Abstract
Dissemination of a scientific theory does follow, often, a circuitous route. It is a widespread notion, supported by eminent scholars that noted linguist and religious scholar; F. Max Müller is responsible for the dissemination of Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT), who played in the hands of imperial interests. In this paper, I argue that there were other stakeholders in the process of widespread acceptance of AIT. In particular, the Brahmo Samaj , a prominent socio-religious reform association in nineteenth century India, played a major role in the spreading of AIT. The prominent leaders of Brahmo Samaj , actively or passively, corroborated with Müller in that process. I closely examine the development of affairs during that time and attempt to establish the fact that development of a scientific theory is not a unilateral process, but rather strongly influenced by the sociopolitical environments of the time.
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- 1.
Sen (1901).
- 2.
- 3.
Said (1978), The powerful proposition of this work, that ‘all academic knowledge about India and Egypt is somehow tinged and impressed with, violated by, the gross political fact (British Colonization)’ shaped subsequent studies and fields like postcolonialism.
- 4.
Trautmann (2004).
- 5.
Beckerlegge (1997, p. 189).
- 6.
Hall (2002, S. 16).
- 7.
Wife (1902, S. 153, 154) The tradition of a dutiful wife to keep the memoirs of his illustrious husband for posterity was not uncommon in nineteenth century. Another example of this is Frances Waddington Bunsen, who published the memoirs of her husband, Baron von Bunsen in 1868.
- 8.
Wife (1902, S. 154).
- 9.
Müller M.
- 10.
Müller M.
- 11.
Whewell (1837, 1973, reprint of 3rd edition of 1857, publ. Class 1967) Much like the efforts to reconcile the dates of Rig Veda with Biblical narrative, there were some proponents of Catastrophism, who attempted to link historical records or legends of a great flood with the Noah’s flood. French Palaeontologist Georges Cuvier was among the first to propose a record of multiple such natural floods and formed the group of natural theologians. William Buckland, an English theologian, on the other hand, tried his best to use Cuvier’s observations to support Biblical records.
- 12.
Todd (1992, S. 248).
- 13.
Patil (249).
- 14.
Todd (1992, S. 248).
- 15.
The ruthless and rampant loot during the early era of East India Company came to a grinding halt, thankfully, after the Charter Act of 1813, which established the Crown’s sovereignty over British India; allocated a sum of 100,000 Rupees to promote education in India; and also on the other hand, permitted Christian Missionaries to preach their religion freely—thus, leading to new forms of resentment. A detailed account of the British atrocities during this time, as well as during the later colonial era is documented in ‘An Era of Darkness: The British Empire in India’ authored by Shashi Tharoor in 2016 (published by Aleph Book Company).
- 16.
Datta (2010, S. 22, 21) Mahendranath Datta also happens to be the brother of Narendranath Datta , a famous social reformer in nineteenth century India. They were from an affluent family with a strong tradition of multicultural, intellectual household. Narendranath Datta , later known as Swami Vivekananda, corresponded regularly with Max Müller and also was an admirer and follower of Keshub Sen at one point of his life.
- 17.
Datta (2010, S. 22, 21).
- 18.
- 19.
Datta (2010, S. 21).
- 20.
Farquhar (1915, S. 29).
- 21.
(1866, S. 19).
- 22.
Official Brahmo website Brahmosamaj.org., Retrieved 2012-10-15.
- 23.
Sen (1870).
- 24.
Hem Chandra Sarkar (S. 13, 14).
- 25.
Stevens (n.d.).
- 26.
Sastri (1911).
- 27.
Slater (1884).
- 28.
Müller (1884, S. 52, 163).
- 29.
Protap Chunder Mozoomdar (1887, S. 206, 208).
- 30.
- 31.
Macpherson (1900, S. 55).
- 32.
David Kopf (1979, S. 9).
- 33.
David Kopf (1979, S. 164, 165).
- 34.
Müller (1884, S. 54).
- 35.
Oman (1906, S. 118).
- 36.
Hughton (1985).
- 37.
The Inquirer (1870).
- 38.
The Inquirer (1870).
- 39.
Borthwick (1977, S. 71).
- 40.
Müller (1884, S. 51).
- 41.
Mozoomdar (1931, S. 142).
- 42.
Müller (1884, S. 72).
- 43.
(India Office Library John Lawrence Collection. MSS.Eur.F.90/31 (Letters to Secretary of State, Vol. 3). No. 58 to Lord Cranborne. Calcutta., December 19 1866.), (Frere).
- 44.
The Record Supplement (1870).
- 45.
Collet (Keshub Chunder Sen’s English Visit (London: Strahan and Co., 1871), Speaking at a reception in Nottingham, June 12 1870, S. 384) Decisive form of Christianity was noted only when a person was baptized. Keshub was never baptized. However, given his formation of separate Church, virtual excommunication from traditionalists and proclamation of Jesus to be Asiatic, constantly raised the hope, for missionaries, that he is going to become a Christian.
- 46.
Collet (Keshub Chunder Sen’s English Visit (London: Strahan and Co., 1871), Speaking at a reception in Nottingham, June 12 1870, S. 10).
- 47.
Mozoomdar (1887).
- 48.
Müller (1884, S. 55, 56).
- 49.
Müller (1884, S. 55, 56) Keshub Chandra Sen , in his new dispensation, integrated ideas from Koran, among others. In fact, Girish Chandra Sen’s Tapasmala—life of Muslim saints and his Bengali translation of Koran and Hadis—was a key reference for the new dispensation.
- 50.
Müller (1884, S. 61, 62) After the foundation of new dispensation, several followers of Keshub Sen , notably Pratap Chandra Mozoomder, went abroad, e.g. Sri Lanka, England and America. Possibly, these activities are what is referred by Müller when talking about the ‘most active missionary organization’.
- 51.
Wife (1902, S. 332, 182) The questions put forth by Tagore were, in fact, echoing with the rational mind that emerged in Europe and India alike. He asked—‘Some of these missionaries would turn us out of God’s mercy-seat, by frightening us with the awful name of Justice, as if it is something incompatible with His goodness and mercy. If God’s mercy and justice will not and cannot save us, the Brahmas ask, what will? ‘Christ’s blood’, is the answer. Tell us how? Christ was innocent, and, as you say, perfectly pure. He took upon Himself, it is said, all our sins, and died a torturing death. This was God’s dispensation to save sinners. We cannot reconcile this with our idea of God’s justice. Kill the innocent to save the guilty, kill him not merely in a physical sense, but throw on him all the sins of all the world, and drown him to death in an ocean of sins, that all sinners might escape!’.
- 52.
Wife (1902, S. 332, 182).
- 53.
Müller (1884, S. 163, 52).
- 54.
Müller (1884, S. 77, 80, 82).
- 55.
Max Müller (1874) .
- 56.
- 57.
Panikker (1961).
- 58.
Max Müller (1874) .
- 59.
Meredith Borthwick (1977, S. 71).
- 60.
Borthwick (1977, S. 71).
- 61.
(Hirschmann E.) Hirschmann (2004).
- 62.
Hirschmann (2004) (Hirschmann E., S. February 1 1872, October 23 1873).
- 63.
Collet (1877), S. 22–23.
- 64.
Thapar (2000, Sep. 30–Oct. 13).
- 65.
(Bahuguna) The dominance is eroding with time. In particular, last few decades have seen acceleration towards a more ‘balanced’ representation in all sectors, initiated by specific commissions set up by Indian government to identify and help socio-economically backward classes.
- 66.
Arooran (1980), (Arooran, Tamil renaissance and Dravidian nationalism 1905–1944.).
- 67.
Max Müller (1859).
- 68.
Meredith Borthwick (1977, S. 102, 103).
- 69.
Meredith Borthwick (1977, S. 103).
- 70.
Borthwick (1977, S. 124–126).
- 71.
Charles Dall entry (1873) .
- 72.
News (1873).
- 73.
News (1873).
- 74.
- 75.
Herald (1873).
- 76.
Gleaner (1878).
- 77.
Gleaner (1878).
- 78.
Max Müller (1874) Müller was largely unsuccessful not least because, for the puritans, he already crossed the line multiple times, such as, by trying to establish a heretic viewpoint on the origin of religion.
- 79.
Deb (n.d., p. 7).
- 80.
Girardot (2002).
- 81.
Smith (1988).
- 82.
Müller (n.d., p. 71).
- 83.
Müller (n.d., p. 79).
- 84.
ibid (n.d., p. 82).
- 85.
ibid (n.d., p. 85).
- 86.
Müller (1881, S. 150) Mozoomdar certainly expressed this view in a letter to Müller, writing that ‘What you are doing as a philosopher and philologist we are trying to do as men of devotion and faith. It is the same universal recognition of all truths, and all prophets. I grant we are doing it in a Hindu style, perhaps in a Bengali style’.
- 87.
- 88.
Sen (1901), S. 62).
- 89.
- 90.
Borthwick (‘Keshub Chunder Sen: A search for cultural synthesis’, Miss Collet wrote ‘To the end Max Müller preserved his faith in Keshub Chandra Sen , and did all he could to uphold him and his work against the attacks made on him in India and England’, 1977, S. 110) Miss Collet wrote ‘To the end Max Müller preserved his faith in Keshub Chandra Sen , and did all he could to uphold him and his work against the attacks made on him in India and England’ and in another letter to Miss. Collet from Max Müller in 1881, Jan 23 wrote about Keshub Chandra Sen that he gave ‘more open recognition of Historical Superiority of Christianity as compared with more ancient forms of faith’.
- 91.
Bose (1884, S. 126).
- 92.
Bose (1884, S. 128) It is also argued that Keshub found his new disepensation of ‘unity in multiplicity’ from Indian saint Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa , whom he met in 1876, and had been a regular visitor ever since. Pratap Chandra Mozoomdar wrote the first English biography of Ramakrishna, entitled The Hindu Saint in the Theistic Quarterly Review (1879), which caught the attention of Westerners like Max Müller . Later, Müller wrote an appreciative essay on Sri Ramakrishna in the magazine Nineteenth Century, titled ‘A Real Mahatman’.
- 93.
Bose (1884).
- 94.
ibid (n.d.).
- 95.
Sen (1889).
- 96.
Sen (1889, S. 6) Though it is not clear whether Keshub used the term Aryan with or without the knowledge of Müller, it is clear that the idea of a common racial origin fitted very much to group them again together in a new, universal religion. Sen did exactly that.
- 97.
(O’Leary) ref: Hudson (1996, S. 247, 64).
- 98.
(O’Leary).
- 99.
Kopf (British Orientalism and the Bengal Renaissance: The Dynamics of Indian Modernization, (Berkeley, CA,), 1969, S. 100).
- 100.
(Cohn).
- 101.
Borthwick (1977, S. 68).
- 102.
Sen (1901).
- 103.
- 104.
Koditschek (2011, S. 321).
- 105.
Metcalf (1964).
- 106.
Mehrota (1971, S. 208).
- 107.
Kennedy (Britain and Empire, 1880–1945, 2002).
- 108.
McClelland (2006, S. 284–288).
- 109.
McClelland (2000, S. 286).
- 110.
Cunningham (1981).
- 111.
Girardot (1887, S. 247).
- 112.
David Kopf (1979).
- 113.
The Inquirer (1877).
- 114.
Sen (1901), S. 49–51).
- 115.
Sen (1901), S. 69, 106).
- 116.
Sen (1901), S. 106, 97).
- 117.
Sen (1901), S. 117–118).
- 118.
Arnold (2000).
- 119.
Sen (1993, S. 60).
- 120.
Mehrota (1971, S. 545–602).
- 121.
Kopf (‘The Universal Man and the Yellow Dog: The Orientalist Legacy and the Problem of Brahmo Identity in the Bengal Renaissance’) Baumer (1975, S. 64).
- 122.
Thapar (1996, S. 3–29).
- 123.
- 124.
David Kopf (1979, S. 147).
- 125.
The Inquirer (1833).
- 126.
The Inquirer (1883).
- 127.
Bose (1884, S. 130).
- 128.
Bagal (1968).
- 129.
Protap Chunder Mozoomdar (1887, S. 239).
- 130.
- 131.
Müller (1884, S. 163, 52).
- 132.
The Inquirer (1883).
- 133.
Kopf (‘The Universal Man and the Yellow Dog: The Orientalist Legacy and the Problem of Brahmo Identity in the Bengal Renaissance’), Baumer (1975, S. 64).
- 134.
Thakur (1914, S. 100).
- 135.
Basu (Bagal 1942) In one sense, the waves of romantic nationalism broke shores in India to create new ideologies. By challenging the identity, an identity is formed. Though plurality and integration are an integrated part of Indian culture, it had been subjected to years of oppression. As put by the American historian and philosopher Will Durant—Britain’s ‘conscious and deliberate bleeding of India… [was the] greatest crime in all history’.
- 136.
Thapar (1996, S. 3–29).
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Chattopadhyay Banerjee, S. (2019). Brahmo Samaj as an Actor in the Dissemination of Aryan Invasion Theory (AIT) in India. In: The Development of Aryan Invasion Theory in India . Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-13-7755-6_3
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