Indian Antiquary Vol 57

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 132

114
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[ JUNE, 1928
palace of the existing authorities and the guide MOLIERE, with a Hindi translation of LE BOURGEOIS books.
GENTILHOMME, by LAKSHMAN SARUT. Rajpal, Next comes Mr. W. H. Moreland on a subject Sarasvati Ashram, Lahore. connected with the research with which his name is There is a Renaissance Movement progressing identified: "A Daich Account of Mogul Adminis
in Indian vernacular literature, which has arisen trative Methods." This account is contained in a
out of a spirit of revolt against the old tradition. Report on Gujarat difficult to translate. It was
Signs of it are visible in the Urdu verge of Sir Mu. completed i. the year 1029 and is unsigned, but it hammad Iqbal and in the Hindi productions of the was used by de Laet in his Account of the Mogol
School of khari boll writers. Taking advantage Empire in 1631 and by Van Twist in his General of the existence of the feeling visible in such Description of India "drawn up a few years later." and similar works, Professor Lakshman Sarup From this invaluable MS. Mr. Moreland gives has bethought him of making an attempt to bring us" version of all the references it contains this new spirit in vernacular literature into contact to the practical working of the Mogul adminis. with European classics, in the hope, no doubt, that tration in Gujarat." He has thug once again such contact will have a guiding and controlling materially aided the advance of our knowledge influence over it. He seems to have been moved of the Mogul period of Indian History.
thereto by the consideration that in the beginning
of the nineteenth century French translations of Eng. Then we are treated to a similar article on the Settlement of Baramahal and Salem from
i lish and German writers had a remarkable influence the
for good on the French romantic movement of the Records by Prof. C. S. Srinivasachari. It is worth
period. If I am right in this conjecture, 4 series while to quote the opening sentences of this important discourse : “When Lord Cornwallis concluded
of studies of European dramatists, if wisely chosen,
should have a similar influence on the new moved the treaty with Tippu Sultan on March 17, 1792, the Ceded Districts of Salem and Baramahal were,
ment in India. With such ideas at the back of
it, this study of Molière might well be followed within eighteen days after the treaty, entrusted to the organising genius of Captain Alexander Read,
qy studies of Shakespeare, Ibsen, Tchekov, Goethe, in preference to any of the Revenue Officials of the
Schiller, Brieux and others, in course of time. Madras Presidency, who lacked the necessary quali- A knowledge of such writers could not but have fications for administering a newly annexed country. a beneficial influence on the Hindi reading public, For the same reason Read chose as his assistants, which would thus have brought before it specimens Captains Munro, Graham, and McLeod to administer of European thought as concentrated in drama. respectively the countries of Dharmapuri (central For it must be borne in mind that Hindi authors division), Krishnagiri (northern division) and Salem are at present driven to Sanskrit literature for (southern division). It is superfluous to write inspiration, and contact with European drama of the great qualities that Munro displayed even
will broaden their intellectual horizon, will suggest thus early; while the other two did remarkably literary models of character and manners for tragedy good work." Prof. Srinivasachari has himself and comedy, and will open to them new literary done good work in reminding us of the manner in channels. which the British Indian Empire was built up in
Professor Lukshman Sarup has no doubt chosen its earlier days by men whose very names are
Molière's Le Bourgeois Gentilhomme for his first now largely forgotten, and whose many difficulties,
attempt, as it lends itself peculiarly to existing failures and successes he so well describes.
conditions in India, since it portrays the efforts The last communication is an interesting one:
of & successful but vulgar man of business to The operations leading to the Capture of Almora
imitate the life of the aristocracy of his day. I in 1815, by Mr. J. C. Powell Price. It is a useful
observe that the Professor, in his preface, remarks contribution to the history of Ochterlony's war
that "many of our uneducated young men make with the Gurkhas. As it is a sketch of what actually
foolish attempts to ape European dress and manners took place then, in view of the somewhat confused
to the extent of making their own lives, as well as ocounts that are available of the operations in
the lives of their relatives, miserable. Such ignorant Kumaon during the war. Not the least of the
imitation is partial and always produces ludicrous services rendered to historians by Mr. Powell Price is
results." a statement at the end of his paper as to the where- In "translating " the French play the object abouts of existing original documents relating to which the Professor has kept before him has been to the Nepal War which made Ochterlony a famous render the text so that it will appeal to an ordinary man.
Indian audience rather than to scholars searching On the wholo Prof. Krishnaswami Aiyangar is for a scientific translation, and this is a wise to be heardly congratulated on this first instalment endeavour. His title for the play, Baniyd chala of his effort to keep the flag flying for the Journal
Nawab ki Chal, is an earnest of the spirit in which of Indian History.
the whole problem is worked out. R. C. TEMPLE.
R. C. TEMPLE