque 31
Figure 4 Outlining the structure of the dissertation. 6
Table 7 Analysis of participant’s expression on current interpretation and authorised approaches. 38
Table 2 Setting the selection criteria for the case study sites 23
List of Figures
Figure 9 Plan and site context of Lalbagh Killa Mosque 30
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Figure 13 Responses to the query of the purpose of frequent visit for the repeated visitors 35
Figure 12 Responses of frequency of visit and preference of visiting the heritage mosques for prayer 35
Table 1 Mapping the generic consequences of AHD 17
Table 4 Formulating the negotiations indicators. 24
Figure 1 Lalbagh Killa Mosque.