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In response to my above note Dr. Basham writes in his
abovementioned book: “I have decided to recast , this lecture
in the light of a remarkable document (above note ) which was
handed to me yesterday, by a young man who attended my first
two meetings and was apparently impressed by my emphasis on
the essential individualism of ancient Hindu thought. This
very interesting note gives a personal and pessimistic view of
the classical Indian attitude to life and its author
concludes: ‘ With a request for your kind consideration of
this aspect in your lecture on religious thought.’ So I have
revised the notes of this lecture and perhaps some of my
remarks may give an implicit answer, if not a direct one, to
the writer of this very interesting, sincere and eloquently
written document.”
Dr.Basham’s Response
In the course of this lecture Dr. Basham reverting to my
question says: “As a further example of specious
generalization, I may mention the idea especially widespread
In the West in the last century, of India as a fundamentally
unhappy land, where a rigid social systems is clamped down
upon wretched, poverty-stricken millions, and where cruel
irrational religion has encouraged the masses to maintain
superstitions and often positively evil practices. This view
of India is evidently still, that of some Indians, for it
seems to be at the back of the mind of the gentleman who
handed me the little document. Formerly, in the West it was
much propagated by missionaries returning from India, but
nowadays it is more often spread by rationalists and Marxists
among the Indians themselves. This picture of the religious
life in India may contain a small element of truth, but as a
broad generalization it is positively false.”
With all the scholarship and great learning that Dr. Basham
has brought to bear upon, in his elucidation of the ancient
Indian culture. I am constrained to say that this
interpretation suffers on account of the fact that it leaves
out of consideration the grievous plight to which the
untouchables have been reduced through centuries of
systematic, cruel oppression and persecution.
Dr. Basham attributes the opinion expressed by me, to
missionaries and this brings me to the decisive influence
exercised (whatever the deleterious effects of their
unthinking proselytisation activities in India) by certain
noble missionaries in medicine, in giving a modern, secular
outlook to Shahu Chhatrapati as shown by Mr. P.B. Salunkhe,
the Chief Editor of the Shahu Memorial Volume (Marathi) in his
very illuminating article ‘Maharaja and Missionaries.’
I have no hesitation in saying that Mr. Salunkhe’s assessment
of Shahu’s social reform task and its genesis, in tracing down
its inspiration to the humane and medical mission carried on
by Dr. Wanless and Dr. Vail at the Miraj Medical Mission
Centre, throws an unique light on how Shahu’s reformist
thought was decisively moulded.
Shahu’s Radical Transformation
Shahu confesses as quoated in Dhananjay Keer’s biography Shahu
Chhatrapati: A Royal Revolutionary when laying the foundation
of a Maratha hostel at Nasik:
“I confessed at one time I was conservative and upholder of
orthodoxy and believed in the perpetuation of the caste
system. The idea, that thereby I was obstructing the progress
of others, never occurred to me I even felt it dangerous to my
religion to preside over public meetings of other castes. But
the reasons in the two cases are as distant as the poles.To
preide over caste meetings was to me in early days an
irreligious act. I do not like to preside over them because I
fear that thereby I am committing the sin of strengthening the
caste feelings.”
What caused this radical transformation if Shahu’s thought?
Shahu had deep faith in Vedic religion as Mr. Salunkhe notes,
but he also made skillful use of the Satya Shodhak, Prarthana
Samaj and Theosophical Society to bring about the religious
and social revolution of his conception. But the lion’s share
in this transformation belongs to Dr. Wanless’s self–less,
secular medical mission. Dr. Wanless and Dr. Vail had adopted
the aim of serving the suffering humanity without distinction
of caste, religion or sect. and this had an exemplary effect
on Shahu’s mind says Mr. P.B. Salunkhe and I am strongly
inclined to agree with him.
... Continued
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