eurocentrism/indoeuropeanism

[Guest guest]

Thoreau said," A man is wise with the wisdom of his time only,and ignorant

with its ignorance."

 

We should keep this in mind when we subject individuals from earlier times

to contemporary scrutiny.Throughout the 19th century, the world indeed was

Euro-centric,and the English-knowing upper crust of India had no difficulty

in accepting this.Orientalism might have been confrontationist in the Muslim

world. But in India it was seductive ; it took the form of

Indo-europeanism."Inherent in the British rule over India was the slow ,and

often reluctant preparation of the Indians to challenge and eventually

overthrow that rule.

The first Indian middle class initiative was taken in 1869 by allopath -

turned - homeopath, Dr Mahendralal Sircar , who finally set up (in 1975 ) a

"national institution for the cultivation of sciences by the natives of

India " Sircar wrote in his 1869 pamphlet :

 

" thanks to the inherent generosity that flows through every British

heart,some obstacle or other is being removed that stood in the way of our

being recognized as brethren , though now fallen and degraded."

 

Even Mohandas Gandhi , before he became Mahatma , held similar views.In

1894 , while in South Africa Gandhi protested to the Europeans in Natal

against the ill treatment of the Indians. He sought to remind them that "

both the English and the Indians spring from a common stock, called the

Indo-aryan "

 

*

Indology is a rigorous avademic discipline , worthy of serious study by

any student of history of civilization. Indology is too important a subject

to be left to the Indians alone.Thoreau spoke of ignorance of the times. To

this we may add cultural conditioning, biases, conscious and

subconscious,real or imaginary. It is not fair to comment on the motives of

the scholar.There are any number of instances of good motives producing bad

results and vice versa. In our keenness to read between the lines, we must

not forget to read the lines . In any case, in the modern age, every body,

especially a scholar, has every right to make a fool of himself.

 

Who was it who said something to the effect ; don't bite the finger; look

where it is pointing ?

 

Rajesh Kochhar.

[Guest guest]

>Thoreau said," A man is wise with the wisdom of his time only,and ignorant

>with its ignorance."

>

>We should keep this in mind when we subject individuals from earlier times

>to contemporary scrutiny.Throughout the 19th century, the world indeed was

>Euro-centric,and the English-knowing upper crust of India had no difficulty

>in accepting this.Orientalism might have been confrontationist in the

Muslim

>world. But in India it was seductive ; it took the form of

>Indo-europeanism."Inherent in the British rule over India was the slow ,and

>often reluctant preparation of the Indians to challenge and eventually

>overthrow that rule.

> The first Indian middle class initiative was taken in 1869 by allopath -

>turned - homeopath, Dr Mahendralal Sircar , who finally set up (in 1975 )

a

>"national institution for the cultivation of sciences by the natives of

>India " Sircar wrote in his 1869 pamphlet :

>

>" thanks to the inherent generosity that flows through every British

>heart,some obstacle or other is being removed that stood in the way of our

>being recognized as brethren , though now fallen and degraded."

>

> Even Mohandas Gandhi , before he became Mahatma , held similar views.In

>1894 , while in South Africa Gandhi protested to the Europeans in Natal

>against the ill treatment of the Indians. He sought to remind them that "

>both the English and the Indians spring from a common stock, called the

>Indo-aryan "

>

> *

> Indology is a rigorous avademic discipline , worthy of serious study

by

>any student of history of civilization. Indology is too important a subject

>to be left to the Indians alone.Thoreau spoke of ignorance of the times. To

>this we may add cultural conditioning, biases, conscious and

>subconscious,real or imaginary. It is not fair to comment on the motives

of

>the scholar.There are any number of instances of good motives producing bad

>results and vice versa. In our keenness to read between the lines, we must

>not forget to read the lines . In any case, in the modern age, every

body,

>especially a scholar, has every right to make a fool of himself.

>

>Who was it who said something to the effect ; don't bite the finger; look

>where it is pointing ?

>

>Rajesh Kochhar.

>

>

>