Classical India Rediscovered
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> Research Dravidian studies in the Netherlands part 2 (1860s-1970s): Classical India rediscovered as a unique collection of 1,580 Tibetan serve their linguistic and cultural iden- manuscripts and block prints. tity. In addition to comparative linguis- tics, Zvelebil explored the disappearing Aryan Letters at universities skills, cultural and religious practices of In 1921, Aryan Letters, alias Indian the Dravidian people, as well as Tamil philology, was introduced at Leiden Uni- myths and legends (see ‘Een bescheiden versity. Its aim was the study of Sanskrit onderkomen’ 1981:131-134). and ‘related subjects’, including Indian archaeology, and the study of the Indian On one occasion Zvelebil wrote that cultural impact on Indonesia - the coun- while there was no ground for setting try where pragmatic interest of the apart Dravidian literature - Dravidian Netherlands lay. Curiously, the very term here meaning that which originated and ‘Indology’ until the 1950s meant flourished in the south of India - from research relating to Dutch colonial pos- other literatures of India, Tamil litera- sessions in Indonesia. Despite their late ture was an entirely different matter: rediscovery of Indian cultural heritage, ‘There, and only there, are we able to the Dutch distinguished themselves point out a whole complex set of features during the twentieth century as (...) separating this Dravidian literature Europe’s top researchers in the field. not only from other Indian literatures Kern Institute Library, Leiden Library, Institute Kern Among them was F.B.J. Kuiper, appoint- but from other Dravidian literatures as Subrahmanyaswaminamavali, Sanskrit palmleaf manuscript in Grantha script ed at Leiden University in 1939, who well.’ (Zvelebil 1973:1) This thesis rep- studied the influence of non-Aryan resents a turning point in the scholar’s Dutch curiosity about South India triggered by overseas trade expeditions faded by the end (Dravidian) languages of ancient India career (to be discussed later), when he Research > of the seventeenth century, resulting in a gap in Dravidian studies that lasted for 170 years. on Sanskrit and attempted to identify plunged into the two millennia-old lit- Dravidian studies Meanwhile, elsewhere in Europe, research on Indian antiquity was evolving. As H.W. the meaning of myths and other aspects erary tradition of the Tamils, striving to Bodewitz recently argued: in Britain, the winner of colonialist competition in India, of the Vedic religion. Kuiper’s later reveal its richness and beauty to a West- Indomania gave way to either Indophobia or disinterest. In France, the defeated colonizer, research on innovations in spoken ern audience. initial enthusiasm waned but research, spurred by national ambition, went on. In Germany, Tamil was taken up in the 1950s by K. an outsider to colonial competition in India, zealous scholars turned from romantic de Vreese of Amsterdam University. It was due to his copious work that Dra- fascination to a more scientific approach. In the Netherlands, ‘there was absolutely After specializing in Sanskrit philology, vidian studies in the Netherlands final- nothing’. (2002:11) De Vreese was given a new course to ly began to take shape, reaching its launch: modern Indian languages - the zenith in the following two decades. A Luba Zubkova lished in 1865 at Leiden University. tems, contributing to a revival of Bud- first time the term ‘modern’ was used prolific author, Zvelebil produced a large Hedrik Kern (1833-1917), an expert in dhism and Hinduism. Back in the in reference to Orientalism. part of his nearly 490 publications at A standstill and a new start Indo-European philology and Bud- Netherlands, Orientalists such as J.W. Utrecht University. On his retirement As the Dutch lost their economic strong- dhism, was appointed the first profes- Boissevain also became interested in the Zvelebil’s Dravidology in 1990 he mentioned that his goal - to hold in India to the British, they also lost sor of Sanskrit upon his return from the new intellectual trend. Some even began As education and research grew in make the study of Dravidian languages interest in South Indian studies. The Dutch East Indies. Yet it was not until to associate it with the Western approach importance in the post-war period, uni- and cultures part and parcel of Indolog- Dutch Republic in the eighteenth centu- 1876 that Pieter de Jong, a farmer’s son to Aryan wisdom. Kern’s successor in versities received increasingly large gov- ical research - had been achieved. He ry was in decline, and society was domi- who became a professor of Arabic his- Leiden, Indian antiquity specialist J.S. ernment subsidies which they could use said: ‘When I coined the term “Dravi- nated by rentiers who profited by divi- tory, announced the official separation Speyer, referred to the subject of Indian at their own discretion. By the mid- dology”, proposing to establish a legiti- dends from colonial company shares, of Oriental studies from theology at philosophy mainly as ‘theosophy’. 1960s the Dutch economy was in recov- mate field of study on a par with the field ‘living off the legacy of the past.’ (Israel Utrecht University. Dravidian studies, ery and flourishing, and many former of Indology, my attempt met with 1995:1017) Voltaire caught a glimpse of however, had to wait another century for While in Adyar, van Manen studied Indi- colonial intellectuals who had to leave incredulous reactions varying from the fading glory of Dutch universities in recognition in university curricula and an wisdom with a Tamil guru and wit- Indonesia ended up at university depart- ridicule to hostility. (...) I am happy to 1737 and marvelled at their ability to research. nessed the discovery and initial educa- ments of Oriental studies. The attraction say that nowadays it has become fully attract foreign students with new ideas tion of the future philosopher Jiddu of the generation’s youth to the spiritu- acceptable to speak of Dravidianists and and methods, especially in science and Johan van Manen (1877-1943) Krishnamurti, who happened to be his al culture and art of modern India stim- Dravidology’. (Zvelebil 1991:1) < medicine. Yet economic decay, general Self-taught Orientalist Johan van Manen teacher’s son. Van Manen was especial- ulated this scholarly interest, another despondency and a preoccupation with (1877-1943) took on the responsibility of ly interested in Himalayan tradition and incentive being decolonisation in Asia References national decline turned Dutch scholars introducing ancient Indian (‘Aryan’) wis- aspired to unveil the essential unifor- and the need to build international rela- - Bodewitz, H.W. 2002. De late ‘ontdekking’ and publicists away from many of the dom to the Dutch public (see Richardus mity of sacred eastern philosophy at its tions on a new foundation. The Dravid- van het Sanskrit en de Oudindische cultu- broader issues debated elsewhere, such 1989). At the age of eighteen he was car- two poles: Aryan (north) and Dravidian ian south of India received much atten- ur in Europa (afscheidsrede, 01.11.02). Lei- as in France. The physico-theological ried away by the teachings of H.P. (south). Unhappy with the TS Presi- tion at that time (in Eastern Europe and den: Universiteit Leiden. approach of the early eighteenth century the Soviet Union, for instance) and at - ‘Een bescheiden onderkomen’. 1981. His- - combining empirical science with ven- van Manen was especially interested in Himalayan Utrecht University a special Institute of torisch overzicht van de studie van de eration for an omnipresent God - Eastern Languages was founded in 1955, Oosterse talen en kulturen aan de Rijk- remained dominant in Dutch universi- tradition and aspired to unveil the essential creating a basis for promoting Indolog- suniversiteit te Utrecht. Utrecht: Utrecht ties, while the quality of intellectual life uniformity of sacred eastern philosophy at its two ical disciplines other than Sanskrit and University. left much to be desired. Vedic studies. - Israel, Jonathan I. 1995. The Dutch Repub- poles: Aryan (north) and Dravidian (south) lic: Its Rise, Greatness, and Fall 1477-1806. Conservatism during this time also In the early 1970s, the head of that insti- New York: Oxford University Press. extended to Oriental studies, which were Blavatsky, founder of the theosophical dent’s involvement in Indian politics, he tute, J. Gonda, invited exiled Czech - Richardus, Peter. 1989. The Dutch Orien- traditionally associated with university movement (since 1875) following Bud- left Tamilnadu in 1916 and settled in scholar K.V. Zvelebil, who had lectured talist Johan van Manen. Leiden: Kern Insti- theology departments and did not go dhist and Brahmanic theories of pan- Darjeeling. He thereafter reviewed and for some time in Chicago, to Utrecht. A tute. beyond the established field of Semitic theistic evolution and reincarnation. translated various Orientalist materials brilliant researcher, Kamil Zvelebil was - Zvelebil, Kamil V. 1973. The Smile of Muru- languages. After the fall of the Republic Believing that this movement could and lectured extensively, including at the a Dravidianist by definition. In Utrecht gan: on Tamil literature of South India. Lei- (1808) and the consolidation of the Con- instigate Western respect for Asian peo- Indological Kern Institute, founded in he was active in linguistics, philology, den: E.J. Brill. stitutional Monarchy, the Netherlands ples as well as enhance their self-esteem, 1925 in Leiden. comparative religion, cultural anthro- - Zvelebil, Kamil V. 1991. Long-range linguis- still lagged behind other leading Euro- he took to spreading theosophy in pology and literary history, introducing tic comparisons: the case of Dravidian. Vale- pean nations. Only in the mid-nine- Europe and in the Dutch East Indies. In For many years van Manen spent his pri- not only innovative subjects but meth- dictory lecture delivered on 5 September teenth century, when urban liberal burg- 1909 van Manen set off for Madras to vate, modest means collecting impor- ods as well.