Ishwa helper Reged: 03/03/02 Posts: 553

British policy on Indian heritage #20373 - 09/16/02 05:20 AM Edit Reply Quote

Sir William Jones, 1784 (from Asiatic Researches Vol. 1. Published 1979, pages 234-235. First published 1788). �As to the general extension of our pure faith in Hindustan there are at present many sad obstacles to it� We may assure ourselves, that� Hindus will never be converted by any mission from the church of Rome, or from any other church; and the only human mode, perhaps, of causing so great a revolution, will be to translate into Sanscrit� such chapters of the Prophets, particularly of ISAIAH, as are indisputably evangelical, together with one of the gospels, and a plain prefatory discourse, containing full evidence of the very distant ages, in which the predictions themselves, and the history of the Divine Person (Jesus) predicted, were severally made public; and then quietly to disperse the work among the well-educated natives.� �The Life and Letters of Friedrich Max M�ller.� First published in 1902 (London and N.Y.). Reprint in 1976 (USA). ��I feel convinced, though I shall not live to see it, that this edition of mine and the translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to a great extent on the fate of India, and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is the root of their religion, and to show them what that root is, I feel sure, the only way of uprooting all that has sprung from it during the last 3,000 years.� (to his wife, Oxford, December 9, 1867) �India has been conquered once, but India must be conquered again, and that second conquest should be a conquest by education. Much has been done for education of late, but if the funds were tripled and quadrupled, that would hardly be enough� A new national literature may spring up, impregnated with western ideas, yet retaining its native spirit and character� A new national literature will bring with it a new national life, and new moral vigour. As to religion, that will take care of itself. The missionaries have done far more than they themselves seem to be aware of.� �The ancient religion of India is doomed, and if Christianity does not step in, whose fault will it be?� (to the duke of Argyll. Oxford, December 16, 1868) Translation of Vishnu Puran by H.H. Wilson (1786-1860). First published 1832. Printed in India by Nag Publishers, Delhi, in 1980, and reprinted in 1989. In the preface of the Vishnu Puran, written by Mr. Wilson: �The facility with which any tract may be thus attached to the nonexistent original, and the advantage that has been taken of its absence to compile a variety of unauthentic fragments, have given to the Brahmanda, Skanda, and Padma, according to Wilford, the character of being the Puranas of thieves or imposters. Original copies don�t exist, thus all of them are made up and unauthentic.� �There is nothing in all this to justify the application of the name. Whether a genuine Garuda Purana exists is doubtful.� (p. lii) �The documents (the manuscripts of the Puranas) to which Wilford trusted proved to be in great part fabrications, and where genuine, were mixed up with so much loose and unauthenticated matter, and so overwhelmed with extravagance of speculation, that his citations need to be carefully and skillfully sifted, before they can be serviceably employed� legends apparently invented for the occasion renders the publication worse than useless.� (p. lxx) These and more kind of information is on this site: http://www.encyclopediaofauthentichinduism.org/articles/37_asiatic_research.htm I hope Swami Prakashananda will forgive me quoting their info on this forum. (Copyright issue)