Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 3, Issue. 1 (37-41) © Author(s) March 2018 ISSN: 2279-3933 Original Article SIGNIFICANCE OF THE SERVICE TO BUDDHIST SCHOLARSHIP RENDERED BY THE BRITISH SCHOLAR PROFESSOR RHYS DAVIDS DURING THE BRITISH COLONIAL PERIOD Rev. Beligalle Dhammajoti1 Abstract Buddhism and Buddhist Culture in Sri Lanka suffered a ruthless set back 1Department of Pali by the mid-nineteenth century due to the withdrawal of state patronage and & Buddhist Studies, foreign missionary activities. Buddhism lost its pristine and perfect University of strength, self-respect and its real philosophical background. Then there was Ruhuna an urgent need of Buddhist revivalist movement with proper Buddhist education. At this juncture, three British Civil servants who were dhammajotib@yaho appointed to Sri Lanka, George Turnour, T.W. Rhys Davids and R.D. o.com Childers took an unshakable interest in the study of Pali language and Buddhist Culture of Sri Lanka. Rhys Davids by his untiring effort introduced the significance of Pali language and Buddhist Doctrine to English speaking world. His indefatigable efforts contributed to the opening up of the eyes of scholars to the significance of studying Pali language and Buddhist Doctrine. This paper examines the intensive study, humane qualities and intellectual strength of Prof. Rhys Davids and points out that it was the remarkable advantage that Sri Lankans and the Buddhist academic world had during the British Colonial period. Keywords: Buddhist Canon, India, Inscriptions, Oriental school, Pali language 37 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 3, Issue. 1 (37-41) © Author(s) March 2018 ISSN: 2279-3933 INTRODUCTION to keep themselves a free and independent nation…… The Sinhalese were now to meet This paper is based on secondary data a much more powerful enemy from a analysis. Collected data and information country very far away, a country which was from books written on the British Colonial not much larger than their own but whose Period in Ceylon and gathered information people were better trained for fighting both from the British Library pertaining to Prof. on land and on the sea, which larger ships Rhys Davids, London in 2001, has been and far more dangerous weapons for war.” used in the explanatory analysis of the (4) In accordance with many historical works research paper. on Sri Lanka, this Portuguese administration marks a darker period of the island. FOREIGN INVASIONS 1505 A.D. marked an exceptional turning PERIOD OF DESPOTISM point in the history of Sri Lanka for arrival After this tragic period, there comes a period of Portuguese and their deliberate of Dutch administration (1658 – 1796) and destruction of the culture of the island. the Sinhalese again had to face with a Sinhalese had to face severe struggles to number of socio-economic and cultural safeguard their nation and culture. Blaze problems. During that unlucky time of the (1921) writes: “The Portuguese held the law Dutch administration, they established the country for a hundred and fifty years (1506 Roman-Dutch law and traditional Sinhalese – 1640 A.D.) and during all that time had to law were ignored. It is also the era of horrors fight continually against the Sinhalese kings of war in every aspect of Sri Lankan culture. (1) in the hill country.” Referring to the unjust administration of Don Geronimo De Thirdly, the British occupation commenced Azavedo, a cruel Portuguese, Codrington in 1796 and continued to 1948. It is states: “His character is stained by the considered a period of despotism and under atrocious cruelty with which he carried on the thumb of that despotic power traditional the war with Kandy and suppressed the Sinhalese culture experienced severe setback (2) revolts in Portuguese territory.” with disastrous consequences. Codrington Explaining his ferocious brutalities of war explains: “…cultivation had decreased, with Sinhalese, Codrington further reports because of the tax, the collection of which his destiny thus: “His methods did not meet was vexations to the people” (5) with the approval of the authorities in Portugal, and his imprisonment in Lisbon, The afore-mentioned three major foreign though on another account, was thought by invasions paved the way for a number of some to be a retribution for his brutalities in disastrous consequences on the cultural (3) Ceylon” aspects of their island, viz: total change in Economy, land occupancy and religion, Under the title, “The Portuguese and the introduction of Roman Catholicism, Moors” Blaze(1921) adds: “We come to destruction of Buddhist and Hindu temples, know end of what may be called the handing the temple-maintenance-villages Sinhalese period of the history of Lanka, and (Aramika Gamas) over to Roman Catholic to the beginning of a long struggle which the Order, prevention of the worship of other Sinhalese carried on for three hundred years 38 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 3, Issue. 1 (37-41) © Author(s) March 2018 ISSN: 2279-3933 religions on and off, deterioration of When he was barely ten years old, his traditional social concepts, exploitation of mother Louisa Winter passed away and it island resources, encouragement of caste was a serious heartbreak for Rhys Davids. system, establishment of Roman-Dutch law, At first, his education was at the Brighton and the confiscation of temple properties, school and at the age of seventeen he and so on. attended a college in Finchly Road in London. There he had a comprehensive knowledge of Latin language. As a DECLINE OF BUDDHIST motherless student without family loving EDUCATION and affluences, he used to realize many At this juncture, Buddhism suffered a severe hardships and challenges of life. obstruction and it gained no royal support at all, hence it lost its perfect vitality and self- Rhys Davids’s decision to join the Indian respect. There appeared a philosophically civil service was a turning point not only in deteriorated form of Buddhism and people his life but also in Buddhist Philosophy and laid emphasis on mere rituals. The downfall the traditional Buddhist culture in Indian of the pristine state of Buddhist monks sub-continent and Sri Lanka. Dr. Lorna S. directed to drastic decline of traditional Dewaraja (1998) asks: “….. was it a Karmic Buddhist education. call which led him to aspire for a career in India.(6) During the course of the four and half centuries of foreign yoke in the island, Sri Lankan Buddhists experienced a hundreds YATRAMULLE UNNANSE of ruthless attacks and ugly response from In Germany, he started giving tuition in foreign missionary activities. Hence, there English and there he studied Sanskrit arose a strong-minded Buddhist response to language under the guidance of Prof. A. F. the foreign missionary challenge. Some Stenzler, a well-known Sanskrit scholar. In Buddhist monks started the Pali and 1863, he sat for the examination of the Civil philosophical studies of Buddhism to Service Commissioners offering German, safeguard the traditional Buddhist culture in English, French, and Sanskrit. His training Ceylon. Fortunately, there was a similar under Prof. Strenzler was a proper direction interest in Pali and Buddhist Studies among for him to turn his attention to Pali and the well-known European scholars. The Buddhist Studies. While working at the result of these dual fervent actions created a Colonial Secretary’s Office in Colombo, he field for various research works on ancient was also expected to learn Sinhala and Sri Lankan culture. Tamil languages. With his philological training he was able to learn Sinhala and Tamil very quickly. (7) His devoted teacher A BRITISH CIVIL SERVANT for Pali and Buddhism was Yatramulle At this time, a truly extra-ordinary British Unnanse (Venerable Yatramulle) and his civil servant was posted to Sri Lanka. He teaching was a source of inspiration and was the Thomas William Rhys Davids, the motivation for Rhys Davids. eldest son of a clergyman and was born in England at Colchester in Essex in 1843. 39 Journal of Social Sciences and Humanities Review (JSSHR) Vol. 3, Issue. 1 (37-41) © Author(s) March 2018 ISSN: 2279-3933 GOVERNMENT AGENT OF of his academic struggle understood that his NUWARAKALAVIYA indefatigable effort for preserving Buddhist He was posted as the Assistant Government manuscripts was invaluable. Agent of Nuwarakalaviya zone in 1871. The dministrative center of Nuwarakalaviya was ROYAL ASIATIC SOCIETY the ancient city of Anuradhapura where we He was the Professor of Pali in the find hundreds of Buddhist monuments. Rhys University of London from 1882 to 1904 Davids loved Anuradhapura and was so and also elected to be the secretary of the enthusiast of having wide-ranging Royal Asiatic Society. His enthusiastic knowledge of Buddhism and ancient culture labors paved the way for establishing an of this dead city and hidden stories of its Oriental School in the London University. In silent stones. 1905, he accepted the Chair of Comparative Religion in the University of Manchester. He was astonished with the Buddhist archaeological monuments of Anuradhapura While he was engaging in editing, and cleared the sites of Ruwanweliseya, translating and publishing fundamental Pali Jetavana Vihara, Isurumuniya and Texts, he labored for 40 years to prepare the Abhayagiriya. He was able to discover a Pali-English Dictionary (8) and it is really a number of inscriptions from various parts of great achievement of his life and the Sri Lanka. He wrote a series of research unlimited contribution for Buddhist papers for the Royal Asiatic Society relating academia and Pali Philologists. After his to these ancient inscriptions, coins and death in December 1922, his service measures of ancient Ceylon. continued by his wife, Caroline Augusta Foley Rhys Davids until her death in June, PALI TEXT SOCIETY 1942. Rhys Davids was the first scholar who introduced Pali Canonical Buddhism to the CONCLUSION Western academia.