The Aryans (again); 19th century discourse.

Edwin Bryant ebryant at FAS.HARVARD.EDU
Wed Dec 16 02:54:32 UTC 1998


This is probably a bad time of year to put out a request for info, but I
am looking for appropriations of the Indo-European (then known as Aryan)
connection by Indian intellectuals in the 18th and early 19th century.
To be specific, I am looking for ways in which the discourses of common
Aryan linguistic, cultural and racial ties between the Hindus and
Europeans were appropriated by Hindus for various agendas, ie, to stress
Aryan commonality and therefore equality with the British, or to advocate
Hindu Aryan spiritual superiority over European Aryan materialistic
decadence, or to acknowledge Hindu Aryan material weakness with a view to
soliciting assistance from the European Aryan brethren, etc, etc.

Lots of work has been done on Aryan discourse in the West, but can anyone
refer me to any primary or secondary sources on parallel or contrasting
manifestations of this phenomenon in India along the lines outlined above?
I have a few bits and pieces from rummaging around as best I can, but am
sure there must be a lot more out there.  Thanks in advance, Edwin Bryant.





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