It is a common fallacy that history is all about the past, that it is concatenation of ascertained facts in sequence. In reality, the past gets (355) with every shift in the world view of the present. The past is not to blame for the hairy view that the TajMahal is a blot on Indian culture, rather, the politics of the (356)_ who asserts this is. It is not just the present that colours the past. Even the shape of the future that is desired has an (357) on history. You can look at Ashoka and the Buddha and say that India was a land of peace, because you want to inspire the (358) generation to build a future of harmony. Those whose forefathers suffered systematic violence and seek justice in the present might choose a different set of facts to portray a different (359) of history, with different imperatives for reparative action.