[INDOLOGY] In defense of MLBD

[Dominik Wujastyk]

On 20 May 2014 18:18, Dipak Bhattacharya <dipak.d2004 at gmail.com> wrote:
​...​


> My question is why should we not first recommend writing off Oldenberg's *Die
> Literatur des  alten Indien*, 2nd ed., Stuttgart 1923 where the racist
> ideas of Oldenberg prominently occur, from the lsts of recommended books in
> the Universities?
>

​Why not, indeed?  I think it would be very good if Indian universities
used more up-to-date text books!  I am always saddened when I read the
anti-aryan-invasion people arguing against Max Müller.  It's like Don
Quixote tilting at windmills.   Almost nobody outside India has read
anything by Muller for nearly a hundred years (to learn about Indology,
that is).  The field of Indology *does* move forward, actually, just like
other fields of intellectual endeavour, and it would be wonderful if
university students in India were encouraged and enabled to read
contemporary literature on the subject of Indian literary studies, rather
than pre-war stuff that's long ago been superseded by more exciting, more
accurate and more comprehensive research.

So, if you start a petition for replacing Oldenberg in Indian university
curricula with something better, I'll sign :-)

Dominik


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