[Y-Indology] Article on India Studies

[Guest guest]

I once came across an Egyptian, who did his masters in "Ingeborg Bachmann". I

believe his paper was well accepted at AlAzhar University. But for me as a

German it felt strange, even if honestly speaking I did not know much about that

author.

But ours is a different case. We speak about specialists in the same field- but

different passport holders.

Indian Indologists may have the advantage of easier access to Indian languages,

definitely their upbringing does give them as well some special hints towards

understanding historical Indian settings, as well as educated French nationals

have better preconditions for a scientific career in Romance Philology. But just

to be an Indian National does not suffice to rule out so called foreign

intervention in questions of Indian history and culture. Modern even well

educated Indians may be more distant from Vedic culture than a western

university graduate in Indian Studies.

Indians should be proud that so many bright westerners are so enchanted of their

culture that they decide to spend their lives with the exploration of Indias

past. I personnally would be happy to find an Indian bothering to learn Old and

Middle High German to such a perfection as ordinary university professors of

Indology do know Sanskrit.

 

 

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, carendreyer@t... wrote:

> But just to be an Indian National does not suffice to rule out

> so called foreign intervention in questions of Indian history and

> culture. Modern even well educated Indians may be more distant from

> Vedic culture than a western university graduate in Indian Studies.

> Indians should be proud that so many bright westerners are so enchanted

> of their culture that they decide to spend their lives with

> the exploration of Indias past. I personnally would be happy to find an

> Indian bothering to learn Old and Middle High German to such a

> perfection as ordinary university professors of Indology do know Sanskrit.

>

 

It is true that any scholar, irrespective of their native countries,

can study Indian culture. In India, there's real danger of the majority

losing out skills to read and write in their mothertongues.

 

Besides colonial and missionary interests, European study of Sanskrit

is also because of the Aryan connections.

1) Sheldon Pollock, "Deep Orientalism? Notes on Sanskrit and Power Beyond the

Raj"

in _Orientalism and the Postcolonial Predicament_.

eds. Carol A. Breckenridge and Peter van der Veer, 77-133, 1993.

2) Leon Poliakov, The Aryan myth 1974

3) Maurice Olender, The languages of Paradise: Race, religion and

philology in the nineteenth century, Harvard university, 1992.

4) T. Trautmann, Aryans and the British.

 

Olender's book, Foreword (p.vii)"Where was Paradise? In what blessed region

of the world did God place the Garden of Eden, and what language did Adam

and Eve speak when they lived there? Did the first couple, at the dawn of

history, converse in *Hebrew*, as Saint Augustine quite naturally assumed?

Or, should we, as Leibnitz believed, look for a more primitive idiom, the

language of the Scythian continent, supposedly the root of the various

languages spoken by the so-called Indo-European peoples and thus, in the

eyes of scholars, the original speech of humankind?"

 

Augustine (354-430 CE) held that Hebrew was the first language. Johann

Gottfried Herder (1744-1803) went for Sanskrit from the heights of Indian

mountains and, he said Ganges is the river of Paradise. Ferdinand de

Saussure (1857-1913) rejected Hebrew and went for Aryan. Augustine's view

on the centrality of Hebrew was shattered by the IE data and, 19th century

saw the raising of sanskrit in European mind. Wide ramifications followed."

 

Regards,

N. Ganesan

[Guest guest]

INDOLOGY, carendreyer@t... wrote:

 

> Indians should be proud that so many bright westerners are so

enchanted of their culture that they decide to spend their lives with

the exploration of Indias past. I personnally would be happy to find

an Indian bothering to learn Old and Middle High German to such a

perfection as ordinary university professors of Indology do know

Sanskrit.

 

It always makes me feel strange to see that there are departments of

canadian studies in japanese universities. I don't know if it makes

me happy. Actually, I think it makes me sad to think that people in

such an extremely interesting country as Japan (I almost had to flip

a coin to decide whether I would learn Japanese or Sanskrit, years

ago) would go to such a lot of work to get a degree, and even a

career, in something which only exists as an academically created

category, which some say about Tantra or even Hinduism, but I am

almost willing to believe that these latter are objectively more

interesting imaginary subjective categories than canadian culture.

But perhaps these japanese canadologists know something I don't

know. Let them believe in Canada, if they want to. It seems to be

something they need, and that makes them happy, and unlike indology,

it is surely unimaginable that their canadizing fantasies could hurt

the subject of their study.

[Guest guest]

Yes. It is true. But one must analyse the background.

In olden days, Brahmins who made learning and teaching

as their only profession were supported by the Kings

as well as the society. In the 20th century, because

of lack of such support, many of them migrated

to other professions. I would like to know how

those non-Indians who devote their life to study

Indian culture, are supported.

 

P.K.Ramakrishnan

 

--- carendreyer wrote:

> I once came across an Egyptian, who did his masters

> in "Ingeborg Bachmann". I believe his paper was well

> accepted at AlAzhar University. But for me as a

> German it felt strange, even if honestly speaking I

> did not know much about that author.

> But ours is a different case. We speak about

> specialists in the same field- but different

> passport holders.

> Indian Indologists may have the advantage of easier

> access to Indian languages, definitely their

> upbringing does give them as well some special hints

> towards understanding historical Indian settings, as

> well as educated French nationals have better

> preconditions for a scientific career in Romance

> Philology. But just to be an Indian National does

> not suffice to rule out so called foreign

> intervention in questions of Indian history and

> culture. Modern even well educated Indians may be

> more distant from Vedic culture than a western

> university graduate in Indian Studies.

> Indians should be proud that so many bright

> westerners are so enchanted of their culture that

> they decide to spend their lives with the

> exploration of Indias past. I personnally would be

> happy to find an Indian bothering to learn Old and

> Middle High German to such a perfection as ordinary

> university professors of Indology do know Sanskrit.

>

> [Non-text portions of this message have been

> removed]

>

>

>

 

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

This is a very valid point. It is indeed gratifying to

note that a lot of foreign nationals have been

totally dedicated to the study of Indian culture and

philosophy. It should also be remembered that they are

much respected and admired when they happen to come

to India. In fact, a Max Muller or a Paul Duessen

commands as much respect as a Radhakrishnan or a

Dasgupta in India.

Yes,It is not often possible to meet an Indian as

welll versed in German language as a German in

Sanskrit. But this is due to historical reasons. We

can find very dedicated and extremely well informed

Professors of English in India though there is nobody

to sing their laurels.

I think the East is East/West is west// Never the

twain shall meet attitude is the is symptomatic of

an obsolete world view.

C.Rajendran

 

=====

Dr.C.Rajendran

Professor of Sanskrit

University of Calicut

Calicut University P.O

Kerala 673 635 Phone: 0494-2401144

Residential address:28/1097,Rajadhani Kumaran Nair Road,

Chevayur, Calicut Kerala 673 017 Phone: 0495-2354 624

 

 

 

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[Guest guest]

Quoting peekayar <peekayar:

 

> In olden days, Brahmins who made learning and teaching

> as their only profession were supported by the Kings

> as well as the society. In the 20th century, because

> of lack of such support, many of them migrated

> to other professions. I would like to know how

> those non-Indians who devote their life to study

> Indian culture, are supported.

 

By kings and society, same as always.

[Guest guest]

-

peekayar

INDOLOGY

Tuesday, December 16, 2003 1:19 AM

Re: [Y-Indology] Article on India Studies

 

 

Yes. It is true. But one must analyse the background.

In olden days, Brahmins who made learning and teaching

as their only profession were supported by the Kings

as well as the society. In the 20th century, because

of lack of such support, many of them migrated

to other professions. I would like to know how

those non-Indians who devote their life to study

Indian culture, are supported.

 

P.K.Ramakrishnan

 

there are people who want to become rich, they have to study medicine,

economics ore else-

there are people who want to learn and understand and just to lead a decent

life they go into research and if they are lucky they manage to succeed.

In any case it should not be a criterion for criticism on which funds one

lives. there are no dark channels of exploitation. and even if someone manages

to sell an article on India. this does not do any harm to India- on the contrary

it instigates public intrest in Indian culture and affairs- the best ambassador

for india.

C.D.