Indology list ,Hinduja

[Peter Gaeffke]

Mr. Achar wrote that according to the stipulations in the will of 
Colonel Boden the Sanskrit chair at Oxford was established for "the 
conversion of the natives  of India to the Christian Religion" and he 
follows this up by giving the reason for H.H.Wilson's writing his 
"The Religious and Philosophical System of the Hindus"

Out of these sentences some members of the List draw solace and confidence 
about the horrible West and thoses who follow its traces  even now.

But the actual issue is another one: Since the establishment of Western
Universities State and Church were the overlords. However, and differently
from the Muslim madrasas, the Western professors formed corporations and
negotiated charters which slowly provided this "freedom of teaching" we
cherish so much. But still in the 18th century Oxford asked his
professors to adhere to Christian teachings. Therefore it is not
surprising that the Boden bequests was accepted by the Christian regents
and Wilson argued in a Christian way. 

But neither his translation of the Visnu Purana nor the edition of the
Rgveda by Max Mueller and his book about India and what it can teach us,
helped the expansion of Christianity very much. On the contrary, 
despite the official restrictions, some useful work was done in Oxford. 

Now there is no state and religious authority who sets the framework for 
scholarly activities, Unfortunately, scholars themselves, voluntarily 
negotiate the  strings for the money they accept and live happily ever after.