Indology and "the disastrous ideology of the 'pure Aryan race'"

[Jan E.M. Houben]

Good morning, Reinhold, 
See my previous comments on that memorable
meeting in Leipzig, and why I referred to the
mentioned issues of ZDMG ... My position is clear
to those who take the time to read my previous
mails on Making the Argument for Sanskrit. I have
no further comments to add at this moment, and
still a lot of homework to do among which, yes,
also writing to the Berlin authorities -- rest
assured, in my letters to them I will not refer
to the sensitive period in
German-European-International indology. 
Cheers,
JH


--- gruenendahl
<gruenen at MAIL.SUB.UNI-GOETTINGEN.DE> wrote:

> On 4 Jan 2007 at 6:40, Jan E.M. Houben wrote:
> 
> > In view of the turn the discussion of the
> > explosively sensitive topic of the history of
> > Indology is taking it is probably indeed
> better
> > to face this problem in a trans-national
> context
> > and keep it for a separate thread (and a
> section
> > in the planned Indology FAQ).
> 
> 
> I fully agree with Professor Houben's
> proposition to decouple the two issues. It 
> will
> be remembered, I hope, that it was not my idea
> to insinuate a connection between
> them.
> 
> Then why not start the separate thread now?
> 
> Before the discussion (if any)  turns to more
> complex issues, I should like to assess the
> current state
> of affairs by asking a few simple questions:
> 
> Does Professor Houben or any other member of
> this list maintain any of the  following
> positions
> (all quoted from his paper:
>
http://www.iias.nl/iiasn/iiasn7/south/houben.html):
> 
> 1) That there was a "positive relations which
> some indologists at least maintained with the
> German government
>  and its disastrous ideology of the 'pure Aryan
> race' before and during the period of the
> Second World War period",
>  and if so, where do these relations surface in
> indological writings of that period?
> 
> 2) that "selected articles and notices of the
> volumes 92-98 (1938-44) and 99 (1945-49) of
>  the Zeitschrift [der] Deutsche[n]
> Morgenländische[n] Gesellschaft" would yield
> any evidence
>  in support of position #1, and if so, which;
> 
> 3) that "S. Pollock's provocative "Deep
> Orientalism: Notes on Sanskrit and Power Beyond
> the Raj"
>  (in Van der Veer and Beckenridge, The
> Postcolonial Predicament, Philadelphia, 1993)",
> make
>  "essential reading for a well-informed
> discussion" in so far as [my addition:] it
> contains an intellectually
>  sound argument in support of his claims or
> position #1, and if so, which.
> 
> Please correct me if I should have
> misinterpreted Professor Houben's positions in
> any way.
> By settling these simple questions in his
> favour, I think, Professor Houben could rally
> more support for
> his case than by any other means.
> 
> As indicated, two criteria would be very
> helpful: 1) that the evidence is concrete and
> verifiable by book,
> chapter and verse; 2) that it is relevant to
> the context.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> As for the prospected FAQ section, a section
> for FRF (frequently repeated fabrications) may
> also
> be a good idea.
> 
> 
> Greetings
> Reinhold Grünendahl
> 
> 
> 
>
********************************************************************
> 
> Dr. Reinhold Gruenendahl
> Niedersaechsische Staats- und
> Universitaetsbibliothek
> Fachreferat sued- und suedostasiatische
> Philologien
> (Dept. of Indology)
> 
> 37070 Goettingen, Germany
> Tel (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 52 83
> Fax (+49) (0)5 51 / 39 23 61
> gruenen at mail.sub.uni-goettingen.de
> 
> FACH-INFORMATIONEN INDOLOGIE, GOETTINGEN:
>
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/fiindolo.htm
> In English:
>
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/fiindole.htm
> 
> GRETIL - Goettingen Register of Electronic
> Texts in Indian Languages
>
http://www.sub.uni-goettingen.de/ebene_1/fiindolo/gretil.htm
> 



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