INDOLOGY@liverpool.ac.uk
 
16 10 11
Dear Colleagues,

Regarding the debate generated on dating I strongly disapprove of chauvinism but cannot deny the xiatence of animosity between Western and Indian Indologists as an unwelcome and unfortunate reality. Indian Indology began with Raja Ram Mohan Roy but gained visibility in the West later. In the early twentieth century and in the heyday of the nationalist movement one read the frequent admonition of the “misplaced patriotism” of Indian Indologists.  Such admonition continued throughout the century and after. The following is from Mare 31, Leids Universitair Weekbald, 23 mei, 2002, Pagina 11, Column 4, Paragraph 2:
“ Het politike klimaat in India stimuleert geen kritische houding in de wetenschap die de eigen cultuur bestudeert. Zodra een westerse wetenschapper beweert dat iets misschien toch welhondered jaar ouder is dan gedacht werd, dan wordt dat gelijk geciteerd. Maar als je zegt dat iets duizend jaar minder oud is, dan wordt je gelijk verketterd, en wordt je ontdekking genegeend.”

Apparently the speaker has not heard of S. K. Chatterji, B. M. Barua, H. C. Raychaudhuri, R. C. Majumdar, B. K. Ghosh, R. G. Bhandarkar and scores of other Indologists who tried to be accurate about the date and/or authenticity of texts. The speaker also misses the universality of the phenomenon. The Piltdown man was a ‘westers’ affair. I also remember (I shall have to find out the exact reference) Keith’s strong disapproval of any attempt to place Homer after 800 BC.
Can’t we get rid of such heedless attitude/pronouncements?

Best

DB