|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Search for meaning of Hinduism
Imagined Hinduism: British Protestant Missionary Construction
of Hinduism, 1793-1900 Oddie argues that this created an impression, even among Protestants, of a universal pagan system in India excluding the followers of Islam. Protestants believed in revelation as also in reason. Therefore, they thought that Indian religious systems also had to have some reason behind them. The search for this led to the study of ancient Sanskrit texts as suggested to them by Brahmins. Non-Brahminical texts were left out and missionaries remained ignorant of all non-Brahminic systems of India. Translation of these Brahminic texts was done under the guidance of Brahmins. This led to a belief in the existence of these texts based unified ancient universal religious culture and the centrality of Brahmin in that. The protestant missionaries termed ‘Hinduism,’ a national religion of ancient India. Oddie is uncertain about the origin of the word Hindu denoting a religion, though he finds it in use in the 14th to 15th century in Maharashtra region. However, he is certain that Protestant missionary, William Ward was, if not the first, among the first to use the term ‘Hinduism’ in 1800 A.D. Study of these texts by reformers such as Ranade, Dayananda and Rammohan Roy etc. emphasised a concept of Hinduism that believed in a monotheistic, Nirguna, all-pervading spirit of Brahman as propounded in Vedanta. Protestants, even though later agreeing with this theoretical interpretation of texts, were still uncomfortable with the reality of worship of multitude of gods and settled on Hinduism as pantheism as in practice. Hinduism now became a text-based religion, its earlier understanding of folk paganism was given up. The Brahmin, however, still remained in the centre. Protestant attacks on pantheist Hinduism continued. It was in the later half of nineteenth century that the attack was softened with a greater understanding of Bhakti and conversion became more a matter of conscience. Oddie’s tracing of the term ‘Hinduism’ is based on the autobiographical and other published works of the more important missionaries, particularly Carey and Ward. It is a study based on only religious work concerned with conversion. Oddie feels that missionary work had little to do with the work of imperial administration and politics of empire. He feels that the objectives of both were different and often their paths diverged. One was concerned with conversion while other wanted political power. He has specifically distanced himself from ‘Orientalism’ of both varieties viz. Edward Said’s and Jones’. This distancing from political discourse is the weakest part of the book. Oddie, however, refrains from calling missionary work as of actual benefit to Indians. Politics of Empire and missionary work can not be divorced. The hegemonic formulation in both was of science, rationalism, modernism, and deliverance from darkness and oriental despotism. The political interest of empire prevailed over the church. It was only in the aftermath of the first war of Independence in 1857 (for which Muslims were held responsible) that a more sympathetic view of Hindus was taken. A deeper study of ancient laws and scriptures was to meet the growing administrative requirements. The creation of an image of Hinduism as a universal non-Abrahamic religion of India had serious political implications not touched by Oddie. Hinduism became a unified text-based ‘other’ of Islam, the only Abrahamic religion of significance in India. All Non-Abrahamics, Zoroastrians ignored, were put under the category Hindu: monotheists, pantheists or pagan; Buddhists, Jains or Sikhs. Both religions, now text- based, turned fundamentalist in time with totally separate streams of history and mythology. Textual reading made Brahmin the main imperial arbitrator and interpreter in personal and religious Hindu matters. The popular customary law was replaced by classic texts enforcing varna and masculinity. Real casteism of the jati which had no hierarchy and was largely functional, was made rigid and hierarchical with the help of the Brahmin. This served the empire well. Oddie also ignores the strategy of sabotage to get converts abandoning the contest with textual ‘Hinduism’. Christianity adopted a hierarchical caste system and made deliberate efforts to recruit Brahmins to be preachers and priests understanding them to be more acceptable and effective in conversion. Oxford History of Christianity records that Christ was presented as black, sheep could be made to resemble a cow and cowherd’s stick the staff. Missionaries consciously adopted the symbols of popular Bhakti for conversion. Oddie’s work is important. Its value would have been more had he not taken the line that missionary work was independent of political Orientalism and Imperialism.
|
In this book Oddie investigates the origin of the term, concept and discourse of Hinduism. Missionaries came to India in the belief that apart from the followers of non-Brahminical religions, the world was pagan or heathen requiring redemption. Their impressions of the people of India, mainly of the East coast and Bengal, were based on the spectacular and odd in Indian rituals viz. sati, men and women dancing rapturously in worship and undergoing extreme physical pain or even death to propitiate innumerable gods. Missionaries believed Indians to be deprived of any sense of morality and sexually promiscuous. They were perceived as being dependent upon and controlled by Brahmins. Most such accounts were circulated in the West. 