Indomania and Indophobia

Indomania and Indophobia


Thanks to K. C. Rao for this review.

"Thomas R. Truatmann discusses about the European indulgence in
studying of India leading to Indomania and Indophobia (Aryans and
British India, Yoda Press, New Delhi, 2004). In their scholastic
approach to Indology with the Christian interpretation, they first
found that the Indians were so close to them. They were so thrilled to
find evidences for Mosaic flood, chronology and morality. However,
slowly such Indomania had turned into Indophobia. Their discovery of
Hindu religion with Sanskrit and Brahmins had led to "orientalism of
hatred" and "romantic atheism", as it worked against their religious
interests. Neo-orientalism took a turn in philology and ethnology
leading to creation of "Aryans" and "Dravidians". With parting kick,
they left them behind. "Racial myth" turned to "Race science", till it
was again controlled by archaeology and modern science. So the author
ends with: "Everything in this book goes to show that the political
consequences of Aryan or Indo-European idea do not reside within the
idea as a kind of hidden virus or all-determining genetic code but
vary with circumstance and are creatures of historical conjecture and
human purpose".