D ndan 1storo_ragh_

o nda
1@cm0n 1mhlmnJ 0ja
Jmcbcnlb-Lcnlm /cma
L in_ on ndians to rtc her stog
NooIzaton,vehave nottced, vasan ssue olprestge lor ndan
natonaIsmastmaturedintoamasspolticaIphenomenondurng
thehrsthaIlolthetventtethcentutj. ' Lndervhoseoannervould
the peopIeraIIj! Vhovas tospeaklorthem! # response tosuch
guesuonsvasregarded asacrtcaI measure olthe support com-
manded oj the Ccngress parq nts clam tohegemonj-acIam
t pressed vtgorouslj and reIentlessIj at evetj lorum and oj
means ol puoIcq at ts dsposa\ not onIj aganst the coIonaI
regmeoutaIsoaganstaIltsindgenousrvaIssuchasthe NusIm
League andsomeolthe Ielt-natonastand socastparties.
P outstandng leature olths hegemonc cIam vas the uses t
made ol the Indan past. Jhe doms ol such use vouId dher
according to tendences prevaiIngvithn the natonaIst deolo@
atanjgventme and the ncInatons olitsprtncpaIprotagonsts.
VthRabindranathTagore,lornstance.theemphasscametorest
on an deaIzed past n vhch anautonomous and seIl-reant cviI
soceqlvednpeacevithtseIl. Vth Gandhi,onthe otherhand,
aII that vas good and great aoout that past laj tn ts sprtuaI
achevements and moral supertoriq, vth Iehru~ n the secuIar
unqolts poIticsandthe sjnthestsoltsdversecuItures.
I62
ATmmHwwrqro]Imm I63
urtn_ the gerod o h_h nattonalsm between the bwadesh
and the @t nda movements varatons on these themes and
others ormed a bod_ o lterature whch was etensve and ds-
tnctve enou_h to mert reco_nton broadl_ as a natonalst hs-
toro_ragh_. hs was natonalsms answer to the he_emonc
gretensons o the ra advocated and gublczed b_ the Uames
ll tradton o colonalst wrtn_ on the ndan gast. mowever,
lke that tradton, whch bestowed on our alen rulers a he_em-
on_ dened them b_ hstor_, natonalst dscourse too sou_ht to
endow ndas own ruln_ elte wth an eguall_ unhstorcal
he_emonc role.
hat role, groga_ated snce ndegendence, b_ the educatonal
and other a_ences o the state, s now an nte_ral gart o ndas
omcal hstot_. t stands or a s_ncogated vtew rom whch the
contradctons nvolved n the develogment o an ndan hstoro_-
ragh_ o nd1a have been dsglaced m avor o a gro_ressve and
lberal sgrt whose trumgh s ull_ n accord wth the telc orma-
ton o a moder naton-state.
o leave ths vew unchallen_ed would be to undermne the
autocrtQue o ndan hstor_ even beore t took ts hrst hestant
stegs n that d1recton. 1or ths would oversmglg the grocess o
a colonzed geogles stru__le to reclam ts gast and b_ smglgn_
dsarm crtcsm tsel. e must theretore tr_ and ace ug to the
dcult truth that the gueston ho sgeaks or the ndan geo-
gle? was hstorcall_ gredcated on another: "bo b tbc cbtto
mtcc,ccttbc,aot/
he voce n whch that gueston was asked hrst was an educated
mddle-class voce heard throu_hout the second hal o the nne-
teenth centut_ ur_n_ ndans to wrte ther own hstor_. he
words b_whch that call s most remembered are those o ankm-
chandra Lhattogadh_a_, who wrote n the Baaaarbaa o &&(
en_al must have her own hstor_. Ltherwse there s no hoge or
en_al. ho s to wrte t? `ou have to wrte t. have to wrtte t.
^ll o us have to wrte t. ^n_one who s a en_al has to wrtte t.
Lome, let us on our el1orts n nvest_atn_ the hstor_ o en_al
. . . t s not a task that can be done b_ an_ one gerson alone; t s
a task or all o us to do to_ether. Head en_al and en_al as
notatons ohen used b_ the author resgectvel_ or nda and nd-
b Oominmco without Hogomonj
s, and _ou have an a_enda here or a tru_ 1nd:an h:storto_raQh_
o 1nd:a. 1t Vas an a_enda :n the strat_htorward sense o the
Qhre as `th:n_s to be done, and the strtdent note o that Qassa_e
coud leave no one tn doubt that :t Vas meant or :mmed:ate act:on.
h_ such ur_enc_ hat QresuQQos:tions about the Qast Vent
tnto the mak:n_ ol th:s a_enda toV Vas tt acted uQon 1t :s our
oVn a_enda or a cr:tica h:stor:o_raQh_ ad tts tmQerat:ves that
reQu:re these Quest:ons to be addressed toda_ to that other ances-
tra a_enda.
here ts no Va_ to ansVer an_ o these Quest:ons V:thout hrsJ
dtsttn_utshin_ thts a_enda rom :ts common-sense constructton as
a s:mQe recal o the Qast. he tmQortance o that d:st:nctton
cannot be emQhas:zed enou_h. 1or ank:mchandras aQQeal to
en_ais to Vr:te thetr oVn htstog has ohen been :nked to the
nosta_tc stra:n in some o h:s Vrttin_s in such a Va_ as to alloV
memo)_ to usurQ the estate o histor_. he ideoo_tca unct:on ol
th:s l:nka_e has been to _enerate an ata el1ect b_ Vhich a
knoVled_e o the nd:an Qast ts converted :nto a cate_og ol ndian
nat:onaist thou_ht. he imQortance o such convers:on :s knoVn
too Vel to reQu:re comment eXceQt to Qoint out that there is a
aac_ here-a laac_ o conoundin_ necessag and suctent
cond1t:ons. 1or, athou_h the n1neteenth-centu a_enda or an
alternat:ve historio_raQh_ Vas :neuctab_ and necessar:_ char_ed
V:th a on_tn_ lor the Qt, the latter Vas not a that th:s a_enda
had or tts content. 1ndeed, nosta_ta, Vorkin_ on :ts oVn, does not
Qroduce htstorto_raQh_ or a natton an_ more than tt Qroduces
autob:o_raQh_ or an :nd:vidua. he doma:ns o nemos_ne and
Lto aVa_s tntersect, but sedom co:nc:de.
he remembrance o th:n_s Qast :n a QeoQes l:e and the ur_e
or a QeoQe s oVn htstorto_raQh_ have, o course, one th:n_ in
common. oth are :normed b_ a not:on ol the Lther. hat that
Lther is, ma_ be determined b_ cuture or cont:n_enc_ or both,
as tt ohen ts the case. eQendtn_ on the character ol a cultural
:d:om or the cont:n_enc_ o an event or c:rcumstance otherness
ma_ be reckoned tn btoo_tca, env:ronmenta, econom:c or Qo-
ittca temns, or :n an_ combtnat:on o these. ut Vhatever the
kind o ater:[, the Qresence o the Lther at an_ _tven time aVa_s
casts a shadoV m the orm o another t:me -:n the omn o a
Qast.
A1mmHwwrqr o]1mm bb
Jhenot:on otheLtheraa anothert:meneednotberegtatered
neceaaarttnah:ator:ographj. Lnderh:ator:caI cond:t:onavhere
theovolgoodaandacv:ccadoeanotcorreapondtothe:neartq
o aecuar t:me, the paat :a oen recuperated not ao much aa a
po:nt on the path o t:mea arrov but aa a moment ol cjc:cm
return. Such momenta are vartouaIj recorded :n our cuture :n
cht:aat:cear {aa`theearo ramyathatpunctuateatheNahb-
hrata, eapectajonthe eveolahero:cdeath),:nm:Ienn:ahopea
{aa :n B:raa Nundaa hom::ea on Saug durng the uuo), tn
H:ndu r:tuaIa auch aa thc annua vorah:p o the ap:r:ta o dead
anceatora, and ao on. et or the: :mportance, theae are no
more than :nger:ng tracea o that ong n:ght olearIj leudaI:am
durtngvhtchtheveakneaaornearabaenceolcommodtqproduc
t:onarreatedthetnearmovcmcntot:mc andmade:tap:naround
5 mjtha.
Hovever, vhen aeven hundredjeara aher Kahaa and three
hundredaerAb-,theagendaloranndtanh:atortographj
o nd:a came to be conatructcd bj thc Iate ntneteenth centuj,
htatotjhadaIreadj taken overhom Furaaathe dom:nantmode
olreckontng the paat. Thta mode voudhenceorth be thevehtce
olthat atertqvhtch vaa ao eaaentta or anj aternat:ve readng
ol the nd:an paat. !or, bj dca:gnatng ttaeIl aa "nd:an, that
aternat:ve announcedtta organt:ngprnc

:peaa one old:atant:a-

t:on rom vhat vaa parad:gmat:caj un!nd:an, becauae Br:t:ah
and coontaI:at. ndeed, the aenae olthe Lther vh:ch :nlormed
theagendaoranothcrh:ator:ographjvaa :taepanted :naaenae
the coon:ed had othe pervaatve and poveru preaence oco-
on:a:am.
To acnovedge auch a reattonah:p oater:qvaa, olcourae,
to recogn:ze coon:atam aa a cond:t:on, tndeed an eaaent:aI con
d:t:on, lor the lormuIatton ol that ageda. But th:a d:d not make
ott a ap:r:tua gth preaaed bj Brtt:ah ItberaI:am on !nd:aor the
beneht ol the nat:vea. Lontra to auch a cargo cuIt theo ol
cuture, b:thej reta:ed bj :mper:atat vrttera and the:r !ndtan
tm:tatora, the producton olacoonta:ath:ato:ographjvaahom
theveoutaetanexerc:ae:ndom:nanceand notanacolchartq.
!t:a, thereore, notpoaa:bIeto deaI v:th the queat:on oan !ndtan
h:ator:ographj ol !nd:a aa anjthtng other than a queat:on ol
pover.
I66 Oominanco without Hogmonj
storio_ragh_andtc 1ormation ola Loonia btate
gCoolHtoryra
ov the vrItin_ ol hIstot_ vaS medIated b_ the exercIse ol Qover
can be _rasQed b_ consIderIn_ a noda QoInt In the deVeloQment ol
the colonIal state. ^t thIs Qont, In I765, the 1st 1nda L<mQan_s
conguest ol en_al acguired le_ItImac_ b_ a u_hal _rant ena-
blIn_ It to collect the land reVenues ol the eastern QroV1nces and to
admInIster cIVil ustice on behall ol the avab. tnovn technIcal_
as the LOmQan_s accessIon to LIvanI -a technicalI_ vhIch haS,
aas, made some scholars InsensitIVe to Its sI_nihcance as the trul_
Inau_ural moment ol the ra -It brou_ht to_ether in one sIn_le
Instance all the three lundamenml asQects ol colonIalIsm In our
subcontInent, namel_, Its orI_in In an act ol lorce, ts exQloItatIon
ol the Qrima_ QrOduce ol \he land as the Vet_ bas:s ol a colon:al
econom_, and Its need to _iVe lorce and eQloItatIon the aQQear-
ance ol le_aI_. uch ol vhat vas OstIncHVe about HrItIsh rule In
ndIa and set It aQart lrom the Lutch, rench, and 1ortu_uese
re_mes elsevhere in ^sIa, der:Ved QrecIsel_ lrom thIs charac-
terstic combInatIon ol QolItcs, economics and lav. ^nd It vas this
combInatIon a_an vhIch QroVided the emer_In_ colonal state vith
a node lor structural deVeloQments In Its aQQaratus at both the
admInIstratIVe and the Ideolo_Ical leVels.
LeVeloQments at the hrst ol these leVels reguIred that the L<m-
Qan_ should set uQ a bureaucraQ adeguate to Its dual nctIon as
merchants and Livan, vhIch meant, In etect, the collection Ol
land reVenues In order to Lnance Its so-called `inVestments. ut
ndIa v a countt_ vhere, lor centuries, landed QroQer_ had
been the Vet_ loundatIon ol both veth and QresH_e, vhere
asQects ol culture, IncludIn_ relI_Ion, had land aS theIr common
denomInator, and the relatIon betveen Qroducers, QroQrIetors, and
the state had eVolVed oVer tIme Into a bevudern_ VarIe_ accord-
In_ to ditterences In the local structures ol domInance and econo-
mIes. LOnsequentl_, hscal oQeratIons here deQended lor their
success on an Intmate knovled_e ol traditions, contInuItIes, and
Qast Qrocedures~a knovled_e ol hIstor_, n sum.
he uses ol such knovled_e had been ImQressed uQon the Lm-
Qan_, abet somevhat ne_atVe_, s1ce the be_InnIn_ ol Its In-

Hn1ndmnHwwrqro]1mm I57
wolVcmcnt in thc land QucstIon cVcn bclorc I765, Vhcn Its admIni-
strat:on ol somc ol thc Lcdcd LIstrIcts ran Into dIlhcultIcs bccausc
ol thc rclusal ol thc IndI_cnous sgccIalIsts to hclg Its ocials wIth
thcIr cxgcttIsc. ^cr an InhnItc dcal ol troublc Vc haVc at last _ot
a lull and garticular statcmcnt ol thc rcsourccs ol thIs groVncc,
Vrotc an cxasgcratcd arr_ Ncrclst and hIs LouncIl lrom onc such
dIstr:ct, namcl_ LhItta_on_, In I76!: hc VIllaInous IntcntIons ol
thcsc gcoglc that had thc mana_cmcnt ol thc rcVcnucs hcrc bclorc
cndcaVourIn_ to sccrctc lrom us and makc as Intricatc as gossiblc
VhatcVcr thc_ could, has dcla_cd [thc rcgort] thus lon_.
LomglaInts ol th\s kInd Incrcascd man_ tImcs both In numbcr
and bittctcss VIth thc Lomgan_s _raduatIon to LiVani, il onl_
bccausc thc tcrrItorIcs It Vas _IVcn to admInIstcr Vcrc consIdcrabl_
ar_cr in cXtcnt, thc rcVcnucs much _rcatcr In Volumc, and thc local
VarIations In such thin_s as tcnurtal structurcs, customag ducs,
and accountIn_ groccdurcs morc numcrous, hcncc morc Intrcatc.
hc inabIlIQ ol Its scrvants to cogc VIth such groblcms Vas cx-
grcsscd, at cVct_ lcVcl om thc Locctor to thc oard ol HcVcnuc g
in a conccrtcd ctort to blamc thcIr oVn lailurc on Vant ol natIVc
CoogcratIon. amcs Lrant sgokc lor ol thcm Vhcn hc mcn-
tIoncd Vhat hc bclIcVcd to haVc bccn a dclalcation ol about hHccn
mIllIon rugccs ol thc Lomgan_
'
s rcVcnucs cVcg _car oVin_ to thc
cousIVc chicanct_ ol natIVc a_cnts, In VIthholdIn_ ocIal intcllI-
_cncc lrom thcIr ncV mastcrs, and lraudulcntl_ conVcrtin_ thc usc
ol such knoVlcd_c, to thcIr grIVatc cmolumcnt at thc gublc
'

cxgcnsc.
hcsc Vords, Vrittcn In I76, twcnQ-onc _cars acr acccssIon
to LiVanI, Vcrc guItc obViousl_ thc s_mgtom ol an unrcsolVcd
tcnsion charactcrIstic ol thc carl_, lormatIVc ghasc ol thc colonIal
statc. hc lattcr had not QuItc succccdcd _ct In rcglacIn_ thc old
burcaucrac_ b_ an cntrcl_ ncV onc. ^ dcla_ ol that ordcr, Vhich
rs mcrcl_ thc cllcct ol a structural dca c, Is charactcrIstIc ol
statc lormation. hc sItc ol a ncV statc Is alVa_s cluttcrcd wIth thc
rcmaIns ol thc onc that grcccdcd it and thc indiVIdualI_ ol cach
statc, as it comcs to bc lormcd, dcrIVcs to no small cxtcnt lrom thc
qualIQ and dc_rcc ol rcsistancc gut ug b_ thc dcbr(s throu_h
Vhich It has to makc its Va_.
t Is sI_nIhcant, thcrclorc, that somc ol thc rcsIstancc to thc
lormat:on ol a colonIal statc n 1nd:a should haVc bccn IdcntIhcd
b Oominmco without Hogomonj
b_ the lrst coonalsts as a remsal on the part ol the natves
share a certan knd ot knowedge v:th them. o notce ths s
a\read_ to take a step towards probemattzng the gueston ot
coonast knowedge, to threaten t not subvert the hegemonc
assumpton about ts roe as a western wsdom poured nto an
orental vod, to guerj whether the nattve ntormant represented
so ohen n the archeype ol arren tastngss pandt had alwa_s
been a pant co\aborator, and so lorth. cannot, alas, dgress n1o
an_ ot these mportant matters here, and must press on to consder
the coonalst response to what was perceved as the reluctance ol
ndgenous specasts to share one particuar knd ol knowl-
edge-a knowedge ol the ndan past.
or a start, et us reca once agan Lrants strctures upon the
msconduct ot natve 1ndostann_ agents. Lompants on that
score had b_ ths 1me accreted nto a v:de_ held omcal opnon
consttutng, as he sad, a theme ol genera decamaton. H_
jonng n, he ent to such decamaton the weght ol hs epertse
as one who knew more about the subject than most ol hs contem-
porares. he coIusve chcaneQ ot natve agents was mantest,
accordng to hm, n v:thhodng omca ntegence trom ther
new masters. Llearl_, ths was an ndctment uttered n a masters
voce. t spoke w:th the authorg ot the Lst nda Lompan_ as the
new masters and regured the natves to make ther knowedge
read_ accessble to the maters so that the \atter coud convert t
nto omca ntegence. he aeged chcaneQ conssted,
therelore, ot two shortcomngs on the part ot the natves: hrst, ther
retusal to part vth a knowedge that owed nothng to the aen rue
to whch the_ had been recent_ subected; and second_, ther
resstance to ` the use ol such knowledge n the pubc nter-
est-the word pubc, the hrst term ot a dchotom_ hthemo
unknown to ndan poj, beng understood n ths contet as an
attrtbute ot the master's doman~the doman ot the colonal state.
Hut what was ths knowedge that the servants had and the
masters were so eager to acgure? o put t n pan anguage, t
was concerned vth nlormaton about the voume and value ot
agrcutura produce, the rues tor appropraton ol the producer's
surpus b_ andords and the state, the nature ot land tenures and
propretarj nsttutons, the techncaltes ot estate accounts, and
above a, the aws and tradtons governg the reatonshp ot
ATmmHwwrqro]Tmm I69
Qcasants, andlords, and thc stc. hc skts rcqutrcd to handlc onc
or morc asQccts ol such :nlormatton on bchall o ocal soccttcs or
_ovctmcn1a\ a_cnccs had, m Qrccolontal 1ndta, Hozcn. ltkc m
othcr skt!s, tnto cra1-tkc structurcs contatncd wtthn castc-kc
zstttuttons. hc dcnstg o such structurcs and thc comQcxtg ol
thcsc tnstttuttons tn an_ ::c_ton tcndcd to corrcsQond dtrcct_ to thc
stabtltg ol andlordsm and thc dcQth o dcQcndcnt tcnurta rca-
tons thcrc.
btncc thc LomQan_, as twan, haQQcncd to aunch on tts carccr
rcvcnuc cocctors tn thc castcr Qrovnccs wth thctr wc-cstab-
tshcd zamtndartcs and man_-ticrcd s_stcm ol subtnlcudatton, tt
was no wondcr that thc hrst rttsh admtnstrators had htt thc hard
azd ntractabc cnd o tradittonal cgcrttsc tn land mana_cmcnt.
hc want o s_mQath_ hctwccn ndt_cnous sQcctalsts and loca
o)cias was a__ravatcd urthcr at thts sta_c b_ thc raQactg ol thc
mrmtn_ s_stcm, thc rutn ol man_ an anctcnt andcd lam_ undcr
thc Qrcssurc ol cxccssvc hsca dcmands, thc gutckcnn_ Qacc o
cocctons, and d:sQaccmcnts causcd b_ thc mQact ol colont-
aism on an o\d rura soccg s\ow to rcsQond to chan_c.
hc outcomc ol al thts was mutual anta_ontsm and susQtcton
whtch vittatcd transacttons rclatn_ to and rcvcnucs and madc thc
_rud_n_ cooQcratton cltcttcd lrom thc so-calcd tntcrmcdtatc
a_cnts aQQcar as a wckcd rusc to dccctvc thc LomQan_`s ohcas.
Lrant cxQrcsscd somc o thcsc scntmcnts nhts on_-wtndcd Qrosc
whcn hc sct out
to Qrovc that throu_h thc mcdtum ol nattvcs, htthcrto amost
cxcustvcl_ cmQo_cd tn rca ct1ccnvc oQcrattons ol hnancc. wc
[t.c. thc LomQan_] havc hccn . . . _rossl_ dccctvcd tn rcsQcct to
thc naturc, orn and ctcnt ol thc annua asscssmcnt ol cn_al,
that such tntcrmcdtatc a_cnts thcmsclvcs havc awa_s bccn lu_
or morc Qcrcctl_ tnlormcd on thcsc subccts, thou_h thc_ wtth-
hcd thcr knowlcdgc hom LuroQcan suQcrtntcndcnts; and that
whcn thc_ havc bccn rc_ardcd, or ocalIg consutcd oraccs
to dctcrmtnc thc most csscnttal r_hts ol _ovcmmcnt, thc_ havc
tn most cascs, stood thc Qrcdtcamcnt ol |ud_c and Qarg
a_atnst thc sovcrct_n rulcr . . . hodn_ tn thc samc hands . . .
thc _rcat omccs ol statc, . . . 1o_cthcr wth thc cntrc volumc o
authcntc documcnts, accounts or octal lorms, so tndtsQcnsab_
ncccssat_ to control thctr conduct wth tntcl_cncc, whlc thc
I60 Oommnco vthout Hogomonj
ru1n_ admnstratton Vcrc stl unadcd b_ thc _hts ot h:cc
ctcnsvc sct cgcrcncc.
t Voud bc somc tmc, ot coursc, bcorc such `sc cxgcrcncc
V to accumuatc and maturc cnou_h to bc cltcctVc_ oggoscd to
natvc ntr_uc. WcanVhc, thc tcrrtorcs had to Uc _oVcrncd and
rcvcnucs cocctcd n ordcr to ga_ or tradc and Var, ot Vhch
ur_cd thc Ucd_n_ ra to tt_ and brcak out ot Vhat t gcrccVcd as
a crclc ot dcccgton. hc mcans uscd lor that gurgosc Vas hstoj.
omc ot thc vct_ hrst and most tDgortant Vorks on ndan hstot_
VrUcn rom a rttsh standgont bcon_ to ths gcrod ot thr[
_cars bctVccn Van and crmancnt cttcmcnt. @utc a cV o
thcsc ran_cd Vdc_ ovcr tmc trom antQu[ to thc most rcccnt
gast. othcrs Vcrc contcnt to takc a rcatvcl_ orcshortcncd vcV o
thc gast _on_ back no lrhcr than thc thrccnth ccntu_.
Vcrc consgcuous b_ thcr ntcrcst n thc hstorca asgccts o thc
and gucston~an ntcrcst thc_ sharcd V1th thc Lmgan_s ad-
mnstraton Vhch grovdcd most ol thcr authors Vth thcr vc-
hood.
7brcc 7y,coo/Narraie
Jakcn accordn_ to thc scogc and cmghass ol thcr nterest n thc
and Qucston, thcsc hstorca dsscrtatons coud bc sad to bc ol
thrcc [gcs. Jhc hrst o thcsc camc n thc torm ot comgrchcnsvc
survc_s Vth thc narratvc ctcndcd ovcr lon_ gcrods o tmc and
ar_c garts ot thc subcontncnt. rttcn ug gotca hstorcs n
Vhch thc run_ d_nastcs scrvcd or grota_onsts and thcr chan_-
n_ crcumstanccs or glot, thcsc narratvcs sou_ht to cxgorc thc
rclaton bctVccn goVcr and grogcr[ n gursut ol an ansVcr to thc
Qucston: ho oVncd thc andthc kn_ or thc andcd casscs!
PcXandcr oVs Vcl-knoVn Vork, TbcHtoo/Hmoo, gub-
shcd n thrcc Volumcs n l 768I772, Vas onc o thc bcst cxamgcs
o ths [gc.
P sccond jgc, ovCraggn_ thc hrst to somc cxtcnt and cgua_
comgrchcnsvc n ts tcrrtoral and tcmgora surc_s, dlcrcd
somcVhat n cmghs. Jhc ar_umcnt about landcd grogcM
hn_cd hcrc on thc cconomc asgcct o thc land Qucston: oV
much Vcath dd thc and groducc and hoV Vas t sharcd bctVcen

A1mmHwwrqro]1m I6I
QroQrictors and thc statc undcr thc Qrccoonia rc_imcs P _ood
dcal o Qolitics, and that, too, in thc orm o d_nastic historIcs,
cntcrcd such narratiVcs o coursc. ut Vhat thc_ Vcrc Qrimari_
about Vas QoitIca cconom_-a tcrm Vhich rcgucnt_ occurs i n
thc Vorks o Lrant, onc o thc bcst Vritcrs o th:s _cnrc.
hc third gQc dicrcd rom thc othcr tVo in scoQc. t did not
havc thcir subcontincnta sVccQ, but ocuscd on thc rcatIonshtQ o
QoVcr and QroQcrg at thc oca cVc. Nrttcn uQ, in most cascs, as
ocia rcQorts and sti buricd in thc archivcs, narrattVcs o this
{Qc arc amon_ thc hrst oca historics Vc haVc o coonia nda.
hcsc, too, Vcrc conccrncd Vith thc Qrobcm o QroQrictorshiQ aDd
QoVcr, but on_ on thc much smalcr scac o rc_ion and cstatc. Jhc
gucstion Vhich QromQtcd thc Qroduction o thcsc rcQorts, takcn in
?ew most _cncra asQcct, i_norIn_ its numcrous VarIattons. Vas:
oV much o his sharc o thc Qroducc did thc andord Qass on to
thc statc
hcsc thrcc gQcs o narrativcs, considcrcd to_cthcr as a _cnrc,
stand or thc bc_innin_s o a colonialist historio_raQh_ o nd1a.
ah thesehad aeral la erests he cmcr_-
in_ coonia statc brandcd on it as a birthmark. onc had an_thiD_
to do VIth thc QromotIon o a ibcral cuturc amon_ thc sub|cct
QoQuation. hc_ oVc thcIr orI_in to thc LmQan_s ur_c to
inorm itsc about thc charactcr and Vauc o andcd QroQcrg, so
that it could rcducc its dcQcndcncc on Vi_ natiVc intcrmcdiarics
and usc thc occ o thc LiVan to mamIzc and s_stcmatizc thc
colcctIon o rcVcnucs. Nhich makcs onc Vondcr Vh_ o a Qossi-
bc mcans it Vas histot_ that Vas summoncd to rcscuc thc ncV
mastcrs rom thc dcccQtions suQQoscd to haVc bccn QcrQctratcd
b_ thcir indi_cnous scrVants. or i thc attcr had dccciVcd thc
rItish au1horitics at a 1hc_ had donc so not b_ an_ suQcrIor
undcrstandIn_ o histot_ but b_ Vhat thc LomQan_s ohccrs
thcmsclVcs had idcntihcd as a traditiona knoVcd_c Vhich had
mastcrcd thc hi_hl_ sQccializcd tcchniguc o ndian and mana_c-
mcnt.
Lrant himsc Qaid a tributc to thc QoVcr o that tcchniQuc as hc
dcscribcd Vhat hc thou_ht Vas its abusc b_ a natIVc sQcciaist, a
ccrtain md; Vho. hc Vrotc, Vas cndoVcd Vith _rcatcr cun-
nin_ or sccrcc_ [than an_onc clsc] in his Qrocssion; [and Vas]
morc skicd in thc dctai o thc cxchcgucr ducs; thc rauducnt
I62 Oominmco without Hogomonj
emoIument o| the zemindars and other omcers ol govement,
practcaI aHs in composing or decipherng revenue accounts: di-
vidng, sub-dviding, intermixing, annexng, reducing, LI entireIj
conceaIing portons ol rent and territotj . . 3 Fut in such terms,
cIearIj paranoiac terms with the strng ol gerunds quvering as l
on the verge ol a hjsterc ht, the "practicaI arts" ol accounting are
made to Iook Iike a particuIarIj sinster sort ol bIack art, as n the
passage where Grant relers to the native speciaIsts as "oracIes"
with obvious contempt. !se orac!es no doubt. But his contempt
lor them was not a!together Iee lrom a lear ol that unknown
power ol indigenous knowIedge which made the turopean leeI
insecure so oIten whiIe abroad in Asia and Alrica.
That lear was the unmstakabIe sign ol ethnoIogicaI encoun-
ter. !or the Western obserer, vhether a traveIer, adventurer,
scientst, or adminstrator, regarded the withhoIding ol an indige-
nous knowIedge ol anj kind invariabIj as an asseHion ol ethnc
identq, which excIuded him, bj that veq gesture, as an aIien. The
lear and indeed the sense ol humiIiaton generated bj the want o|
access to what he thought was his bj vrtue ol an undehned raciaI,
cuIturaI or spritua! superioriq, or simpIj bj right ol conquest as
in the present case, couId be compensated bj generizations about
native character and socieq as devoid ol that stood |or postve
va!ues n the aIien's own soceq and character. SocioIogies, histo-
res, phiIosophies, theoIogies, Iiteratures, jokes, and downright
abuse couId aII be made to serve as the venicIe lor such generaIi-
zations in a manj-sided repertore ol racist discourse. Cne has onIj
I Iook up the Board ol Revenue records ol the ! //Os and ! /80s
to reaIize how a good deaI o| the sentment and at Ieast some ol the
Ianguage whch go wth the sport ol Fak-bashng n parts ol
Britain todaj, had aIreadj been anticipated bj the Lst !nda
Companj's administrators in ther desperation to make up |or the
hurt thej |eIt on being denied access to a bodj ol indgenous
knowIedge thej beIieved thej had a right to use as "ohciaI inteII-
gence." Bj bIaming such inaccessbiIiq on native cunning, secrecj,
and decepton, thej mereIj acknowIedged deleat and accepted
that, as aIiens, thej wouId never quaIj lor initiates.
So thej turned to histotj as ethnoIog's surrogate. Thej reaIized
that the Indian speciaIist wouId not share his knowIedge with
them, and decded therelore to acquire a knowIedge o| precoIoni

n 1mmn Hwwrqro]1mm I63

cond:tions o thc a_rar:an cconom_ and QroQcr_ rclat:ons b_ a
his1or:ca :nVcsti_at:on o thc nd:an Qast. ut such a rccoVct_ o
thc Qast Vas bound to makc or a Vct_ d:t1crcnt k:nd o knoVlcd_c
rom thc onc dcnicd. Jhc lattcr Vas o coursc :normcd b_ a scnsc
o thc Qast, but d:d not const:tutc, or thc sQcc:alists. a h:storca
Qast. t Vas, V\th thcm, a Qast madc uQ o d:scrctc momcnts
rccoVcrcd s_nchron:call_ as thc occas:on rcgu:rcd. n th:s scnsc thc
rccall, or :nstancc. b_ thc zam:ndar: m o Vho oVncd Vh:ch
cstatc _cncratIons a_o, Vhat Vas collcctcd as abab and Qa:d as
ama Vas not Vc_ d:crcnt Hom thc rccall o anccstral namcs,
k:nshiQ transact:ons, r:tual Qroccdurcs, and so orth b_ Qr:csts,
marr:a_c brokcrs, _cncalo_ists, and othcr trad:t:ona sQcc:alists
Vho, too, d:QQcd :nto thc Qast cVcr so oHcn or :normat:on but d:d
not nc_otatc it as a diachronic oV, that :s, ncVcr as histot_.
hc rit:sh, b_ contrast, had to h:stor:c:zc thc nd:an Qast in
ordcr to haVc acccss to :t. ut h:stor:c:zat:on, l:kc thc ormat:on o
thc colonial statc, coud not bc ach:cVcd cccQt b_ thc oQcration o
mctroQol:tan rulcs and modcls on natVc matcria. hc matcrIa
Vh:ch had to bc histor:c:zcd Vas o coursc thc sum o cXsti_
narrat:Vcs l:kc annals, chron:clcs, anccdotcs, and olklorc, but thc
narratoo brou_ht to bcar on such matcr:al Vas that o contcm-
Qorat_ LuroQcan and Qart:cularl_ Vh:_ h:stor:o_raQh_. Pll thrcc
[Qcs o atc c:_htccnth-ccntu_ Last nd:a h:stor:o_raQh_ mcn-
tioncd aboVc borc thc marks o this oQcraton. JaRc, or cxamQlc,
Plcxandcr LoVs macro-Qol:t:cal Huto: o/Hodotao Vh:ch Vas
airl_ rcQrcscntat:Vc o Vhat Vas common to al thrcc [Qcs :n this
rcsQcct. c rclicd, accord:n_ to h:s oVn adm:ss:On, Qrmaril_ on
I:r:shtahs car_ scVcntccnth-ccntut_ chron:clc, but _aVc :t, :n thc
th:rd Volumc, a narratiVc cosurc that Vas charactcr:stic o thc
Qost-cna:ssancc h:storIo_raQh_ o LuroQc, a closurc or Vant o
Vhich, as a_dcn h:tc has obscrvcd, a chron:clc could ncVcr
gualg as a QroQcr hstorca d1scoursc.'"
P_ain, Lrants macro-cconomic disscrtat:on, Vhich announccd
its h:stor:o_raQh:cal concc:t :n :ts tItlc, AoHwtoraaodCoaratec
A/y o/tbcF:aoo/Bcna Cbooayarraocd md crcot
crde/romtbcJoCoottotbcrcott, sou_ht consc:ous_
to imQosc thc d:sc:Ql:nc ol thc c:_htccnth-ccntut_ uroQcan modcl
on :ts unru_ matcr:a _athcrcd rom a Vdc var:c[ o sourccs
ran_:n_ rom 1crsian lcd_crs and _cncalo_ica tablcs to chron:clcs
I 6 Oommco vthout Hegemonj
and oral trad:t:on. e reected the narrat:ve mode ol h:s Qr:mat_
sources :n Vh:ch concentra!:on on deta: oten obscured the Qer-
sQect:ve on _eneral :ssues and adoQted instead the broad surve_
as the mode su:ted to ``the ma_nitude ol our Qresent sub|ect ol
:ngu::_. Plso, :n conlorm:Q to current Qract:ce, he cal:brated h:s
narrat:ve accord:n_ to the relat:Ve :mQortance ol the Dscal units
and deQarted thus a_a:n lrom the absurd:Q ol the at!emQt, char-
acter:s!:c ol his Qr:ma:_ sources, to eXh:b:t . . . the vaSt hnanctal
oQerat:ons ol a m:_hQ emQire . . . Qar!:all_ b_ undeDned unv:eld_
QroV1nces, and Qart_ b_ the lrit|ered d:V:sions ol an :ns:_n:hcant
hamlet.'' n local histo, too, like the one that came :n V:th a
let|er lrom hamuel aV:s, PSsistant on deQutat:on to the Lollector
ol ha_alQur, :t Vould be eas_ to see a QQicall_ ei_hteenth-cen-
tu:_ LuroQean notion ol the QaSt stru__lin_ V:th an odd assort-
ment ol lolklore and _enealo_:es and QatVar: accounts to Qroduce
a narrat:ve Vh:ch the sen:or members ol the _oVernment :n Lal-
cut|a m:_ht reco_n:ze as ``a _eneral h:stor:cal account ol the
zem:ndars and zemindar:es ol ar_ana on_h_r {un_er). '
here Vas no nd:an h:stot_ Vr:tten b_ a r:t:sh author dur:n_
the late e:_hteenth centu:_ Vh:ch d:d not shoV s:_ns ol such
stru__le.
e haVe sQoken ol the be_:nn:n_s ol colon:al:st h:stor:o_raQh_
as a histot_ ol turbulence. ar lrom be:n_ a ben:_n _: ol met-
roQol:tan l:beral:sm. :t Vas comQlic:t to a Qro|ect that turned con-
guest :nto occuQat:on. he :ssue ol an ethnolo_:ca encounter, vts
lunct:on Vas to a:d a lore:_n QoVer lorc:bl_ to eQlot the re-
sources ol our land. 1d lar lrom be:n_ the smooth azd sell-
conhdent d:scourse that :t _reV uQ to be :n the n:neteenth centu:_
under the :mQact ol :1ls Huto o}Brub 34&@ :t Vas, dur:n_
the hrst th:rQ-hVe _ears or so ol :Vani, a rather aVkVard _enre
:n Vh:ch nat:ve content and al:en lorm Vere st:ll not at Qeace
vith each other :n !he bod_ ol the narrat:ve. e Vanted to em-
Qhasize th:s turbulence :n order to rem:nd ourselves that no co-
lon:al:st knoVled_e had ever been an_th:n_ but :ntrus:on even
at the hour ol :ts debut. 1:ke eve other asQect ol colonial-
:sm l:ke a battle ol lasse_ or the arr:val ol an Last nd:aman
on the u_l: or the set|:n_ uQ ol a hlature :n a :rbhum v:lla_e ~:t
alVa_s had to make :ts Va_ throu_h lr:ct:on. :stor:o_raQh_, too,
had !o do so.
nImmHwwrqro]Imm I6
E twoM Iootroto/Co[ohm
t olloVs lrom Vhat has bccn sa:d so lar that thc carl_ oIc:al at-
tcmQt to h:storIc:zc thc nd:an Qast amountcd to a simQlc tcchnrca
cXcrc:sc. ts QurQosc Vas not so much to Qromotc thc Vr:t:n_ ol h:s-
tor_ as to cnabc thc Lst nd:a LCmQan_ to cnd :ts dcQcndcncc on
thc :nd:_cnous mcthod ol stor:n_ and rctrIcv:n_ inlormat:on about
landcd QroQcrg and land mana_cmcnt. ndccd, this h:storIo_raQh_
Vas, likc an_ othcr tcchn:ca knoVlcd_c, :nstrumcntal :n charactcr,
a knoVlcd_c locuscd accuratc_ and cXclus:Vcl_ on thc cnd lor
Vh:ch It Vas dcv:scd, namcl_, thc colccton ol rcVcnucs. hcrc Vas
hardl_ an_thIn_ in ths narroV sQcc:al:zat:on that could bc cQcctcd
to _cncratc a movcmcnt toVards cncoura_:n_ ndians to Vr:tc thc:r
oVn histo:_. Ln thc contrar_, it Vas, lrom thc 1nd1an Qo:nt ol VicV,
an advcrsa:_ knoVlcd_c Vh:ch :nsQ:rcd somc o thc most obnoXIous
_oVcrnmcntal Qroccdurcs such as thc scrut:n_ ol zam:ndar: ac-
counts and cadastra survc_s and mcasurcmcnts. hc lormcr Vas
bittcrl_ rcscntcd b_ thc QroQr:ctors, VhIc thc Qcasants rcs:stancc to
thc lattcr dcVcloQcd into ]acgucr:cs :n a numbcr ol d:strIcts.'
hcrc, thcn, should Vc situatc thc :mQulsc lor thc a_cnda :n-
vokcd at thc bc_inn:n_ ol thc chaQtcr hc ansVcr that rcadil_
comcs to oncs m:nd :s, ol coursc, cducation. _ thc ast guartcr ol
thc n:nctccnth ccntur_ cducat:on had alrcad_ cstablishcd ttscll as
thc most d:st:nctiVc asQcct o Vcstcrn:zat:on :n our culturc.
ankimchandra took not:cc ol th:s Vhcn, :n LLd hc obscrVcd,
``hc tcrm eebahas noV bccomc thc usual dcs:_natton lor thosc
Vho haVc bccn cducatcd :n thc cstcrn modc, and Vcnt on to
dchnc thc s:ksh:ta nc_at:Vcl_ as nd:ans Vho had bccn alicnatcd
lrom trad:trona lcarn:n_ b_ thc Vct_ naturc ol such cducat:on.
hc_ arc not to bc blamcd lor th:s, hc rcmarkcd; `th:s :s thc
natura conscgucncc ol thcir cducat:on . . . WoVada_s thc mcm-
bcrs ol thc s:kshita communij conlorm to cstcr modcs ol
th:nk:n_ lrom thc:r vcr_ tnlanc_, and arc not acQuaIntcd V:th thc
s_stcms ol anc:cnt ndIan thou_ht.'"
ron:call_, hoVcVcr, :t :s b_ :dcntIQ:n_ ba thus as anton_
mous to ea, and cducat:on as a d:sQlaccmcnt o trad:tton, that
ank:mchandra :dcnt:hcd h:mscll as onc o thc commun:j ol thc
sIksh:ta. O:ncc thc bc_inn:n_ ol thc ccntut_, s:ncc its sccond dcc-
adc to bc Qrcc:sc, thc lattcr had comc to bclicvc in cducat:on as
I6 Oommco vthout Hogomonj
merel_ another Va_ ol th:nkn_. h:s Vas :ndeed hoV the colon:al
re_:me :tsell Vanted educat:on to be thou_ht. A :ts a_enc:es,
Qrvate, Qublic and m:ss:ona, Qro|ected educat:on eXclus:vel_ :n
the ima_e ol a sQ:rttual oQerat:on on the nat:ve m:nd. `o animate
:ntellectual eert:on and lacl:tate the acgu:rement ol knoVled_e
Vas Vhat an oHc:al ol the Lommittee ol ubl:c nstruct:on de-
scribed as the a:m ol the :nst:tut:ons under :ts control.'
ut hoV true Vas that descr:Qtton :d educat:on haVe noth:n_
other than :ntellectual eert:on and advancement ol knoVled_e lor
:ts content as :t s:mQl_ the code ol an :nnocuous alterat:Ve
culture Plthou_h colonial:sm and the man_-s:ded thrust olltberal
Qol:t:cs made :t out to be so, there Vas more to educat:on than that.
t stood not onl_ lor enl_htenment but also authortQ -a lact Vh:ch
:t has been the uncton ol :deolo@ tn all :ts lorms, :nclud:n_ h:stor:-
o_raQh_, to h:de lrom the educators and the educated al:ke. 1n other
Vords, :t Vas an :deolo_cal ellect that made both the QroQa_ators
and the benehc:ar:es ol educat:on look uQon :t as a Qurel_ cultura!
transact:on and t_nore that asQect Vh:ch related :t d:rectl_ to QoVer.
ak:n_ the transact:onal metaQhor one steQ lurther, one could
sa_ that :l QroQa_at:n_ and beneht:n_, _:v:n_ and rece:V1n_ Vere to
be re_arded as a sem:osts, educat:on Vould not h_ure :n :t as a
denotat:ve code ol culture at all. Ln the contra:_, tt Vould be lound,
on a closer look, to haVe lunct:oned at tVo d:lterent, thou_h related,
levels ol eQress:on, each V:th a dilterent content ass:_ned to tt. Pt
one level that content Vas culture, and at another, QoVer. Lduca-
tion, under the h:stortcal cond:uons ol r:t:sh rule, made thus lor a
connotat:Ve structure ol the k:nd :n Vh:ch, as u:s elmslev has
ar_ued, eQress:on and content Vere as_mmetr:call_ suQer:mQosed
on each other to const:tute a la_ered teX|. Lr, one could sa_ {lolloV-
:n_ Lmberto LCos adaQt:on ol the same structure) that educat:on
Vas a teXt Vhose content Vas a mult:-levelled d:scourse lormed b_
the couQl:n_ ol a code ol culture and a code ol QoVer. 1
e sQeak ol th:s comQletQ :n order to demonstrate hoV edu-
cat:on related to colonial domnance not onl_ as a means ol Qersua-
s:on, but as an arm ol :ts coerc:Ve aQQaratus as Vell. t :s a lact ol
h:sto Vh:ch the :deolo ol l:beral:sm, n :ts ea_emess to d:sQla_
educat:on merel_ in a he_emon:c role, Vould rather lor_et. ut
there s a _reat deal ol ev:dence to shoV that the atm ol educat:on,
as conce:ved b_ the lounders ol the ra|, Vas lar lrom emanc:Qatot_.
nTmm Hwwrqro]Tmm I67
1t Va des_ned to harness the natVe mnd U the neV state aQQa-
ratus as a cheaQ but ndsQensable carrer ol ts admnsttatiVe
burden. 1hJQ rancs, the hrst ol the LomQan_s ocers to _rasQ
the mQortance ol educaton lor the lormaton ol a colonal state
and lar more astute n ths resQect than arren 1astn_s hmsell,
had recommended, as earl_ as { eec the schoolin_ ol natIve _ouths
n Ln_lsh as a condton lor ther recrutment nto the bureauc-
rac_. l . . . the Ln_lsh lan_ua_e could be ntroduced nto the
transacton ol busness, . . . t Vould be attended Vth conVenence
and advanta_e to LoVernment and no dstress or dsadvanta_e to
the natVes, he Vrote tn a letter to |crd |orth. o gual_ them-
selVes lor emQlo_ment, the_ Vould be obl_ed to stud_ Ln_lsh
nstead ol 1ersan. l schools Vere establshed n the dstrcts, . . .
a leV _ears Vould Qroduce a set ol _oun_ men gualhed lor bus-
ness, Vhose eamQle and success Vould sQread, and _raH the
nsttuton _raduall_ nto the manners ol the QeoQle.'
Come _ears later, Vhen the ra had hnall_ come nto ts oVn,
the Lommttee ol lublc nstructon Vas to Qck uQ Qrecsel_ that
state-buldn_ theme and observe that the nstttuttons under ts
suQerntendence, thou_h not connectcd Vth the ort llam Lcl-
le_e, had one obect common Vth t-the trann_ uQ ol a class ol
1ublc Lcers n Vhose eXamQle and nuence the moral and
ntellectual mQroVement ol the QeoQle [m_ht] be condentl_ an-
tcQated. rancss e_hteenth-centu dea Vas ncorQorated
nto the vson ol a QostreVolutIonat_ bour_eos state run b_ the
bureaucrac_ as a unVersa class n Vhch ectenc_ Voud be
lrutlull_ Vedded to Vtttue-QoVer to culture.
1oVever, under the condtons ol colonal rule, that s, the rule
ol a Qost-revolutonai_ bour_eose n a state Vthout ctzenshQ,
such a vson Vas bound to end uQ n a carcature ol tsell. ^nd so
t dd. hat most ol the hrst benehcares ol educaton mbbed
lrom t as a code ol culture Vas a suQerhcal ^n_lcsm amountn_
to a mmct_ ol the V_orous lbera1sm ol metroQoltan Ln_land.
Jo sa_ ths s not to tarsh the brllance ol the hlteen or so braVe
|erozans'" Vho haVe alVa_s Qrovded the cult ol en_al Henais-
sance Vth ts guotes on reason and relorm, nor to dimnsh the
_outhlul charm ol ther nconseQuental dehance ol convention
Vhch never lals to remnd us, a commung ol eguall_ nconse-
guental ntellectuals, that once Ve Vere _oun_.
Oomco mthout Hogonj
Uut wth thc cccgton o that ustrous mnorg whosc whm-
scaltrcs arc ohcn unhstorca_ assmatcd to thc ar morc mo-
mcntous, ar morc dhcut, and ndccd guatattvc_ dltcrcnt
stru__lcs and achcvcmcnts o Hammohun Ho_ and shwarchandra
Nd_asa_ar as thosc, rcsgccttvcl_, o a grcdcccssor and a succcs-
sor~wth our homa_c gad to thcm as s aggrogratc, what wc arc
lch wth s a sgrawn_ mcdocrrQ _tvcn to launt ts uncrtca
mtaton o thc cst as a cutura achcvcmcnt. hc shaow and
gurc_ mttatvc charactcr o that cuturc was rcco_nrzcd as such
and dcnounccd not b_ thc tro_od_tcs o mndu conscratsm aonc,
but aso b_ somc o thosc who wcrc amon_st thc cducatcd thcm-
sclvcs and had comc to know that ghcnomcnon at hrst hand.
mow thc_ trcd to dstancc thcmscvcs rom that ^n_o-ndan
charadc coud bc scnscd, or nstancc, rom what was cvdcnt_
Wchac Wadhusudan utts own commcnt, as hc gut t n thc
mouth o a charactcr n hs ga_, EKBqSalbyotahcrc a
mddlc-class woman cgodcs n uttcr ds_ust whcn hcr _oun_ and
cducatcd husband rcturns homc at thc cnd o an cvcnn_ o dc-
bauchct_ and makcs a rackct undcr thc nlucncc o acoho. t
sccms, shc sa_s, that thc on_ knowcd_c cutvatcd rca_ wc b_
man_ o thc cducatcd n Lacutta nowada_s s that [o womanrzn_
and drtnkn_] . . . ^nd thcsc shamccss crcaturcs _o on boastn_
that thc_ havc bccomc cuturcd kc thc sahbs. o _or_c oncsc
on wrnc and mcat and da_~s that how onc bccomcs culturcd
s ths what _ou ca cuturc (^ct , bc. 2].
a
^t onc gont n thc ga_, ts hcro, thc cducatcd dcbauchcc, mccts
hs croncs at a cub cacd `hc ^ssocaton o thc Lccan o
bnowcd_c (Unanataran_n babha), but uscd n lact or thc cu-
tvatron o carna knowcd_c and consumgton o guor, and n-
auguratcs thc cvcnm_s mcrrtmcnts w1th a ttc sgccch thus:
`Lcntcmcn ths countt_ rs at grcscnt kc a vast grson or us; ths
cub housc aonc s our hal o bcrQ, our gaacc o rccdom; _ou
ma_ ccl rcc to do whatcvcr _ou kc. mc concudcs n Ln_sh
wtth thc words, `Lcntcmcn, n thc namc o ltccdom, ct us cno_
ourscvcs, asks or drnks to bc scrvcd, and cas ugon thc two
whorcs hrcd or thc occason to bc_m thc nautch. Lomc ogcn thc
ba, m_ bcautcs, hc commands, a_an n Ln_sh. (Dct , bc.
[]

!
hc gr:son mcntoncd n ths sgccch stood, o coursc, or ndu
conscrvatsm and not coona subccton; thc ghrascs bcrg and

A1m Hwwrqro]1 I69
lrccdom wcrc mcant to mtttatc ony a_ainst va!ucs and rcattons
intcrna! to tndu socicg and not a_atnst thosc that inhcrcd tn thc
Qowcr structurc ol thc raj. htch shows how words and tdcas that
had bccn Qottica d_namitc tn LuroQc had thctr crttica char_c
douscd and dcluscd by cooniaist cducatIon in our subconttncnt.
1ndccd, what moSt ol thc n\nctccnth-ccntuty bcDchciartcs ol that
cducatIon imbtbcU lrom it aS codc ol Qowcr was ungucsttonin_
scrviig to thc ru!1n_ Qowcr.
TbcJortaocco/Eob
Jhc Qro_rcss ol such cducation as a mcasurc ol tncrcastn_ middc-
class acQuicsccncc to cooniaism waS abundanty ccar to iVDath
hastrt whcn hc ookcd back on it tn thc cary ycars ol our ccntui_.
``1s thc Qaramountcy ol thc Ln_ish camc to bc morc and morc
hrmy cstabishcU lrom ycar to ycar, hc wrotc, `as thc c_a,
jurtdtcal and othcr tnstttuttons lor _oVcrnancc wcrc _raduay butlt
uQ, and busincssmcn atrtvcd lrom Ln_and m ar_c numbcrs and
sct uQ commcrcta hrms tn Lacutta, thc natiVc inhabttants, and
csQccIally thc midUccass lamtics ol Lcutta amon_st thcm, wcrc
incrcasin_y sctzcd wtth thc ur_c to havc thctr chidrcn cducatcd
in thc Ln_ish manncr. hc conncction bctwccn thc ut_c lor
cducatton and thc consoidatton ol thc raj g notcd hcrc by haStrt,
had tdcoo_tcal conscgucnccs which wcrc soon to bc madc cxQtctt
by thc bhadraok s rcsQonsc to thc uttny. hc dt1:cu_ ol rccon-
citn_ that rcsQonsc with thc ima_c ol our cducatcd ninctccnth-
ccntu_ lorbcazs as Qionccrs ol a lrccdom moVcmcnt ts a
conundrum on which thc Qrobcmatic ol ndtan histoi_ undcr
rittsh ruc continuc to lor a lon_ t:mc yct.
n dcain_ with that conundrum, wc who arc sQirttua succcssors
to thc alumni ol thc hrst coonia schoos arc guItc undcrstandaby
rathcr morc circumsQcct than wcrc thc insur_cnts ol amtrQur tn
LU tradcsh at thc outbrcak ol thc uttny. Jhcrc, on !4 Uunc
Fev~wc guotc lrom an cyc-w1tncss aCcount Qubishcd soon al-
tcrwards`thc sows attcndcd by a numbcr ol bmmbe ol thc
Qacc, bc_an to Qaradc throu_h thc strccts armcd w\th swords and
atttcs, and Qut to thc sword cVci_ LhrIsttan and cvc_ cn_acc
whom thcy coud susQcct ol an acguatntancc wtth Ln_ish.' hat
must havc bccn, by and az_c, an uitcratc crowd ol muttnccrs and
7 Oomunco vthout Hogomonj
smaltovn Qoor, aQQears thus to have acted accord:n_ to a v:ev
the_ came to take o educat:on as an eerc:se :n Qo:t:cs b_ another
name. t :s sauta_, thereore, or us to reco_n:ze that such a viev,
ormed not b_ ear:n_ but b_ understandIn_ bom o oQQress:on
and eXQo:tatIon, :s corroborated b_ h:stor:ca evIdence as ve1.
or some o that eIdence one ma_ turn to a number o essa_s
vrItten b_ students o the :ndu Loe_e :n ansver to the guest:on:
as LuroQe or 1s:a benehted most b_ the d:scovet_ o the Qas-
sa_e round the LaQe o lood oQe to nd:a hese essa_s vere
Qroudl_ eh:b:ted b_ the school author:t:es at a Qr:ze-_IvIn_ cere-
mon_ :n Uanuat_ l 2. 1ere :s an excerQt rom one o them.
@`a the nat:ons o LuroQe . . . the Ln_:sh have der:ved the
_reatest advanta_e b_ th:s Qassa_e . . . @the other hand :t must
be acknoved_ed, that :t has aso, :n some measure, contr:buted
to the _ood o Ps:a, Qart:cuar :n the countres under the rtttsh
sva_, or :n the t:me o the Wohammedan Qrants, noth:n_ but
uxu:_ and oQQress:on Qreva:ed amon_ the nobes; the_ had
QroQerl_ sQeak:n_, no hed avs or the adm:n:stratton o justce.
n t, the iat:ves sul1ered the most mort:[n_ Qroos o the:r
cruetes, unt Vro:dence, to avert the eI, brou_ht them under
the :ustr:ous sva_ o the Ln_:sh, vho not onl_ reed th:s
countt_ rom the:r hands. but have adoQted a Qoss:be measures
or :ts ame:orat:on, :ntroduc:n_ arts, sc:ences, schools, acade-
m:es and coe_es or the d:ssem:natIon o knoveQe.
1nother student, too, concuded :n much the same ve:n, sa_In_
that as a resut o that d:scover_ ve are sa eve:_ va_, :mQrov:n_
:n :terature and the sc:ences da_ b_ da_, and sha contInue to do
so as on_ as the r:t:sh Qatron:z:n_ sva_ shal rue over us. %
Lear_, the Qo:ttcs o coaboraton cau_ht the nat:ves _oun_.
he _outhu enthus:asm or estern sctence and :terature and
the :nst:tut:ons set uQ to Qromote these vas Qred:cated unguest:on-
:n__ on an aQQrec:at:on o the :lustr:ous sva_ o the Ln_:sh.
1l1er that there voud be on_ one short steQ or the student to take
beore maturn_ :nto a comm:tted o_a:st as he eH schoo or
emQo_ment at a over run_ o the coona adm:n:stratIon or vtth
a r:t:sh mercantte hrm or or a career :n one o the :bera
Qroess:ons or s:mQ_ or a l:e o e:sure W an absentee andord.
t vas th:s o_al:st, Qo:t:ca asQect o educat:on that vas rude_

:
A1mmHwmrqro]1mm
cxposcdbjthcvocnccoIthc amrpuruprsng. Ujcontrast, thc
coona authortcs vcnt on nsstng on ts santzcd, ntccctua
luncton aIonc, as thcj dd vhcn thcj trcd to cxpan vhj thc
schooboj cncoma addrcsscd to thc ra vcrc consdcrcd good
cnoughIorpubcatonnthcoHcaourna.hcscvcrcpubshcd,
thcjsad,notvthrcIcrcncctoanjopnonsthcjcontan[cd],but
socjvthavcvtothcr tcra)_charactcr, andtoshcvthc pro-
grcss that [had] bccn madc bj thc ndoo studcnts n Luropcan
stoi_and Lomgoston.`^hcrcs ttc n ths apoo@to shov
thatcducatonvasndccdquarantncdlrom opnons.hc attcr,
undcrstood broad as potcs, vcrc cxpctn thc scI-assurancc
vthvhchthccducatorsnomnatcdthcdscovci_oIthcroutcton-
d:aasathcmcoILuropcanstoi_andaotoISouthAsanhstoi_.
hat consttutcd thc potcs o such thcmatzaton vas ts at-
tcmptto pcrsuadc ndans to prdc n an cvcnt that madc Ior
thcrsubcctonto anumbcroIcstcr povcrs cumnatngn thc
cstabshmcnt oI Urtsh paramountcj bj an act oI conqucst. o
tcach ndans to apprccatc that d:scovci_ as a trumph and an
achcvcmcnt, vhcn trumph mcant thcr ovn dcIcat and achcvc-
mcntthc ossoIndcpcndcncc,vasccarjacsson npovcrmcant
to cducatc thc coonzcdtontcrprctthc past notntcrms oIthcr
ownntcrcsts,butthoscoIthc coonzcrs. Lducattonnhstot_vas
thus dcsgncdas ascrvants cducaton~an cducaton to conIorm
undcvatngjtothc mastcrsgazc n rcgardngthc past. t scrvcd
thcprocctoImpcra domnancc bj anncxngthcpast nordcrto
prc-cmptts usc bj thc subcctpcopc asastc onvhch toasscrt
thcrovn dcnu[. Anj progrcss madc bj ndans n thc studj oI
ths gcnrc oIhstoi_ coud onIj bc a mcasurc oIthc succcssvth
vhch thcjhad bccn taught to acqucscc n thc proccsscs oIsuch
coonast appropraton. hcrc vas nothng n ths cducaton,
mcrcd mctcuousjto ht Urtshmpcrantcrcstsandthc Urtsh
gcnt cI, lo anj tnctvcj ndan aggroach to thc
SouthAsan past. 1tvoudbc nvanthcrcIorc tott_andscckthc
mpusc Ior an 1ndan hstortographj oInda n ths cducaton.
hccducatonvchavc dtscusscdsoIarvasangophonccducaton.
tvas thc Lngsh anguagc vhch Iunctond vthn that cduca-
tona sjstcm as thc purvcjor oI thc knovcdgc t had Ior ts
contcnt. As such, that anguagc vas compct to both thc codcs,
I 72 Oominance without Hegemonj
that Is, thc codc ol QoVcr and thc codc ol cuturc, VhIch _avc
cducatIon Its mcann_ lor coonIzcrs and coonIzcd in thcIr rolcs,
rcsQcctIvcl_, ol cducators and cducatcd. o rc_ard that comQlicI_
simQ_ as Instrumcnta In charactcr Voud bc to undcrcstImatc It.
1or It Vas, In a rca scnsc, constItutIvc as Vcll. hc customa_
dcscrIQtIon ol Ln_lIsh as thc mcdIum ol InstructIon Voud bc ol
Ittc hclQ uncss thc mcdium Vcrc undcrstood, In thIs instancc, to
havc bccn Intc_ra to thc mcssa_c.
hc imQortancc ol Ln_lish as an cmbcm ol QoVcr VIthIn thc
s_stcm ol cducatIon Vas not thc rcsut ol ocIa sQonsorshIQ aonc.
Lvcn bclorc _ovcrmcnta a_cncIcs lor cducatIon wcrc sct uQ, thc
schoolIn_ ol cn_aI bo_s had arcad_ bc_un at a numbcr ol tur-
asIan InstItutIons. hanks to that inItIatIvc, Ln_Ish _aIncd rcco_-
nItIon IncrcasIn__ as a sourcc ol QrcstI_c lor an_onc Vrth cvcn a
slI_ht command ol thc an_ua_c. Vo ol thIs hrst _cncratIon ol
scholars havc bccn :mmortaIzcd b_ Ivnath hastri. oth ol thcm
Vcnt to ^rratoon ctruss schoo. hDoVn as Ita cn thc Lnc-
c_cd and ^dvaIta Ccn thc LriQQc ol boutoa, thc_ coud sQcak
and VrItc In a sort ol brokcn Ln_Ish V:thout scnsc ol _ram-
mar at a. Lonscgucnt_, Vrotc hastrI, `thc rcQutatIon and Qrcs-
tI_c thc_ cno_cd In thc contcmQorat_ Lalcutta socrc[ kncV no
bounds. hc_ uscd to aunt thcIr clcvatcd status atjulru and othcr
ar_c lcstIvc _athcrin_s b_ turnIn_ uQ In backao [oosc, loV-
In_ robcs VoO b_arIstocrats) and brocadcd shocs. 1coQc uscd to
look uQon thcm Vrth rcvcrcncc.' LoIn_ b_thIs cvidcncc, Ln_Ish,
as a status-markcr, Vas obv:ous_ on a Qar VIth such InsI_nIa ol
socIa ImQortancc as court_ aQQatc. hc attcr Vas, lor Its
Vcarcrs, a mark ol hI_h socIa standIn_ In QrccoonIa ndIa. n
much be se Va_, thc an_ua_e l VF coonia ru!crs hcQcd
sI_nIhcantl_ to ImQrovc thc socIa smnd:n_ ol an_ natIvc Vho uscd
It, cvcn hc dId so V:thout Qrohccnc_.
Ln_|ish mana_cd thus to Insinuatc itsclt Into cducatIons codc ol
QoVcr arcad_ at thIs car_ datc. ut It dId so on_ In an IconIc
scnsc. Uust as thcir suIts ol kaba chaQkan madc thc tVo _ouths ol
houtoa ook Ikc nobcmcn, so dId a smattcrIn_ ol Ln_Ish makc
Jhcm sound Ikc thc sahIbs. hIch shoVs that Vith thcsc caOcrs
thc an_ua_c, as a sI_nI[In_ s_stcm, Vorkcd on thc QrincrQlc ol
sImIlarI_ rathcr than on that ol contI_uI_,' and had, thcrclorc,
not lul_ rcaIzcd Its QotcntIa _ct as a lID_uIstIc lorm. Lnc could
/nImmnHwwrqro]Imm 1
indeed sa_, VIth N. . NoosInoV, that It was st:1 tragQed in the
Qrocess oreco_nItion and had not QuIte made ittothe Qrocess
ounderstand:n_.

1ccordin_ to hIm, these grocesses corresQond resgectIVe_ to

theto states oalan_ua_e as si_nal and sI_n. _ua_e as sI_na
s stI not adeQuate toitseasaIn_uIsticorm.ChoudIn_uIstIc
orm remaInonl_asI_na, reco_nIzedassuch b_ theunderstander,
it, then, does not exIst or m as a in_uistic orm. CI_naIzation
inVoVesthe use owordsas sImgl_atechnica mcans or indIcat -
in_ thIs orthatob|ect {some dehnIte, ed ob|ect] or thIs or that
actIon {likew1se deInite and hxed). t otten dominates the teach-
In_and learnin_oaorei_n lan_ua_e. 1ntheQrocessomasterin_
a oreI_n an_ua_e, wrItes NoosnoV, sI_naiQ and reco_n1tion
stI make themselVes elt, so to sgeak, and stI remain to be sur-
mounted. the an_ua_e not_ct ul_ haVin_becomelan_ua_c. 1e
:1ustrates thIs b_ a reerence to an obVIous_ grimitiVe method o
Instruction In the HussIan an_ua_e: 1word extracted romcon-
text, VrItten doVD In an exerc:se book, and then memorized to-
_ether VIth :ts Hussian transation undcr_oes sI_naIzatIon, so to
sQeak.'
he sImIarI_betweenthIs mode oinstructIon andthetcachIn_
o)n_lIsh Inthe ear_ nIneteenth-centur_ Lacuttaschoolsshould
be eVdentrom what both Ha|nara_an asu and CiVDath Chastri
had to sa_ on the sub|ect. o Quote ltom the atter,
nthoseda_s, noonccaredto_IVe lessons:n_ra nortcach
the QuQ:s how to construct sentences. Pttenton was :mIted
Qrmartl_ to the teachIn_ o )n_lIsh words and the:r meann_s.
he _rcater thc number o )n_Ish words and thcIr mcanIn_s
memorIzcd h_aQerson, the hi_hcrwashIs standIn_and reQuta-
t:on as aman Vast_camcd In )n_Ish . . . LonseQucnt_, some
_oun_lads woud tt_and commit ancnttrc )n_lIshdIctiona:_to
memo:_. herc werc man_ schoos whcrc at the end othc da_
the QuQ:s were made to recIte )n_:sh words [rh_thmical_]
much :n the same manncr as the_ recIted mult:QIcatIon mbles.
hus.
h:osoQhcr~qnumk, ou_hman~N
umQkIn~1ukumtv, Lcmbcr~oU
!74 Omco vthout H@monj
ut an Ln_tsh cducaton ol ths knd, vhtch had tttc morc
than thc mcrc an_ua_c lor tts obcct [that vas hov Ihc Qhc-
nomcnon ol st_nazaton vas octa_ dcscrbcd), coud not coQc
vtth thc nccds ol Qovcr and culturc tn a maturtn_ coona statc.
tor, athou_h such cducatton Qrovdcd _oun_ ndans vtth a
suctcnt command o [Ln_tsh] lor conductn_ thc dctats ol
octal dug and vtth gualttcaton as coQ_sI[s] and account-
ant[s], tt dd not QrcQarc thcm lor thc morc comQcx tasks vhch
thc consodaton and cxQanston ol cmQtrc camc tncrcastn__ to
tmQosc on cvcn that lovcsI cvc ol thc burcaucrac_ vhcrc aonc
thc natvcs coud hnd cmQlo_mcnt. Ior dtd a mcrc vord-book
knovcgc ol Ln_ltsh hcQ thcm to assmt!atc thc valucs and dcas
ol rtttsh !bcratsm vcl cnou_h to ustQ an_ caL b_ thc rucrs
that thc ra vas bascd on conscnt rathcr than lorcc. n othcr
vords, thc mQcrattvcs ol both Qovcr and cuturc rcgutrcd that
Ln_tsh, as a tn_utsItc lorm, shoud out_rov st_natg and lunc-
tton as a tru_ d_namc s_stcm ol st_ns tn tts roc ol a mcdum ol
tnstructIon. 1or thc tdca ol mastcrn_ a an_ua_c ts absorQtton ol
st_na1tg b_ Qurc scmtotctg and ol rcco_ntton b_ Qurc undcr-
standn_. "`

lndcr thc condtons ol coona ruc st tn tts lormattvc Qhasc,
an_ Qro_rcss lrom st_nag to scmtotcg tn thc usc ol Ln_tsh lor
ndan cducatton vas bound to havc thc most momcntous ol Qolttt-
cal conscgucnccs. t vould lor_c that an_ua_c tnto a hc_cmontc
tnstrumcnt to Qcrsuadc thc sub|cct QoQuaton about thc dcstrabt-
g ol ts ovn subccton. Lducaton voud unlod, Ihcrclorc, as an
tdcoo_tca camQat_n vIh Ln_tsh asst_ncd, n a vartcg ol dtscur-
stvc lorms, thc task ol commtttn_ thc coontzcd to thc noton ol
coonaltsm as a hstorcal_ ncccssarg and bcnchca dcvcloQmcnI.
hc mQortancc ol thc tndu Loc_c tn Ihts camQa_n ts too
vc-knovn to rcgurc caboratton. t vas hcrc that a s_stcmattc
attcmQt vas madc lor Ihc trst ttmc, at an nstttutona cVc, to Qut
thc tdca ol mastcrn_ a an_ua_c b_ Icachtn_ bascd on tcrarg
tcxts rathcr than vord-books, on cssons tn _rammar rathcr than
sQcln_, on vrtttn_ rathcr Ihan mcmorztn_. hc am ol cducaton
aI Ihat coc_c vas, accordn_ to thc CauaGac to tcach [thc]
cn_acc _outh to rcad and rctsh Ln_tsh lttcraturc: to storc thcr
mnds vth Ihc lacts ol htsIorg and sctcncc, and to cnabc thcm to
cxQrcss ust concustons Dwa ccar and Qotshcd sgc, loundcd uQon
nInmHwrqro]Inm I 76
a comQrchcnsivc v:cw olthc constItutIon olsocIc[ and thc Qhc-
nomcnaolnaturc.
ut thc actua achIcvcmcnt ol this Qro_ram _rcat_ cXcccdcd
mcrc currIcuarcl1orts at thc cXtcnsIon olhuman knowcd_c and
thc dIusion ol LuroQcan scIcncc and lcat:n_ amon_ thc )atIvc
subccts.orInaddItion totrainIn_ the mIndsolthc natIvc_ouths,
It aso bcnchtcd thcm sQititua_, accordIn_ to thc authorItIcs, b_
cnar_in_thcsQhcrcolthcIrundcrstandIn_,andlrccIn_thcmlrom
thc sQcl ol Qrc|udIcc, whIch [had] so on_ bound thcm to thcir
QrimcvalnotIonsandcustoms." n short, cducatIon, mcdIatcdb_
Ln_Ish, dcQosItcdcstcrnvaucsintothcsoulolthccducatcd.
ts cumulativc cl1cctwastobc dcscrIbcd b_ ankImchandtaas
nothIn_ short ol a chasm that had arcad_, b_ thc QcnutImatc
dccadc olthc ccntuI_, madc It imQossbc lor thc ncw _cncratIon
olthc cducatcd and thc odcr _cncration oltraditIona scholars to
communIcatc wIth cach othcr.
his communiQ olthc cducatcd [hc wrotc] cannot undcrstand
thc discourscs oltradItional schoarshQ, cvcn Ilthcsc arc trans
atcdInto an_la. UustasthcQandIts bcon_In_tothctradItIona!
schools (t} hnd It dicut to undcrstand statcmcnts madc b_
LuroQcans, cvcn whcn thc_ rcad thcsc Intransat:on, thoscwho
havc bccn cducatcd in thc wcstcrn modc, do not hnd t cas_ to
_rasQwhatthctradItIona! castcr schoars havcsaId, cvcnwhcn
that savaiablc intransatIon . . . hccstcrmodcolth:nkIn_
Is sovc:_ dIcrcnt hom thc tradItIona 1ndIan modc olthInkIn_
that thc translaton ol Idcas cannot bc achIcvcd sImQ_ b_ thc
trans!atIon olonc an_ua_c Into anothcr.
hanks to coonIalIst cducatIon, Ln_lish had thus bccomc con
stItutIvc ol thou_ht Itscl lor thc cducatcd. t cut thcm ol1 hom
thcirowD tradItIon. _ thc samc tokcn, ItasomadcthcIrownQast
InacccssIblc to thcm asahistoI_. bIncc thc contcmQorat_ modc ol
hIstorIcizin_ thc Qast was an asQcct olQost-Lnli_htcnmcnt Luro-
Qcan thou_ht madc avaiabc to ndIans soc_ b_ Pn_lo-1ndIan
cducatIon and Ln_lish, thc_ dId not knowhow to thInk it Inan_
wa_ othcr than dId thcIr rucrs. hIs was QattIcular_ truc olthc
mostrcccnt Qastthc coonia Qast, lor itwasthcrc that thc tcXts
constructcd b_ thc rulIn_ culturc wcrc most actIvc In QcrsuadIn_
thc coonizcd In lavor olan intcrQrcmtIon suQQortIvc o coonIal
I 76 Oommnco vthout Hogomonj
ruc. 1ar l1om gromotin_ an_ dcVcogmcnt towards a distinctiVc_
ndian historio_ragh_ ol coonial ndia, an_oghonc cducation
cndcd ug as a Vchiclc ol idcoo_ics that hindcrcd it.
Loonalsm andthe ngges otthe Lolonzed
aqcma1acHaracocdtotbcBa
1l thc ur_c lor indi_cnous historio_ragh_ did not comc lrom thc
bondin_ ol cducation and thc an_ua_c ol thc rucrs, coud it thcn
bc said to haVc issucd lrom thc othcr kind ol bondin_, namc_, that
ol cducation and thc indi_cnous an_ua_cs hc imgortancc ol that
conncction lor thc makin_ ol thc coonial statc and its cuturc was
at cast as crttica and gcrvasiVc was thc rcation bctwccn Ln_-
ish ruc in thc subcontincnt and Ln_ish. Wuch ol what was
ori_ina about thc ra and distin_uishcd it l1om thc historic out-
comc ol somc ol thc othcr urogcan advcnturcs ol thc mcrcantiist
cra, ma_ bc traccd grccisc_ to this conncction. 1or gurgoscs ol
comgarison, onc coud tur to that wc-known instancc ol uro-
gcan cxgansion chroniclcd b_ cra in his cassic account,
TbcCaato/NeaS,oi.hcrc, thc author writcs ol thc rcation
bctwccn congucst and an_ua_c in its ucidiQ and brutaiQ. hc
bganiards, wc arc tod, tau_ht bganish to somc ol thc natiVcs takcn
as grisoncrs and uscd thcm as intcrgrctcrs in thcir attcmgt to
communicatc with thc indi_cnous gcogcs. hc obcct ol such
communcation was to acQuirc _od. hc gattcr was si_niDcant_
dil1crcnt in thc casc ol thc ritish conQucst ol cn_a. crc, thc
LOmgan_s mcrcantic ogcrations rcQuircd `inVcstmcnt ol thc
and rcVcnucs in thc gurchasc ol giccc_oods and a ccrtain amount
ol raw matcria ol Various kinds. LOngucst was thcrclorc not con-
tcnt simgl_ wtth _rabbin_ and movin_ on to thc ncXt raid. t
coVctcd rc_uariQ and tcnurc, which showcd, amon_ othcr thin_s,
that thcrc had bccn a sca-chan_c in thc charactcr ol mcrcantiism
itscl sincc thc sixtccnth ccntur_. t was a mcasurc ol such chan_c
that instcad ol haVin_ thcir contact with thc conQucrcd mcdiatcd
b_ natiVc intcrgrctcrs, as thc bganiards had donc in Wcco, thc
ritish chosc to dca dircct_ with thc subcct gogulation b_ carn-
in_ thcir an_ua_cs. ndccd, in 1ndia, unikc iD cw bgain, a
knowcd_c ol thc indi_cnous an_ua_cs was rcco_nizcd b_ thc
~ 
nn1mmnHwwrqrqo]1mm 77
rulcrs as an esscntal condtton lor the maintenance olther rule;
and the 1ort :lliam Lolle_e, set ug:n I8OO,Vasthe hrsthstor:c
steg the_ took toharncss 1ndanlan_ua_estothcconstructonola
colona state aggaratus.
Llthe lar-rcachn_conseQucnces otths shot_un Veddin_ol
lan_ua_c and co!on:alism, the one most relcVant to our ar_ument
here :s the deVelogment ol an_a grose and the goss:bli[ t
crcatcd lor the groductton ol a modcr and autonomous nd:an
hstoro_ragh_. hree olthcganditsaggo:ntedtoassist:nteachn_
the lan_ua_e at ort ll:am Lolle_e Vere our hrst hstor:ans.
amram asus Raa Pcataaya Cbacca (I8OI), aj:blochan
uRhogadh_a_s Jabaca Kcuboacbaodca Fayaoya Cbaccam
(I8O5) and r:[unjo_ :d_alankars Raaba (!8O8) Vere the
Vct_hrstbooks on hstog to be gublshed n a vcracular under
rtsh rule. ritten tn Vhat Vas soon to emer_c as thc standard
torm otthe grose narrat:Ve :n an_a, three Vorks Vere teXtual
sites ol a con:ct betVeen archa:sm and modernsm at both the
l:tcrat_and thchstor:o_raghical lcVels. an_ otthe s_mgtoms ol
that conct haVe becn d:a_nosed :n terms ol the distr:bution ol
taama and tadbbaea ghrases, the rclatiVc :nc:dence olers:ansm
and hanskrit:sm inthe vocabula, and thcgecularit:esolcolloca-
ton, s_nta, and othcr _rammatcal leatures ot these Vrt:n_s.'
ud_ments Vat_ about thc mcr:ts ol:ndiV:dual authors and thcr
gcrlormances, butthcrctsa_enerala_recment thatthc:rmgerlec-
t:ons Verc mcrcl_the s:_ns olstran :n alan_ua_c as itVas about
to enter alormatve and cr:ttcal ghase olits carccr.
n_uist:c :mmatur[ :n these carl_ Vorks Vas matched b_
laVs at the historo_ragh:cal leVel as Vcll. A three haVc been
lound b_l:terat_ scholars as Vant:n_ n authentci[. o Vmch
one could add a numbcr ot othcr obvtous detccts to shoV hoV
these Vrtn_s ta:led to mcasure ug to the standards ol modem
h:storcal dtscourse :n the:r noton ottime and :n narrat:Ve struc-
ture. 1oVever,an_ suchasscssmentmust cndug nemg[abstrac-
tion, unlessttakes :nto account thc contradictionsthrou_hVh:ch
arationalsthistor:o_ragh_hadtotorce:tsVa_ belore estabsh:n_
:tscll :n the :ntcllectual m:l:eu ol a colon:al socet_ :kc that ol
nneteenth-ccntu nda~unless. that :s, :t rcco_n:zcs the scars
and bruses ot that ditcult Qassa_c n thc tau[ concegtion and
crahsmanshg olthese hrst cXercises.
I78 Oominmce vithout Hogomonj
1or the hsto:_ ol d:scurstVe ormat:ons gara!els, :n th:s resgect,
that ol soc:a lormat:ons, whch are neVer mmacuate when the_
make the:r dcbut. Llements ol greV:ous soca lormatons gersst
w:thtn the most recent :ssue ol the ser:es not on_ as Vest:_es but
aso as consttuents. neVtmb_, therelore, socej :s t1au_ht wth
con:ct between the od and the new lrom the Ve:_ moment ol :ts
tncegton. hat :s wh_ no cagtal:st mode ol groduct:on has eVer
trtumghed :n ts or:_na hab:tat :n Luroge (the case ol Dmer:can
cag:tal:sm w:th :ts loreshortened h:sto:_ be:n_ an eXccgt:on :n th:s
re_ard) w:thout encountern_, combat:n_, oVercom:n_, and _et n
a certan sense, _:eldn_ to the res:stance Ol the leuda mode. Dnd
there has been no bour_eo:s cuture :n !he Lld orld wh:ch d:d
not haVe :ts taste ol vctot_ soured b_ the attr:t:on ol a contest w:th
leudal cuture and the need to comgrom:se w:th :t to some eXtent.
hat s true ol cag:ta:sm :s true ol other soc:al loOat:ons as
we. Vet_ one ol them has been :nadeguate to ts concegt and
cau_ht ug, one coud sa_ al!er , n tbe :ncomgetcness ol :ts
own deVcogment. he str:V:n_ to coge w:th and maRe ug lor
such nadeQuac_ and :ncomgetencss const:tutes lor each ol them
:ts h:stor:c gro|ect and the cond:t:on ol al :ts d_nam:sm.
uch the same could be sa:d ol dscurs:Ve lormatons. hose, too,
are bom ol turbuence and ogerate as t:ssues ol contrad:ctton wthn
the cutures towh:ch the_ belon_. +such, the_ haVe :t as the:r lunc-
ton to an:mate those cutures b_an endur:n_ stru__e between the
od and the new both at the eVe ol egress:on and that ol content.
Ven the urogean noVel had :ts he_emon_ bueted b_ the tens:ons
ol that st:u__le and tts garamountc_ mod:hed b_ accommodat:on
wth eements ol grenoVesttc lorms. Lg:tome ol m:es:s and real-
sm, t st: led bera!_, :n tts lormatVe sta_es, on m_th and romance
aS materal lor :ts glots."" Lhd ol the a_e ol gr:nt:n_, :t cont:nued lor
a on_ ttme to use narrat:Ve strate_:es derVed lrom what ater
Ln_ has descrtbed as `the od ora narrators word."
AocladHutor
he an_a noVel, too, borrowed lree_ lrom trad:t:onal grenoVe-
tstc lorms :n :ts ear_ sta_es. he :mgact o anR:mchandras
gtoneern_ contr:buton to ths _enre was so comgrehens:Ve and so
dramatc that man_ ol hts contemgorartes re_arded thc gub:catton
?
ATmHwwrqro]Tmm I79
ol h:s rst noVe, :n l 865, as a comglctc break w:th our litcra
gast. c shall neVer lor_et that da, wrotc :Vnath hastrI as onc
ol thcm.
DeVcr bclorc had thcrc becn a noVel ol that knd wr:ttcn n thc
an_la lan_ua_e. c had been, unttl then. aV:d rcadcrs ol Bay
Baata, Kr and a lcw othcr old-sglc noVelas mod-
eled on thc [anskr:t romance] e and ol somc short
stor:cs calcd H arRa,Ckakkoand othcrs ol
that kind Qubl:shcd b thc Larhastha ustak rachar abha,
sugglcmcnted b a lcw eotc tales such as H aayae. Ll
all thcsc, :t was onl AmrGka:rD/wh:ch had an ca:m at
to noVelg. oweVcr, what wc lound :n Dm ebwas
a!to_cthcr ungrcccdcntcd }
s
ab:ndranath a_orc h:mscl corroboratcd th:s tcstimon whcn hc
relerred to BayBaata, Gobkao and such othcr storIcs meant
lor thc d:stract:on ol ch:ldren (ckkc-bkumaokatka} as that dazk-
ncss, which endcd wth thc adVcnt ol 7kc Baa:kaa and thc
scr:al:zation ol ank:mchandras noVcls :n its ga_cs."
owcVcr, eVen ater such trbutc has been ga:d, as :s ungucs-
t:onabl due to that h:stor:c watcrshcd lor which thcsc noVcls
stand :n our :tcrat_ cuturc, :t w:ll st:ll bc truc to sa that thcir
brcak w:th the gast was, in somc s:_nmcant was, rathcr lcss
rad:ca than thc obsctat:ons cted aboVc would :mgl. or thcrc
:s a _ood deal ol cVidence :n thcsc works to show how thc author
drew lree on narratoo_cal d rhctor:ca conVcnUons ol grc-
noVelistic d:scourse~on the conVcnt:ons ol cassica anskrit
drama and cg:c goct_ lor some ol h:s dcscrgtons o naturc; on
those ol aishnab lr:cs lor thc rcgrcscntatton Cl scual:g and
crot:c:sm; on thosc ol lolk comcd and burlesQuc lor his larcIcal
cl1ects; on those ol oral l:tcrature l:kc thc ballad lor direct address
to the rcadcr :n an authoral Voicc; on thosc ol tindu mthoo
lor groghcc:cs and other lorms ol groV:dcntIal :ntcrVcnt:on as
elemcnts ol narrat:Ve acton, and so on. o notc thcsc traccs ol
trad:tona:sm and archa:sm :n the works ol our hrst mCdern noV-
cl:st :s not to undercstimatc hts ach:cVcmcnt but rather to enhancc
:t. or :t :s onl b :dcnti_:n_ such rcl:cs and the:r const:tutVc
clects that wc can aggrcc:atc thc hcro:sm ol thc stru__c to cstab-
Dommnco vthout Hogomonj
lsh thc novcl as a _cnrc n a culturc vhch had no ln_ustc,
narratolo_cal or dcolo_cal prcparaton tor t at a|l.
Jhc hrst thrcc Han_la vorks on hstot_ prcccdcd thc hrst nocl
` that lan_ua_c b_ ncarl_ stQ _cars. Nhcn thcsc vcrc vrttcn,
thcrc vas cvcn lcss tn thc condtons ot our culturc to support a
ratonalst hstoro_raph_ than thc lttlc that vas thcrc to assst n
thc rsc ot thc novcl latcr on n thc ccntur_. LonscQucntl_, thc
ln_ustc, narratolo_cal, and dcolo_caJ obstaclcs to hstorca-
ton vcrc cvcn _rcatcr than thosc to novclzaton {to usc .
Hakhtns tcrm). hc dchccnctcs ot thcsc carl_ hstortcal ds-
courscs vcrc all, n var_n_ dc_rccs, s_mptomatc ot thcr cncoun-
tcr vth such obstaclcs and ts stll ndcctsvc outcomc. t m_ht bc
correct, n a torma scnsc, to usc such dchccnccs as a mcasurc ot
thcr talurc to match thc standards ot thc ratonalst hstoro_ra-
ph_ ot contcmporat_ Ncstcrn Luropc or thosc ot ndan hstor-
o_raph_ ot a latcr datc. Hut vhat purposc vould that scrvc cccpt
to rcttcratc thc ohvous! t vould, n an_ casc, do lttlc to hclp our
undcrsmndtn_ ot thcsc tcts as thc stc ot a contcst bctvccn vcr_
d1crcnt, ndccd mutuall_ ta_onstc, va_s ot ntcrprctn_ thc
past. 1or al1 that lavs thcsc vorks as hstorcal dscoursc s cwt-
dcncc ot thc on_on_ and ndccsvc charactcr ot that contcst.
Iovhcrc arc thcsc shortcomn_s morc pronounccd than n Fa-
aba t onl_ becausc tt s morc comprchcnsvc n ts scopc than thc
othcr tvo vorks. Wrn|o_ Hd_aankar looks at thc past as onc
lon_, a__rc_atvc stoQ ot prnccl_ lvcs. t bc_ns vth a notcc on
thc nstallaton ot thc hrst ndan kn_ kshvaku b_ !od hmsclt at
somc pont tmc durn_ thc ha[a_u_, survc_s that and thc ncXt
tvo n tvo short para_raphs, and conccntratcs, tor thc rcst ot
thc vo:k, on thc 1l_u_ and ts ru!crs, commcncn_ tth thc rc:_n
ot `udhsthhr and cndn_ tth thc rc_mc ot thc Lompan_ a-
hadur nstallcd, a_an, b_ Lod hmsclt, somc htg _cars a_o. Jhc
vcr_ hrst attcmgt madc n thc Han_!a lan_ua_c to span all ot thc
northcrn ndan past n a sn_lc dscoursc, t s vast compcndum
ot vhatcvcr ntormaton thc author had ot nd\ and Wusl m
prnccs, thcr vars, advcnturcs and aIlanccs, thcr pomp and _ran-
dcur, thcr lbcral[ d cruclQ, thctr _ood dccds and bad dccds,
and so on. hc scrall_ arran_cd d_nastc accounts n vhch thcsc
dctals arc dcpostcd h__lcd_-p__lcd_, do not rcl_ tn all nstanccs
on r_orousl_ tcstcd cvdcncc, but drav ndscrtmnatcl_ on m_ths
nTmmHwwrqro]Tmm I8I
and unVcrhcd loca lc_cnds and lolkorc. hc rcsut has bccn to
comgromsc thc tcXt b_ too cas_ a trac bctwccn thc sccular and
the sugcratural. bctwccn lact and tanc_. \t :l not gua[ as an
cntrc_ authcntc work ol hstot_.
s a mattcr ol somc si_ni!cancc, howcVcr, that a Vcrnacular
account ol thc ndan gast, gublshcd n !808, shoud cnd tscll to
bc gucstioncd at a on thc _round ol cVidcncc and authcntc_. t
ndrcatcs that was not wc ith thc haowcd scnsc ol thc gast
whch had bccn rcgroducn_ tscl in 1uranic dscoursc lor a thou-
sand _cars or so unt:l as rcccnt_ as thc ci_htccnth ccntui_. 1
_outhlu grctcndcr, contcmgorat_ wth thc author hmscl, was
kccn on takn_ oVcr mcmoQs od cstatc and knockin_ at thc _atc.
stot_ had dcclarcd war on tradton. `ct t was ccar that thc
stru__c which had bccn thus cn_a_cd was b_ no mcans oVcr. n
thc hrst dccadc ol thc nnctccnth ccntut_ and lor somc tmc to
comc, cVc:_ hstorical d:scoursc was st to bcar thc marks ol
rcsstancc on thc gart ol trad:ton. o wondcr, thcrclorc, that
m_thc _cncao_cs, sacrcd _co_raghics, lantasrcs ol dVnc ntcr-
Vcnt: on, and othcr 1uranc matcra1 o that sort clun_ rcso!utc_ to
thc tcXt ol 1uyu0uh. ut cVcn thcrc, thc narratiVc mana_cd to shakc
o much ol thc ncubus as t gro_rcsscd lrom thc rcmotc to thc
groxmatc gast, as l to su__cst that thc baancc was ttcd incXora-
b_ n laVor ol hsto:_ and thc attcr would oVcrcomc. cncclorth,
thcrc would bc no _on_ bac to 1urga.
n sa_in_ ths wc takc our cuc lrom akhtins obscrvatons on
thc roc ol thc noVcl as a solVcnt ol cgc timc. hat rolc was
garalccd in our cuturc b_hstoro_ragh_ in its rcaton to 1uranic
tmc. ``hc cgc, wrotc akhtn, wrth rclcrcncc to thc urogcan
_cnrc ol that namc, `has bccn lrom thc bc_innn_ a gocm about thc
gast, and thc authoria goston mmancnt n thc cgic and consttu-
tVc lor it [that s, thc goston ol thc onc who uttcrs thc cgrc word)
s thc cn&:ronmcnt ol a man sgcakrn_ about a gast that s to hm
nacccssblc, thc rcVcrcnt gont ol Vcw ol a dcsccndant. k th
thc ghrasc `cgc rcglaccd b_ 1ura, ths coud gass lor a grc-
cisc dcscr:gton ol thc lat|cr as that _cncrc discoursc b_ whch
ndran cuturc had, sncc antgu_, constructcd and c_cca_ rc-
groduccd thc gast as a sacrcd and anccstral tmc, dstantratcd
ato_cthcr lrom thc tmcs and Vaucs ol ts authors.
hs was an `absoutc gast, and ackcd an_ rclat:V[, that s,
I82 Oominanco without Hogomonj
an_ _radua, gurel_ temgora gro_ressons that m:_ht connect :t
V:th the gresent, and esgeca_ that gresent :n Vh:ch the authors
and ther aud:ences Deon_ed" n uroge the emer_ence ol the
noVe Vas, accordn_ to akht:n, the s_na ol `an enormous reVo-
luton :n the creat:Ve conscousness ol man, grec:se_ Decause :t
had the gresent taken as a star|:n_ gont and center lor art:st:c and
:deoo_:ca or:entat:on. 1t Vas the :ntrus:on ol the gresent Vh:ch
desacra:zed and hna_ destro_ed the aDsolute gast ol the eg:c D_
gutUn_ :t :n d:rect contact V:th real[ and exger:ence."
n our cuture the demo:ton ol the aDSoute gast ol the urqa
De_an Vth h:stor:c:zaton rather than Vth noVe:zaton [athou_h
the tVo Vere soon to |o:n lorces and del:Ver a dc_ruo). he
hrst three h:storca Vorks rn an_a are a V:tness to that De_:n-
nn_. Plthou_h :nterarded V:th uran:c e1ements, the_ mhaVe the
gresent as the:r go:nt ol degarture. Jh:s s documented, to some
extent at east, :n a etter V1:tten D_ ::am Lare_ soon aHer hs
aggorntment as head ol the an_a degar|ment ol ort ::am
Lolle_e. Nien the aggontment VaS made, sa_s Lre_, k saV
that had a Vet_ :mgortant char_e commtted to me, and no Dooks
or helgs ol an_ k:nd to ass:st me. therelore set aDout comgn_ a
_rammar, Vhch s noV hal grnted. _ot oshu to comgose
a hrstot_ ol one ol the:r k:n_s, the hrst grose Dook eVer Vr:tten :n
the en_a1 an_ua_e; Vhch Ve are also grnt:n_. "
hus the hrst grose narratVe aDout the gaSt to De Vr:tten D_ a
en_al n h:s oVn an_ua_e Vas comm:ssoned aS an unmstakaD_
secuar Vork and des:_ned to serve the gure_ secuar gurgose ol
teachn_ the Lomgan_s serVants hoV to gUt that an_ua_e to oc:a
use. he n_shman Vho comm:ss:oned t delmed ts eg:stemc
character as h:stot_ and :ts unct:on as an adm:n:stratVe teach:n_
manua. he author, lor h:s gart, resgonded to that ass:_nment as a
Vr:ter addressn_ the gast Hom h:s s:tuaton V:th:n h:s oVn Vorld
and hs oVn a_e. Ps such, he set out consc:ous_ Ogroduce a h:sto
rather than _et another uran:c tae. h:s emer_es so cear_ lrom
the rect:near structure ol h:s narrat:Ve and the d:scrm:Dat:on
shoVn mhs hand:n_ ol eV\dence that the occas\ona :ndul_ence n
m_th notwrthstandn_, the character ol the Vork as rat:ona:st h:sto-
rro_ragh_ :s reco_nzed D_modern schoarsh:g."
t Voud De Vron_, hoVeVer, to oVerest:mate the contro these
gand1ts had oVer the m_thc dr:H ol the:r narratVes. he stru__e
AImmHwwrqroIm I8
or hIstorcIzation Vas to contInue or a Vh:e _et. n rI_uno_
id_aankar s Vork thIs Is ou_ht out as a contest betVeen histori-
ca time and uranic time " he atter is InVoked at the Ve[ be_in-
nIn_ o the text to_ether Vith eements o Indu cosmoo and a
sacred _eo_ragh_ to groVIde Vhat Is aggarent_ re_arded b_ the
author as an Indisgensabe back_round or the mundane chronicle
o the kIn_s o haratbarsha Vhich Is, o course, on_ one o the
nine arshas o UambudVig, Vhich Is Itse!l on_ one o the beVen
sands VhIch, taken to_ether Vith the beVen beas, constItute the
Vord. Ime, Ve are told, is reckoned In that Vord accordin_ to its
dIVisIon made b_ arameshVar the bugreme eIn_ himse Into
aga, anu, `u_, and atsar, VIth 432,000 atsars addin_ ug to
a `u_, 28 `u_s to a anu, I4 anus to a alga, and 30 agas to
the totai_ o al tIme. IthIn that temgoral scheme our oVn time
belon_s to the `u_ caled halI, Vhich Is the hundred-and-tVeh
`u_ o the seVenth anu caled aibasVat, VhIch is a comgonent o
the alga o the hIte oar (bVetabaraha aga)
ead_ stu, and one starts Vonderin_ Vhat histo_ has to do Vith
thIs. oVeVer, a second _ance at this mind-bloVin_ arithmetic
makes It obVIous that greoccugation VIth such dIV1ne_ ordained
temgoralI_ has not greVented the author lrom sItuatIn_ hImsell and
hIs discourse at a determInate goInt o Vord_ time IdentItIed as the
_ear l726 o the baka Lra or l805 Dnno omini hat Is his oVn
tIme, a benchmark ol the gresent rom Vhi

ch he sgeaks.
ut hoV is it gossibe, the reader ma_ ask, to sItuate onese at a
determInate goint o VorO_ tIme Vithin so metIcuous_ con-
structed an aeonIc sgace? he ansVer cear_ Is that thIs cannot be
done Vithout runnIn_ Into an irresolVabe contradictIon Ike the
one ImgIed b_ id_aankars horoo_ical metaghor Vhen he reers
to the moVement o the Vheel o tIme (kambakra} made ug ol the
thirQ halgas as a cockVork Qbatyant~r nyay}. ' o introduce
cockVork into the m_thic tIme o the a!gas is to dIssoVe Its
c_cIcI_ into inear, natura time, ust as to introduce the authorIa
gresent In a dIscourse Is to ree It lrom thradom to uranic time
and transgose It to hIstorIca tIme. 1t s the intro}ection ol that
noV o the Vriter and the VrItin_ Vhich hIstor:cIzes the text o
Kaba and saVes It rom beIn_ sVamged in the glethora ol m_thIc
matter degosIted there b_ a sense ol the gast stIl gartial_ bound
to traditIon.
I 8 Oominance vthout Hegemonj
Bcjmn:njo p an 1nJqcnou Ktwnalwt Hwtorwjra
he movement Inau_urated thus b_ the ttrst three h:stor:ca works
:n an_!a Qrose to dem_thoo_Ize the ndIan Qast, cont:nued to
_ather momentum over the decades. 1 uneXQected Conseguence
wh:ch outwe:_hed, :n :mQortance, the sHmuus that had orI_:nated
lrom La1e_s need to have manuas wrtten lor the tra:n:n_ ol
C:v::ans, :t was heQed on :ts wa_ b_ a number ol lactors such as
the adoQtIon ol an_!a as an oHc:al med:um ol Qub:c :nstruct:on,
the _rowin_ demand lor and Qroduction ol h:sto teXt-books :n
that an_ua_e, the mut:Ql:er et1eCts ol a :bera educat:on :n :n-
creas:n_ the aQQet:te lor h:storIca :terature and ot Lr:ental:sm :n
enhanc:n_ the vaue ol the :nd:_enous Qast, and _enera_, a new-
ound la:th :n the creat:vi[ ol matrdbaoba [mother-ton_ue).
hanks to th:s and more, not a ol wh:ch we have the t:me to
Cons:der here. an :nd:_enous, rat:onalst hIstor:o_raQh_ matured to
the Qo:nt when, b_ the m:dde ol the centu, :t woud lee stron_
enou_h to make dec:s:ve :nroads :nto the 1uramc Qast.
1et us !e :man: asaks ^alaoar/ Qub:shed :n !852, as
:nstanCe ol that deveoQment. h:s work :s :n a certa:n sense more
reQresentat:ve ol the authors sk: as a modern h:stor:an and ol the
state ol contemQoraI_ h:stor:o_raQh_ than the three voumes ol
Bbatla:ubcr Itdao, lor wh:ch he :s better known. ^alanar/ :ter-
a_, ^:nc omcn, :s, as the sub-t:te ol the book :nd:cates, a coec-
t:on ol b:o_raQh:ca stud:es ol n:ne anc:ent and modern women. '
buch a character:zatIon need not detract lrom :ts stand:n_ as a
_enu:ne_ h:stor:ca d:scourse. 1t :s, :n that resQect, an ato_ether
d:t1erent k:nd ol eXerc:se lrom shwarchandra NId_asa_ars stud-
:es :n :lustr:ous :ves, Cbarala (LaCutta, !856), a d:terence
wh:ch :t :s eas_ to overook :n Vew ol the atters assoc:at:on wth
asaks work. as acknowed_ed b_ the author h:msell :n a Qrela-
toI_ note.
:th N:d_asa_ar, the cbar, as a _enre, oQerates at the evel ol
mora:[-soc:a mora:], to be Qrec:se. hat _enre does not re-
gu:re an_ deveoQment :n tme. ^l :t :s concerned w:th :s a Qart:cu-
ar set ol mora Qr:nc:Qles as :lustratcd, Qos:t:ve_ or otherw:se, b_
the Qrota_on:sts act:on or eXQerence. t :s thus a _enre wh:ch :s
s_nchron:c :n conceQt. _ contrast, )dancbar, as we hnd :t :n
:man: asaks work {and :ndeed :n Nd_asa_ars own ser:es ol
ATmmHwwrqro]Tmm I8
that namc Qub:shcd :n !8), dcrivcs its orm and movcmcnt ltom
thc dcvcoQmcnt o an :nd:v:dua1s :c within a concrctc socia and
cutura contcXt. L:achron:c :n conccQt, it is csscnt:a_ a _cnrc
that has :ts Qacc wIth:n historio_raQh_. ndccd, thc corrcsQon-
dcncc bctwccn thc hIstor:cal and thc b:o_raQhica orms in thc
an_a Qrosc narrat:Vc rcQlicatcs so coscl_ an anao_ous rcat:on-
shiQ w:th:n thc LuroQcan itcra:_ tradItIon that it must bc rcco_-
n:zcd as _ct anothcr instancc o a ncw or:cntation :n our cuturc
brou_ht about b_ thc unIon o thc :ndi_cnous an_ua_cs and thc
rat:onalist h:stor:o_raQh_ o thc cst.
hat makcs asaks AabaoarQart:cular_ s:_n:hcant or us :s
that scVcn out o thc n:nc womcn whosc l:Vcs arc d:scusscd thcrc
arc h_urcs liHcd dircct_ out o :ndu m_thoo. ut hc scts out
rcsoutc_ to trcat thcm aS thc_ wcrc no css rcal than thc two
h:storica Qcrsona_cs on his ist. hc cv:dcnt:a vauc o thc uran:c
l:Vcs :s, or him, as _ood aS that o thc h:stor:ca oncs. hc_ rcutc,
hc sa_s :n h:s Qrcacc, thc basccss not:on man_ orci_ncrs havc
about thc nd:an Qast as want:n_ ato_cthcr in lcarncd and tacntcd
womcn. _ valor:z:n_ thc m_th:c :vcs thus on a Qar with thc rca
iVcs hc aboishcs thc d:stinct:on bctwccn m_thic Qast and rca Qast
at onc strokc and Qrovidcs or m_th thc condit:on :t nccds or
swamQin_ h:sto:_ :n h:s narratVc. owcvcr, what h:s stud:cs o
thc scvcn 1uran:c ivcs cnd uQ do:n_, :s thc vc:_ oQQositc: thc_
h:stor:cizc thc m_ths. h:s :s ach:cvcd b_ thc usc o rhctor:ca and
narrat:vc dcv:ccs to crcatc such sccuar, rational:st cl1ccts :n thc
tcXt as would makc thc h:stor:ci_ o its contcnts obVIous to thc
rcadcr.
o start with, hc dcsacral:zcs thc m_th:c :Vcs b_ thc strata_cm
o adoQt:n_ thcm aS b:o_raQh:ca thcmcs. t has not bccn custom-
a:_ :n th:s count_, hc obscrvcs, to writc an_ bio_raQhics.
ndccd, thc sanct:_ o m_th :s sac on_ so on_ as :t :s conta:ncd
:n custodIscoursc. o Qlundcr m_thic matcria or bio_raQh_
:s thcrcorc to vioatc custom and sccuar:zc m_th at thc samc timc.
hc sccula1Ist dcsi_n :s madc thc morc cxQic:t b_ thc authors
ca:m to haVc comQrcsscd all o thc Vm_apa and thc ahb-
hrata rcsQcctivc_ :nto h:s cssa_s on h:ta and LrauQad: ``:n ordcr
to makc th:s book Qcasurablc rcadin_. hcrc :s no dchnit:on o
QcaSurc b_whIch thc sto:_ o thcsc two :vcs as _iVcn :n thc cQics
can bc sa:d to makc or Qlcasurabc rcad:n_. hQir:tua_ cd:g:n_,
I& Oominance without Hegmonj
morall_ uQlhn_~_cs; but, Qlcasurablc ~hardl_ so. raQQcd :n
thc sacrcd tcxts, bta and rauQad stood lor dcals vhosc luncton
vas to tcach b_ cxamQlc. o bc cntcrtann_, thc_ had hrst to bc
takcn out ol thcr uranc mould and humanzcd. h:s vas donc n
QoQular culturc b_ art oQcratn_ lor thc most Qart at a Qrcltcratc
lcvcl. _ thc mddlc ol thc nnctccnth ccntur_, V thc novcl stll
at an ncQcnt sta_c, :t vas uQ to thc rclatvcl_ maturc hstorcal-
bo_raQhcal dscoursc to do that lor an ncrcas:n_l_ ltcratc and
cducatcd culturc consttutcd b_ a rcadcrshQ acquantcd vth thc
Qrntcd vord.
asak makcs h:s humanzn_ and sccularzn_ ntcnt:on qutc
obvous vhcn hc sa_s, hcrc s hardl_ ltcraturc to nlorm us
vhcn thc vomcn vhosc bo_raQhcs arc _vcn n th:s book, vcrc
born and hov man_ _cars thc_ lvcd. Lonscgucntl_, rclcrcncc to
brth-datc and a_c has bccn lch out ol ths vrtn_. P aQolo@ ol
ths knd vould havc bccn qutc rrclcvant had thc obcct ol thc
vrtn_ not bccn rc_ardcd as hstor:cal Qcrsonaltcs; lor thc bo-
_raQh:cal dctas sad to bc vant:n_ arc not rcqurcd lor thc con-
structon ol m_thc lvcs, nor ndccd s t ncccssat_ to suQQort such
constructon b_ rclcrcncc to an_ authortatvc ltcraturc. hc
vrtcr s aQQarcntl_ ca_cr to dcmonstratc that hc has takcn carc to
subcct hs vork to thc knd ol vcrhcaton vhch aQQlcs to rat:on-
alst h:storo_raQh_, cvcn l hs matcr:al s cntrcl_ uranc. hs s
cmQhaszcd lurthcr b_ thc clam hc makcs lor hs cxcrcsc as onc
bascd on rcscarch a amo and comQ:laton ol data
(eammo}, ncthcr ol vhch s csscntm lor thc rcc_cln_ ol an
absolutc Qast that :s smQl_ _vcn and nhcrtcd.
hc narraton tscll also tcst:hcs to a hstorczn_ stratc@ at
vork. akc, lor cxamQlc, thc stud_ ol bta, bascd, as asak sa_s,
on thc Hmaa. `ct thc c_clcal tmc ol that tcxt has bccn rccast
b_ h:m n ordcr to Qroducc a lncar dscoursc stuatcd, lkc a novcl,
n homo_cncous tmc. 1 cxcrcsc n Qurc dachron_, t dsQcnscs
vth thc Qroccdurc, adoQtcd n thc or_nal, to usc a m_thc Qast as
an ad to contctualzn_ thc Qrcscnt. _ contrast, thc Qast vorks
n ths bo_raQh_ as an asQcct ol sccular sub-Qlots vhch run on
Qarallcl lncs to thc man stoi_ and arc nscrtcd occasonall_ :nto
thc lattcr b_ analcQtc oQcrators such as at that t:mc (oeay},
at ths t:mc (cayc}, n thc mcantmc (c dc}, and so lorth.
hc convcr_cnccs brou_ht about n ths manncr hclQ to structurc
A1mmHwwrqro]1mm I87
thc narrattvc as a scrcs ol ordcrcd cgsodcs oncd scqucnta_ b_
dachronc markcrs kc aita (thcn), taaaaatac (ahcr that),
kyatkamaaatac(ahcr somc tmc), kyatkaa (atcr a vhlc), and
othcr ghrascs morc or css s_non_mous vIth thcrcahcr n n_-
sh.
t s b_ such dcvtccs that thc author rccugcratcs thc gast lrom
m_thoo@ to nvcst t n hstoro_ragh_. Hut lor a rclcrcncc to
btas mracuous brth 5thc vct_ hrst gara_ragh ol thc cssa_~a
nod n thc drccton ol m_thoo@ vthout vhch thc stot_ coud
not bc told at al and lor vhch, n an_ casc, hc shru_s ol1 rcsgon-
sbly b_ attrbutn_ t to mIk\ ~and thc cQua_ obl_atot_
mcnton ol eaaacae and cbaeae (m_thc agcs and monstcrs vho
h_urc rcsgcctvcl_ as thc hcros htcnds and locs n thc cgc battc
ol thc Hama_apa), thcrc s nothIn_ that makcs ths bo_ragh_
dl1crcnt n structurc lrom thc studcs on Pha_aba and Han
HhabanI, thc tvo historIcal gcrsona_cs on hs lst ol ustrous
lvcs. hus a ratonast dscoursc vhch cnabcs ncarj to rcgacc
c_cc[ and thc sccuar thc sacrcd cvcn n tradtona narratvcs,
cccbratcs n !man Hasaks Aabaaac thc comn_ ol a_c ol a
modcrn hstoro_ragh_ n Han_la. t vas a dccsvc vIctot_ n that
stru__c to lrcc thc ndan gast lrom thc cos ol cgc tmc, vhch
had bc_un vth thc vorks ol thc gandts ol ort tllam Lllc_c
somc h _cars a_o.
hc maturaton ol hstoro_ragh_ concdcd vth that ol thc
Han_!a an_ua_c as vcl. P bccl had bc_un to _an _round that l
thc attcr coud cnd tscl to crcattvc usc lor somcthn_ so comgcx
and so radIca n ts brcak vith tradton as a ratonalst rcgrc-
scnmtIon ol thc ndan gast, t coud bc trustcd to do agthn_. t
vould not bc on_ bclorc a commcnt about that an_ua_c bcn_
adagtcd lor thc vct_ statc_ mcasurc and sonorous cadcncc ol
bank vcrsc vas to grovokc Ichac adhusudan utt to vritc
a gocm mlour cantos grccsc_ n bank vcrsc and grovc hs hcnd,
thc doubtcr, to havc _rossl_ undcrcstmatcd Han_!a. 7t
ta abba Kaa, adhusudans tntcrvcntton In that lamous
dcbatc vhch took gacc at Hc_acha a on a summcr cvcnn_
n I89.has lound ts gacc n tcrar_ hstor_ as an act ol lath. ar
lcss knovn s thc lact that, mths rcsgcct, goctt_ had alrcad_ bccn
anticgatcd b_ hstoro_ragh_. or thc gubcatton ol !man
Hasaks thrcc-voumc vork, Bbacatbacebc1tdae, Dw I857~I88.vas
I88 Oommce vthout Hogomonj
aIso an act oI Iath. Vriting it vas, Ior the author, an amrmaton
oI the cIaim that the Indian past couId be represented more attrac-
tveIj and more authenticaIj in Banga than n LngIsh. Jhe hs-
totj oI India, Basak remarked in his introducnon to that vork, "$
vas vri::en up mostIj in Lng:sh. 1he Iev books in Banga vhtch
deaIt vith histotj vere "mereIj trasIatons Irom LngIish and
Iacked so u:terIj in aesthetc quaiq (a b} that peopIe vouId
either not read them at aII or vouId IeeI dissatisbed even iI thej
dd. As Ior the Lng!ish vorks, these vere, according to him, both
prejudiced and iII-inIormed about the \ndu past. Students vho
read them at schoo vere Ied to beIeve that the reIigions and
customs oI this countq vere aII based on taIsehood and the ancent
indus vere a vetj stupd Iot. It vas "to remedj these deIects,
he sad, that he had undertaken to vrite Bbaratbacokcr 1tao in
Bang!a.
AaJoo/Jarkaka
Jhe critique oI angIophone hstorographj and TiImani Basak's
reso!ve to overcome its nadequacj bj the use oI Bangla vere both
premsed apparentj on the beIeI that there vas a specia reIaton-
ship be:veen the ndan past and an indigenous Ianguage, vhch
made oI the Iatter a more competent and senstve nstrument Ior
vrtng !ndian hstotj. Ior, bj ths tme, BangIavas beginning to be
recognired bj its educated mdde-cass speaers as an inde oI ther
identp and trusted to represent truthIuIj that dmens:on oI
ther exstence vhich consttuted the ndian past. A Ianguage-con-
scousness vas aIIoved thus to stand in Ior seII-consciousness so
that bj the end oI the I8s a sentment about matrbhasha had
aIreadj ctjstaIIred nto an deoIo_. Such an ideoIo_ had oI course
been prehgured in the conservative resistance to LngI:sh as pur-
vejor oI a IiberaI cuIture and its traces continued, throughout the
rest oI the centutj, to mark both the gravq oI denuncation bj
priests and pand:ts and the Iev( oI IoIk comment registered, Ior
instance, in upchand Iakshi's biIinguaI verses. But this Iear oI
LngIish as the enemj oI tradtion vas soon eceeded bj a positive
concern Ior the prestge and potennaities oI the mother Ianguage
Jhe point oI that concern vas not so much to repIace ngIish as to
make Banga emuIate t.
ALHwrqro]Inm I89
hc :n:t:atiVc lor cmulat:on, as lor so mag othcr thin_s, camc
lrom ammohun o_, Vhcn b_ rcndcrtn_ thc Ncdanta tnto an_a
hc dcmonstratcd hoV thc lattcr coud bc madc to Vork lor thc
gogular:zat:on ol t:ndu thcolo |ust as thc missionar:cs madc :t
Vork lor thc QroQa_atIon ol LhrIstIaD:_. t :s s:_nIhcant that thc
imgortancc ol thc Vcrnacular hi_h:_htcd thus b_ so rcnoVncd an
/n_l:cist and !:bcral d:d not QrcVcnt thc :dca lrom bc:n_ adoQtcd
cVcn b_ somc ol thc morc cOnscrvat:Vc intclcctuals Vho. on maD_
othcr mattcrs, dillcrcd V:th thc aa. Lnc ol thcm, 1shVarchandra
|ugta camQa:_ncd consIstentl_ and v:_orousl_ lor thc gromot:on
ol an_a :n h:s ourna! SambPrbakar. `hc QcoQlc ol cVc:_
nat:on chcr:sh thcir oatoal o cand tr_ to carn tt Vcll, hc
Vrotc tn an cdttor:a in 1 . `ut :t :s a curious lact that thc QcoQlc
ol th:s count:_ Qa_ no attcntion to nationa1 cducat:on and dcVotc
most ol thcir cncr_:cs to cutiVat:n_ 1n_l:sh. hc lack ol Intcrcst
and carc on thcIr gart has, thcrclorc, :mQcdcd thc gro_rcss ol
an_a. "'
^ot:cc thc ghrasc `nat:Ona! lan_ua_c gatya bbba} :n th:s
gassa_c. hrou_hout thc 1s that ghrasc Vas uscd tn this oural
:ntcrchan_cabl_ V:th matr:bhasha to :nd:catc that thc natura an-
_ua_c ol thc cn_ai QcoQle had alrc bccn madc tnto an :dco-
lo_ical markcr b_ Vh:ch thc lttcratc Qart ol thc goQulat:on
:dcntihcd all nat:Vc sgcakcrs as const:tutin_ a `nation and dst:n-
_uishcd thcm lrom thci1 1n_l:sh-sQcak:n_ rulcrs. hc co!on:zcd
Vould hcncclorth usc thcir OVn an_ua_c consc:ousl_ and s_stcm-
atIcall_ as a dchnin_ clcmcnt ol thc:r rclat:onshig VIth thc coloniz-
crs.
:kc all thc othcr clcmcnts ol that rclat:onsh:Q, th:s too Vas not
Vtthout its tcns:ons. t Vas uscd, on thc onc hand, to s:_nal to thc
rulcrs thc comQlctc acQu:csccncc ol thc intclli_cnts:a to thcir rulc.
hc FrabbakarVas thcrclorc QuItc cons:stcnt Vhcn It ant:cIQatcd
thc lo_a:sm ol its cd:tor:al commcnt on thc ut:n_ b_ adVocat:n_,
lor _cars bclorc that cVcnt, thc nccd to :mQroVc tnstruction :n
an_la on thc _round that :t Vould hcg thc colonial authoritics to
_oVcrn morc clhcicntl_ and thc coon:zcd to groga_atc bcttcr thc
contcnts ol books Vrittcn in 1n_:sh grcsumab_ lor thcir oVn
_ood. ut thc Qromotion Ol matr:bhasha lor hc_cmontc usc Vas
onl_ onc asgcct ol its dcQlo_mcnt as idcoo. hc rclat:onshiQ ol
dominancc and subord1natiOn to Vhtch tt Vas assimtlatcd, Vas also
I90 Dommnce wthout Hegemonj
char_cd vth anta_onism. or thc subordinatc an_ua_c to cmulatc
thc domnant vaS not onl_ to acknovlcd_c thc lattcrs sugcrorj,
but aso to cntcr nto rValQ vIth t n an at1cmgt to achcVc gari_.
Lonccrn lor and amcoraton ol thc mothcr lan_ua_c bccamc
ssucs thus n a contcst lor grcst_c.
o contcst could bc morc circumsgcct, but nonc morc imgortant
lor thc dcVclogmcnt ol our ltcraturc and hstorio_ragh_. ^t a tmc
vhcn acQucsccncc to rtish rulc vaS garamctrc to middc-claSs
notons ol goltcs, vc haVc hcrc an nstancc vhch t voud bc
vron_ to dcsi_natc as rcsistancc or dchancc Dw an_ scnsc that s
cXglct or othcrvsc gronounccd. ^ moVcmcnt, vth ts sgrn_s
rootcd dccgl_ n that rclatIon vhch man as sgcccs-bcn_ haS vIth
hs natural lan_ua_c, t vas no morc than a rccX acton ol thc v
hc gassons it nsgrcd and thc mctaghors ol mothcrhood uscd to
dcscribc t, vcrc cVdcncc ol ts rootcdncss n such a grmordal
conncction. adhusudan Lutt baScd himscll grccscl_ on that
conncction n ar_uin_ vh_ an_a vaS sutabc lor blank Vcrsc
vhc rcnch vaS not. hc cn_al s bor ol thc banskrt than
vhch a morc cogous and caboratc an_ua_c docs not cxist, hc
sad. ^_an. n a lamous sonnct, hc gad trbutc to an_\a aS thc
dau_htcr vho surgasscd n bcau_ hcr mothcr. banskrt, bor ol
thc _ods.""
Logous, caboratc, bcautl, diVnc~vords ol h_h graisc such
as thcsc vcrc a mcasurc ol thc distancc n ttDc and Vaucs lrom
thosc ol Hammohun Ho_, vhc had thou_ht it lt to cmghaszc thc
goVcrj ol that Vct_ lan_ua_c bclorc grocccdin_ to adVsc his
rcadcrs on hov to cogc vith its usc in thc grosc ol hs Icdaota
Gcaotba.'hat vas :n \8I._ contrast, thcrc vas nothn_ dclcn-
sVc at al n thc cam bh_amacharan barma barkar madc lor thc
lan_ua_c n I80.hc cn_al, hc vrotc, `s a trul_ noblc lan-
_ua_c cVcn n ts grcscnt statc, ablc to conVc_ amost an_ dca vth
grccsion, lorcc and clc_ancc. ords ma_ bc comgoundcd vIth'
such lacilij, and to so _rcat an cXtcnt that an_ scicntihc or tcchn-
ca tcrm ol an_ an_ua_c ma_ bc rcndcrcd b_ an cXact cQuVa-
lcnt~an adVanm_c vhch, amon_st thc dcad and iVin_ lan_ua_cs
o urogc, is gosscsscd b_ Lrcck and Lcrman. 1t vaS such
conhdcncc in thc strcn_th and gotcntal_ ol thc lan_ua_c that
induccd adhusudan utt cmulatc ilton n goctt_ and il-
man asak to tt_ and surgass ol an_loghonc vrtn_ n ndian
A1mHwwrqro]Imm I9I
hIstorIo_raQh_. 1or a QeoQe vho, durtn_ the mIdde decades ol the
centui_, vere lorcelu_ and InsIstent_ remInded ol theIr sub|ec-
tIon, the trumQh, even an Ima_Inai_ triumQh, ol matrIbhasha over
LuroQean lan_ua_es. vas no mean comQensatIon lor a battered
sel-tesQect.
t voud be unlaIr, hovever, to thInk ol this laIth mere_ as the
Qroduct ol an Ima_Ination In lerment. 1or It vas :nsQIred, to no
sma etent, b_ an assessment ol the ImItations and QossibiitIes ol
the !an_ua_e as demonstrated In QractIce. buch an assessment had
been, lor modet an_a, esQecia_ In Its Qrose lorm, a Qart ol the
Qrocess ol Its _rov:n_ uQ. ts dIalo_Ic sItuatIon, vh:ch lorced It
constant_ to enter Into exchan_es vIth Ln_Ish, Qut Its resources
to test in eve:_ transacHon vherever It took Qace ~on the Qa_e ol
an administrattve document, In Iterat_ vrIttn_, In schoo manuas,
at mercantile oces In conversations between sah:bs and babus,
and on_ number ol such encounters. Lve:_ semantIc side that
occurred In such exchan_es vas evIdence not on_ ol vhat an_a
coud not do, but aso ol vhat It coud. 1or eve d:1erence vhIch,
In an_ Instance. survIved the most eacttn_ attemQt at translatIon,
vas an Index ol Its orI_InaIg: It reveaed a QroQerg ol the matrib-
hasha lor vh:ch no other an_ua_e had an eQutvaent to o1er. hat
or:_inaig coud. ol course, be Qut to _enuIne_ creatIve use on_
:n autonomous exercIses vhere the comQu!sIon to ht the an_ua_e
to a orei_n text or to a lorei_ners vant ol aQtItude lor It, dId not
constrain Its lreedom to _enerate sentences accordin_ to the lu!
measure ol Its comQetence.
t vas QrecIse_ a constra:nt ol thIs kind to vhIch asak ob|ected
vhen he sQoke ol transatIons lrom an_oQhone vorks In hIsto_ as
aesthetica_ Inadeguate and unreadabe. te coud have made the
Qoint egual_ vell b_ addressIn_ hIs critIgue to the InadeguacIes ol
histor:ca! vorks vr:tten b_ loreI_ners In an_a, such as . L.
arshmans inUuent:a and vide_-read BbacatbarbccIta, Qu-
Ished In tvo voumes in I83I. bush: bumar Le has cIted an
eXtract lrom thIs vork as a samQe ol vhat he cals the Qervadin_
unIlormig and _enera sameness ol LuroQean vrItIn_ In an_la
at thIs time. he extract Is a descriQt:on ol the batte ol Vasse_,
and :t Is Indeed iumInattn_, as Le su__ests. to comQare It vith
accoUnt ol the same event In Ho|Ibochan ukhoQadh_a_s Ja-
bacaKcb bacaFayayaCb.
I92 Oominanco without Hogomonj
L thc two, arshman s s thc morc stra_htorward rcgortn_
o thc cvcnt vth onc scntcncc dcvotcd to moblzaton o thc rval
armcs, tvo to thcr rcsgcctvc strcn_ths n mcn and arms, and
thrcc to thc actual battlc and ts concluson n Hrtsh vcto_ as a
rcsult o r Uaars trcachcr_. Pll ths s vrttcn n a tcrsc, mat-
tcr-o-act manncr ntcndcd to dstancc thc author lrom thc cvcnt
and attcst thcrcb_ to thc objcctv:[ o hs rcgort. hc onl_ com-
mcnt that h:s ovn comcs at thc vc:_ cnd vhcrc hc sa_s hov ths
rclatvcl_ mnor battlc n vhch thc total numbcr o casualtcs vas
on_ scvcn[-two, takn_ both thc sdcs to_cthcr, had thc consc-
gucncc o chan_n_ thc dcstncs o s m:lon gcoglc n a vast
kn_dom. t s a commcnt that also stands or a closurc and attcsts
to thc narratvcs status as a hstorcal dscoursc.
H_ contrast, |ayblochans account docs not aggcar to bc cccs-
svcl_ conccrncd v1th thc aggcarancc o objcctv or narratvc
cosurc. t concludcs vth thc statcmcnt that hcrcatcr, thc
Iavabs troogs stoggcd h_htn_ and took to l_ht, and thc n_-
lsh vcrc vctorous -an cgsodc cndn_ that has no grctcnson to
bcn_ an_thn_ morc dccsvc than vhat could bc a gausc bcorc
thc bc_nnn_ o othcr tac. hs a_rccs vth thc anccdotal modc
o sto_-tclln_thc modc o thc ndan ukquydu-accordn_ to
a glot that oggoscs ohanlals lo_al to r Uaars bctra_a.
hanks to such a glot, thc cvcnt assumcs thc charactcr o a drama
n vhcb thc gassons o ts grota_onsts and thc unccrtantcs o
thc battc arc brou_ht to_cthcr to makc or an cxgcrcncc that
rcssts bcn_ rcduccd to a mcrc rcgorta_c !:kc thc onc n
arshmans vork. hcrc can bc lttlc doubt that vth ts navc,
cha1[ and cgsod:c ar, ths nairatvc :mgrcsscs thc rcadcr as 1hc
morc attractvc o thc two accounts o thc battlc, on_ bccausc t
docs not rcgrcscnt thc cvcnt smgl_ as a dcgo_mcnt o armcs and
ts outcomc, but as a tssuc o conctn_ choccs objccthcd n thc
volcncc o a stru__lc or govcr.
bc dcrcncc bctwccn thcsc tvo rcgrcscntatons shovs that a
hstorans rclaton to thc lan_ugc hc uscs to vrtc about thc gast
has a bcarn_ on hov hc vrtcs about t. Lnc could gcrhags sa_
vth lttc hclg lrom somc Lhomsk_an notons, that comgarcd to
thc 1urogcan scholar vho had acgurcd grohccnc_ n an_a b_
lcarnn_, thc natvc sgcakcr vho had ntcralzcd ts _cncratvc
_rammar had an ntal advanta_c n usn_ ts s_stcm o rulcs
ATmHwwrqro]1 I93
crcatvc``nncwanduntrtcdcombnatonstolorm ncwscntcnccs
andtoass_nscmantcntcrgrctatonstoncwscntcnccs.utthat
ntal advanta_c bor olcomgctcncc, that s, hs ntutvc abl[
to assocatc sounds and mcann_s strctl n accordancc wth thc
rucs ol hs an_ua_c,(* would not, takcn b tscll, cQlan thc
sugcrtor[ ol thc nd_cnous account. or actual ln_usttc Qcr-
lormancc nvolvcs, accordn_to Lhomsk, avarc[ ollactors ol
whch thc undcrn_ comgctcncc ol thc sgcakcr-hcarcr s onl
onc.owcvcr, thc dllcrcnccmadcbsuch avarc[ollactors
can onl bc to cnsurc that morc o|cn than not thc lorc_ncr wtll
takc sccondQlaccOthcnatvcsQcakcrnQcrlormanccaswcll. or
thc lattcr, sQcakn_ as hc docs lrom hs stuaton wthn hs own
socc[, has alar _rcatcr acccssto and control ovcrctraltn_usttc
bclcts, co_ntvcstructurcs,andamradothcrlactorsthatntcr-
act wth undcrln_ comQctcncc to dctcrmnc actual gcrlorm-
ancc.
Lnc can undcrstand, thcrclorc, wh Hablochan succccdcd n
makn_ hs matrbhasha do morc work lor hm than Warshman
mana_cd to _ctoutolhs sccondan_ua_c. athou_h both had thc
samccvcnttowrttcaboutandncar!thcsamc nlormattontowrtc
t ug wtth. twas lrom hs turogcan rulcrsthat thc cn_al ntcl-
lcctua lcarntto rcthnk hsown Qast accordn_to a gost-tnl_ht-
cnmcnt, ratonalst vcwolhstot_. t was to thc mgact olrttsh
rulc a_an that hcowcdthc bc_nnn_s oamodcrn an_laQrosc.
1owcvcr. oncc thc scnsc olhstot_ and thc scnsc olgrosc camc
to_cthcrnnd_cnous narratvc gractcc, thcoutcomcwas ahsto-
rto_raghwhtch gromscd at oncc to makc loralar morc scnstttvc
rcadn_olthc 1ndtangastthanturoQcanwrtn_nan_aon
thcsamc subcct.
N. istorio_ragh_ andthc@uestion o1Ocr
/cmrcdPar
t was thus that thc dcvclogmcnt ol modcrn an_a grosc Qro-
vdcd, lromts vct_bc_nnn_nthcbrstdccadc olthc nnctccnth
ccnQ, a ncccssa:_ condtton lor thc makn_ olan autonomous
vcw ol thc ndan gast. ut thc gromsc ol autonom had not
matcralcd cvcn as latc as hcn that laurc sccmcd to
I94 Oommnco vthout Hogomonj
ankImchandra obvous enou_h to mert hIs ca1 or an ndIan
hIstorIo_raQh_ o nda. @ute clearl_, the autonom_ o hIstoro_-
raQh_ Vas not on_ a guestIon o l_ua_e. t Vas also a guest:on
o QoVer. Ince the ndIan Qast had alread_ been aQQroQrated b_
colonaIst dIscourse or reasons o state, Its reclamation coud onl_
be acheVed b_ eQroQrat:n_ the eQroQr:ators.
PQQroQrIatIon Is an exercIse in QroQretorshIQ. Lne can sa_,
at|er e_el, that to aQQroQrIate Is to Qut ones Vill Into a thIn_ and
then object:_ such Vil!In_ b_ occuQanc_ and use.'" o aQQ:oQrIate
a Qast Is, thereore, to maRe tIme, dead tme, Into a thn_ beore
_rasQin_ It b_ ones VIll. hat, ol course, Is no Qroblem or the
bour_eosIe. Vho consttute themselVes Into a class QrecIsel_ b_
turIn_ tme Into that ultmate and most _eneralIzed orm o the
thIn_, mone_~the thn_ VhIch, under the rule o that cass, Ue-
comes the measure and s_mbo o all other thn_s. ^or Is the
QrosQect o haVIn_ to do Vth dead tme an_ deterrent to bour_eoIs
aQQroQratIon o the Qast. or `caQ:ta Is dead labour Vhch, Vam-
Qre-lRe, IVes onl_ b_ suckin_ lv:n_ labour, that Is, b_ mak:n_
the surQlus labor-tIme o the Qast con_ealed In Its constant Q
absorb the _reatest Qossbe amount ol surQus labor-tIme VhIch Is
aCtual_ Qresent at an_ Qont o a Qrocess o QroductIon In the orm
o surQus !abor. hat Is Vh_ the obectIhcatIon o the Qast as a
thIn_ to seze d Qossess comes as eas:_ to the caQItaIst In the
sQhere o cuture as In that o commodI[ Qroduction. Pnd Vhere,
In the nIneteenth centu_, Vas dead tme easIer or masters o
caQIta to come b_ than n the contInents o rozen tIme made uQ
o the so-caed archac socIetes
t Vas guIte In order, thereore, that the bour_eoIsIe Vho came
om the Nest to rue oVer bouth PsIa, the most _rasQIn_ o a thc
bour_eose o that QerIod, should haVe the V to aQQroQrIate the
1ndan Qast and realIze that V obectIVe_ b_ conguest and use
conguestto make the act o V:ll reco_nzable b_others, because
V:thout such reco_nItion the Vil! remans traQQed :n Its conceQt;
and useIn order to convert domInance. acguired b_ conguest,
Into he_emon_. ut, sa_s e_el. he use o the thn_ s m_ need
beIn_ exteral_ reaIzed throu_h the chan_e, destructon, and
consumQtIon o the th:n_.
Lhan_e, desUuctIon, consumQtion: the QurQose o these mo-
ments o use s to ensure that `the thIn_ Is reduced to a mes o
nImm Hwwrqro]Imm I95
thc sattsacton o m_ nccd. '" lt was to satts[ rtans mgcrta
nccd to _ct ts congucst and domnon rcco_nzcd as thc trtumgh
o a hstorc and rcazauon o a hstorc dcstn_ that thc lndan
gast was aggrogrtatcd and used or thc constructton o rtsh
ndan hstot_. 1owcvcr, t s not gossbc to aggrogratc a gcogcs
gast wthout mgosn_ thc aggrogrators wtl on thcr v ,wthout
ousttn_ thcm hom thc stc ol an autochthonous occuganc_, wth-
out volatn_ thc traduons o a grc-csttn_ r_ht o usc. n othcr
words, aggrograton ol anothcr gcog\cs gast amounts to cgro-
graton. ^man asaks _rcvancc about thc ashcaton o thc
ndan gast n an_oghonc hstoro_ragh_ ndcatcd how thc
`chan_c, dcstructon and consumgton brou_ht about b_ thc vo-
cncc o colontast aggrograton dd not al to rc_stcr on thc
scnstvtcs o thc cgrogrtatcd.
t was onl_ throu_h thc hardcnn_ o such scnstvg nto rests-
tancc that thc cgrogrators could bc cgrogratcd. hat would
mcan, o coursc, gucsttonn_ rtatn`s rt_ht to aggrogratc our
gast, ts r_ht tc annc ndan hstot_ as `a gorton o thc rtsh
hstot_ accordn_ to ^lls notorous ormula. ut that r_ht, as
thc morc v_orous amon_st thc dcoo_ucs o thc ra| ncvcr acd to
rcmnd thc subcct gcoglc, oowcd rom thc rt_ht o domnon
acgurcd b_ congucst. o asscrt thc autonom_ ol lndan hstoro_-
ragg amountcd, thcrcorc. to chacn_n_ that rt_htrtan`s
r_ht to ruc lnda. n othcr words, no htstoro_ragh_ ol coona
nda woud bc trul_ ndan cccgt as a crttguc o thc vci_ unda-
mcntas o thc gowcr rcattons whch consttutcd coonatsm tscl.
l wtth all thc hclg t had rom a maturn_ an_la grosc, hstorto_-
ragh_ n that an_ua_c st conttnucd to bc tcd to thc colonast
modcl. t was bccausc o ts aurc to dcvcog a crttguc o coon-
asm n an_ undamcnta scnsc.
Lnormj to that modc was charactcrstc o both thc grnc-
ga varctcs o nd_cnous wrttn_ on thc hstot_ o rtsh ruc.
Lnc ol thcsc was madc ug ol manua\s uscd lor tcachn_ at schoos.
lt s not gosstbc to ca__cratc thcr mgortancc as thc mcans o
groga_atn_ a ratonalst vtcw o thc gast amon_ thc _outh. t was
thcsc tct-books whch, morc than an_thn_ clsc, hcgcd hstot_ to
cstablsh tsc as a norma knowcd_c norma n a huhnan
scnsc-wthtn a cuturc stt!l ar_el_ anchorcd to thc uranc trad-
tton. hc narrattvc, n al o thcsc, adhcrcd scruguous_ to a
I96 Oominance without Hogomonj
standard schcma accordIn_ to Vh:ch ndIan h:sto_, s:ncc 1O,
Vas s:mQl_ a rccord o _oVcrnor-_eneralsh:Qs cons:sI:n_, or the
most Qart, o tVo kmds o acu namcl_, _eoQol:t:cal eVents relat-
.
:n_ to Vars and all:ances D_Vh:ch the r:t:sh incorQorated Various
Qar|s o the suDcont:nent :nto a _roV:n_ emQ:re, and adm:n:stra-
tVe measures D_ Vh:ch that emQ:re Vas made sccure and _oVcrn-
aDle.
um, or :nsmnce, U such QOQular manuals aS r:shna Lhandra
a_s Bbaratbarebcr1t:ae:!orcrAdbal (the author Vas a
studcnt o . . LOVcll and a memDcr o shVarchandra LuQIas
:terat_ c:rcle) or O ant:chandra ath:s Bbaratarbt!oraH0-
at+crSaebqta!tbor to a|kr:shna iukhoQadh_a_s Pratbam
Sba Banamr !ae {Qra:sed D_ ank:mchandra as :nValuaDle
thou_h short~"a hstul o _old" he called :t), d _ou can sec Ihe
un:orm:g o the Qat|ern m Vh:ch chaQter head:n_s :nscr:Ded V:th
the namcs o _oVcrors, Vars, and lc_:slaHons olloV one anothcr
rom Ll:Ve to alhous:e, rom the conQucst o cn_al to thc an-
neXat:on o ^a_Qur, rom :tts nd:a 1cI to the nd:a :ll o
1O. he Qat|ern, or:_:nall_ des:_ncd D_ ^1ll or h:s JwIar_ and
adoQted D_ most r:t:sh authOrs in tcXt-books Vr:Itcn or usc :n
the suDcont:nent, Vas eV:dence o thc resoluteness V:th Vh:ch thc
conguerors had takcn over the nd:an QaSt s:nce lasse_ and
stued :t V:th the _randeur o the:r oVn dom:nance as :ts Qr:nc:Qal
content. hc colon:zcd could not Dc morc comQlctel_ cQroQr:atcd.
_ conorm:n_ Io that QatIern, ndian h:stor:o_raQh_ merel_ ac-
gu:esced to such eXQroQr:at:on.
haI acQu:escence m:_ht haVe Deen Qroduced under duress to
somc eXtcnt. or the standard narratiVc structure o the manuals
Vas oc:all_ nduccd and authors could cQecI no _oVernmcntal
aQQroVal or thcm unless the_ conormed. he_ had to Dc carcDl,
said a_orc, not to oVerstcQ the Doundaries marked out or them
accord:n_ to the canon o o_al tsm and thc V:sdom o thc teXt-Dook
soc:et:es.' ^o such cons:deratson aQQl:ed, hoVeVer, O the second
Varie[ o h:stor:cal l:terature :n an_a, and _et that too Vas
eQual! consQ:cuous D_ :ts s:lence on the undamental gucstion o
QoVcr-thc QucsHon o r:ta:ns ri_ht to rule 1nd:a. btr:ctl_ sQcak-
:n_, :I Vas as comQl:c:t to r:t:sh tule as Vas Ihe oIher k:nd. Lnl:ke
thc schoolDooks. hoVeVer. :t Vas not addrcssed Qr:marIl_ to ch:l-
drcn Dut to adult readers. he l:terat_ gual:g and cra| Vhich
Hn1ndmnHwwrqro]1ndm I97
dstngusbed t, n ts most accomp|sbed lorm, put it on a par vitb
tbe 6est ol contemporatj lndan bstores vrtten n EngIsb. lt
combned descrption vitb reIlecton accordng to tbe standard
mode ol moder European bstorograpbj and bad more use lor
criticsm tban dd tbe manuaIs. But tbe Imts vbcb sucb crtcsm
mposed on itseII vere a true measure ol ts laIure to deveIop nto
a crtque ol colonaIism n a |undamenta| sense.
FaIure n tbis respect vas exempIhed even in tbe 6est speci-
mens ol tbe genre, sucb as Rajankanta Gupta's Sqak obcr
!tma (I 880: BengaI Year !286) and Aksbajkumar Natreja's
Sraud do+m (! 88: BengaIi Year I304) ' Eacb ol tbese vas recog-
nzed 6j contemporares lor ts bstorograpbcaI skII and erud-
tion ~tbe hrst 6j Romesb Lbunder Outt and tbe second 6j
Ra6indranatb Tagore, among otbers.' Icb vas commended as
an exercse n learIess crtcsm. Natreja's 6ook marked, lor
Ra6ndranatb. "tbe nauguraton ol an age ol heedom in Benga|
bistorograpbj," vhie Ramendrasundar Tr6ed sav in Gupta's
vork tbe hrst sgns ol an "ndependent crtcal atttude" tovards
Brtsb bstorians ol lnda.'" Nucb ol tbs prase vas deserved.
Tbere vas, ndeed. an attempt made n 6otb ol tbese to 6reak avaj
lrom tbe ba6t, deve|oped 6j ndgenous autbors amost nto a
conventon, ol recjcIing tbe cbauvinstc, racist and lactuaIIj un-
su6stantated ru66sb produced 6j a good dea oI AngIo-lndian
vrtng n tbe lorm ol bstores, dssertations. dares, remns-
cences and noveIs. Bj con|vonting tbese crtcaI|j on tbe ground ol
evidence and tbe no Iess important ground ol sentment. Gupta and
Natreja steered ndigenous bstoriograpbj n a genune|j beaItbj,
skeptcaI drecton.
Heatbj, tbougb not so originaI as tbe encomum seemed to
impIj. Ior, tbe questonng and rehtaton ol certan knds ol Brit-
sb vrtng on tbe Nutnj and on 5rajuddovIa re|ed, n 6otb ol
tbese vorks, on an empirca-crtca approacb vbicb bad aIreaq
esta6Isbed tseII hrmIj vitbn Brtsb bstoriograpbj tseII. lt vas
vetj conspcuous ndeed n tbe grovng voIume oI dssent vbcb
bad. snce tbe ! 860s. set tseIl up n opposton to tbe cbauvnsm
ol ocaI and non-oI|ca accounts ol tbe Nutnj as weIl as n tbe
ndictment ol tbe East Inda Companj`s earIj transactons tbat bad
ncreasngIj ganed n autbor durng tbe bundred jears 6etveen
Burke's speecb at tbe traI ol Vren Hastngs and Beverdge's
I98 Oommnco wthout Hogomonj
articles on tastn_s serIalized n the cautto Kua n o.
@te a lew ot the reterences in LuQtas and aitre_as books
make t obvous that the_ owed much to the8e sources tor ther
ntormation, andndeed, not atte otwhat has been caledtheir
coura_e. rbedlauded LuQtasworkasanactotdarin_. utin
sQte ot the rrimtion that t m_ht haVe caused n some ocial
circles, t did nottake aototdarin_to sa_, eVen in 1, whathad
beenoQen_andeaborate_ar_uedb_ Ln_lishwrIters themseVes
dur:n_ theQasttwodecades.
ore to the Qont than ether or_naj or coura_e was the
s_mboc vaueotthesewrtn_sasanassertion otset-resQect.Lr,
to Qut the same thn_ nanotherwa_, the orginajand coura_e
attr:buted to these authors conssted ess :n what the_ saIdtor
what the_ sad was deriVatve- than n their sa_n_ t at al. +
Habndranath observed, not w:thout btteress, in a reVIew ol
aItre_as mono_raQh,
hc Ln_share had_ aware that the nnumerabc abuses ad-
dressed to the Lr:entacharacterandLrentaQrncQes o_oV-
ernment briel_ or eaborate_, va_ue_ or exQct_, reevant_
or rrelevant_, n books wr:tten n thc Ln_ish an_ua_e, _ener-
ate a _reVancc, born oa sense ohumlatIon, n thc mnds o
the educated [1ndan] readers.
`et durin_ the hrst Qhase otoureducaton, we used to reVcre
the works o Ln_sh authors as sacred texts on aQar wth the
Nedas. toweVer much the_ hurt, we coud not brn_ ourseves
to beieve thattwas Qossbetorustodssent, that:twas wthn
our moans to verQ ther contents O_ the use ot cV:dence and
criticsm. c tet ob_ed to bow down to such nsult n mute
set-deQrccation and re_ard itasthever_ truth about ourseVes.
t under such c:rcumstanccs, an abc, sktu and Qoweru
wrterotourcountr_ succeeds nbreakin_ourmentabondsand
sets an examQle n rcscun_ us trom bnd mtaton. hedeserves
thc _rattude otourQeoQle."
esQite some reserVatons, Habindranathwelcomedthe bookas
a blow struck tor selt-resQect, and r:bedi, too, exQressed h:s
aQQreciatIon ottheotherwork torexactl_the samereason. utthe
selt-resQect at ssue hercwasthat otasubect QeoQe reconced to
subjecton. 1s such. t was not Qredicated on Qoitica inde-
A1mmHwwqro]Tm I99
Qcndcncc, but on rcco_n:t:on V:th:n thc lramcVork ol colon:a
dcQcndcncc. hc h_ht or QrcstI_c cn_a_cd :n thcsc Vorks Vas onc
to ccar our namc as a QcoQlc b_ dIsQrov:D_ thc asQcrs:ons about
coVard:cc and trcachcQ cast on our Qr:nccs, Qcasants, scQo_s~:n
_cncral, on us :n our colccI:vc dcs:_nat:on as a nat:on. 1n othcr
Vords, It Vas Qrcst:_c covctcd b_ thc scrvant :n thc lorm ol rcco_-
n1t:on h`om thc mastcr. l th:s Vas a bloV or sc-rcsQcct, thc scl
concctcd Vas onc that had not lcarnt to rcach out lor mtct_ _ct.
hat Vas Vh_ thc ur_c or sc-rcsQcct d:d noth:n_ to mark or
mod:[ thc abcct, abundant and cxQlict o_a:sm o thcsc tcxts.
1o_aIst assumQI:ons and lo_al:st Qrolcss:ons Vcrc so Vcll :ntc-
_ratcd In thcIr ar_umcnt that colon:al:sm lcaturcs :n both thcsc
h:storcs as an ungucstIoncd and ungucst:onabc ncccssIQ. hat :s
Vh_, aHcr shoV:n_ bc_ond dsQutc that thc dcstruction ol b:rajud-
doVla and h:s k:n_dom Vas brou_ht about b_ chIcanc, dccc:t
and vcnalI_ on thc Qart ol Ll:vc and thc LomQan_, and b_ Qcrhd_
and :ntr:_uc on thc QarI ol thcIr nat:vc collaborators, Na:trc_a
lound :t ht to concudc thus. `1n v:cV o thc haQQ:ncss and Qcacc
Vh:ch charactcr:zc thc ncV condit:ons o :c :n contcmQoraQ
nd:a, :t must bc adm:ttcd that . . . Qo:son has Qroduccd ambros:a
and ncV 1ndIa has bccn brou_ht to llc-an ausQ:c:ous outcomc
VhIch coud havc hard_ bccn Qoss:blc V:thout thc hcQ ol thc
Ln_sh mcrchants

8
^nd th:s :ma_c ol a ncV nd:a Vas consis-
tcnt Vith h:s v:cV o :ts QoVcr structurc, as hc Vrotc: `Ln_land :s
lor our _ood, and Vc arc lor Ln_lands _ot_. c, thc tVo _rcat
natons, stand to_cthcr undcr thc Qrotcct:on o a s:n_lc monarch_;
Vc sharc cach othcrs Vca and Voc, :n arm, Vc havc stcQQcd
:Dto a _lor:ous ncV a_c 1ct th:s comQan:onsh:Q :n arms _roV
stron_cr, ct thIs ctcrnal lr:cndsh:Q contrIbutc to our mutual haQ-

! ''8
Qmcss . . .
hc atc ol b:rauddoVla Vas mcrcl_ a matIcr ol acadcm:c :ntcr-
cst Vhcn a:trc_a Vrotc about :t :n I898._contrast, thc mcmoQ
ol thc Nutn_ Vas st:ll lrcsh :n QcoQcs m:nds as Vcl as V:th:n thc
adm:n:strat:on Vhcn LuQta camc out v:th h:s h:stoi_. ^t that
Qont, barcl_ two dccadcs al|cr that massIvc cash ol arms bctwccn
thc rucrs and thc rucd, thcIr rcat:onsh:Q could harU_ bc Qcr-
ccIvcd as onc ol comQan:onshIQ :n arms. LuQta had, thcrclorc,
l:Itc usc or ctcrna! ricndsh:Q, and Vcnt on QrocssIn_, on bchall
o hIs comQatr:ots, an cndur:n_ lo_g to r:ta:n, a o_alQ that
200 Oommnce vthout Hegemonj
trtumQhcd ovcr a rttsh atroctttcs, tnsuts, nnucndocs and Qatn
dcnunctatton ol ndtans as wanttn_ tn thc _ratttudc thc_ owcd to
thctr colonta mastcrs.
hc thcmc ol lo_a[ was madc to wcavc throu_h most ol hts
narrattvc as a connccttn_ thrcad and tts tmQortancc lor hts ar_u-
mcnt vas Qut bc_ond doubt b_ thc on_, concudtn_ scctton oI thc
vcr_ ast chaQtcr ol hts lour-volumc vork. n thts scctton, ca!cd
haratbashtdt_cr Habhaktt {ndan Lo_a![ to thc btatc), hc
citcd thtrtccn outstandtn_ nstanccs~thcsc wcrc tn addtton to
thosc arcad_ mcntoncd tn thc rcst ol thc book to tlustratc how
vtdcsQrcad o_a[ to thc ra vas amon_ al strata ol thc QoQulaton
lrom andords and Qrtnccs to sodtcrs, Qcasants and nanntcs cm-
Qo_cd :n uroQcan houscho!ds. Aths was cvdcncc lor htm ol
thc suQQort nattvcs _avc thc rtsh whcncvcr thc attcr wcrc n
troublc. n thc cvcnt, hc vrotc, `thc rcbclon vas l:mttcd to
scQo_s a\onc . . . nd:ans, as a vhoc, vcrc not sctzcd b_ thc
madncss ol tnsur_cnc_. cducatcd 1ndtans, tn Qarttcuar, had noth-
tn_ to do vtth tt, and hc had, ol coursc, a sQccta word ol
commcndatton or cn_as vho, nc satd, vcrc ncvcr acktn_ tn
o_a[ . . . hc cn_ats ncvcr alowcd an_thn_ to bcmtsh thctr
o_a![ to thc ra.
7bc 7bco{ma
LuQtas book was Qubtshcd tn , thc _car anktmchandra
camc out v\th hts a_cnda lor an ndtan htstorto_raQh_ n thc
Baoaebao. @uttc ccarl_, thcrc vas ttIc tn tnd_cnous htstortca
wrtttn_s _ct to QroV\dc that a_cnda vtth tts most tndtsQcnsabc
condttton, namcl_, a crtttQuc to Qut tn Qucston thc ncccsst[ ol
coontaltsm tscll. ^nd ud_tn_ b_ bttrc_as work, such a crtttQuc
voud not bc lorIhcomtn_ cvcn as latc as . as tt thts
dchctcnc_~thc laiurc ol htstorto_raQh_ to usc thc alrcad_ adc-
Quatc rcsourccs ol Ihc lan_ua_c lo: thc constructton ol an autono-
mous dscoursc~that QromQtcd anktmchandra to lormuatc hts
a_cnda7 td hc consdcr such a crtttQuc as tts o ooo/
1t ts Qosstbc to cctt an ansvcr to thts Qucston rom a numbcr ol
hts cssa_s vrtttcn ovcr a Qcrtod ol ncar_ twcn[ _cars on htstorg
and htstorto_raQh_. ^s Hakhadas and_oQadh_a_ has obscrvcd,
thcsc la rou_h1_ tnto tvo casscs~onc conccrncd Qrtmar[ wth
AImm Hwwrqro]Imm 20I
thc cthno-cutura orgns ol thc cnga gcogc and thc othcr vtth
thc rclutaton ol vhat thc author rcgardcd as hstortca sandcr
(kamka}aganst ndans n gcncra and cngas n garttcuar. t
s thc sccond ol thcsc to grougs vhch s morc rccvant lor our grc-
scnt dscusson. hat vas garttcuary strktng about thcsc vrttngs
vas thcr gocmtca and dclcnsvc charactcr. hc nccd lor an ndtan
hstorograghy dcrvcd. n thcm, lrom thc nccd to corrcct thc ms-
rcgrcscntattons to vhch, n ankmchandras ognon, thc ndan
gast, and csgcctay thc cnga gast, had bccn subcctcd by lorcgn
authors. Lur gast, vr:ttcn ug as h:stoj by thosc lorc:gncrs, vas, ac-
cordng to hm, no htstotg at a. tor that gast had bccn mtsaggrogr-
atcd and la!smcd. t vas not our truc gast, and thc dscoursc vhtch
cla:mcd to rcgrcscnt t, vas, thcrclorc, not truc hstotg. ``n our
vcv, hc vrotc, ``thcrc s not a stngc vork n bngtsh that s a truc
hstotg (raad} ol cngal . . . [hat has bccn vrttcn] ts not
thc htstotg ol cnga, not cvcn thc mcrcst lragmcnt ol t. t has got
nothng at a! to do vtth thc htstotg ol cnga. hcrc s no htstotg ol
thc cnga! naton n t. ^ cnga vho acccgts ths knd ol wrtttng as
thc hstotg ol cnga!, s not a truc cnga.
btrong stult. hts rctcratvc dcnta ol hstorograghca status to
vhat hc cacd lorcgn vrttngs on thc cnga!: gast vas thc
authors vay ol dchnng thc truc gast as onc lor vhtch cngas
aonc could bc thctr ovn htstortans. Lonvcrscy, a truc hstot ol
cnga! coud ony bc a rcgrcscntaton ol thctr ovn gast by cn-
gas thcmscvcs. n othcr vords. msrcgrcscntaton by lorctgncrs
vas to bc combatcd and ovcrcomc by scl-rcgrcscntatton. Pn tn-
dtgcnous hstorograghy vas thc mcans oI such scl-rcgrc-
scntaton. 1cncc, thc urgcncy ol that ca: hcrc s no htstotg ol
cngal . . . hcrc has to bc a htstot ol cnga . . . ho ts to vrtc
:t . . . Pnyonc, vho :s a cnga, has to vrtc :t.* ^ cal lor an
autonomous htstorograghy, tt tnsstcd on scl-rcgrcscntaton as
thc vctg condttton ol that autonomy. ut thc rght ol scl-rcgrc-
scntaton vas not lor a suDcct gcog!c to c!am: tt vas not suggoscd
to rcgrcscnt tscl and vas thcrc mcrcy to bc rcgrcscntcd. o tnstst
on scl-rcgrcscntatton, tl ony :n tcrms ol ts gast, vas, thcrclorc,
lor such a gcogc arcad a sgna! ol ts mgatcncc w1th thc statc
ol subcctton. Lonstdcrcd thus, thc urgc lor an autonomous hsto-
rograghy coud bc undcrstood as thc symgtom tt rcaly vas ol an
urgcnt, nsstcnt, though tnctgcnt nattonasm.
202 Oominanco without Hogomonj
t vas to be eQected, theretore, that the c_, `e dont have
a
hIstot_. e must have ahIstot_ shou echothe other ct, `e
are not_et a natIon. e must becomeaation! he recIQrocItIes
otack and desIre In one corresQonded so dIrect_ to those tn the
other thatthe ener_Ies and Ideas InvesteU Inthe Qro|ect othIstort-
o_raQh_ vere east_ asImated to those meant tor the Qroect ot
natIonhoodatqrat:ebtba (natIon tormation)~atheme otcentra
concern to the author. he toreI_ner vas, tor each otthese Qro
ects, the Lther In terms otvhIch It dehed itsetne_ative_. he
QoemIc a_aInst kaamka vas so ImQotant tor ankImchandra
QrecIsel_ because It marked the Qresence ot the Lther vho had
aQQroQrtated our Qast and tased It.
^QQroQriatIon ava_s eaves its mark on vhat Is aQQroQrIated.
`en _rasQ a thIn_ or torm t, sa_s e_e, `thIs aso means In
the last resort that 1 mark It, and mark It tor others, in order O
ecude them andshovthat 1 have Qut m_ vt Into the thIn_.
aamka, taken tn both Its visual sense as s_ma and Its verba
sense as sander vas the mark an aIen vt had e on the Qur-
oIned IndI_enousQast. o remove the stI_mavastherelore crucIa
to the stru__e tor the recoveQ otthat Qast. ence the Qride ot
Qace anktmchandra assI_ned to this theme in hIs artIcles on
hIstot_ contrIbuted to AgaJarbao and Trmbor. e made It a
QoInt to address thIs Questton In both olhIs Inau_ura essa_sQub
Ished in these ouas, at an tnterva ottveve_ears, as harat-
kaamka (`ndIa handered) In one and `an_aar aamka
(`en_a handered) tn the other. ^s he vrote In the oQenIn_
Qara_raQh otthe later: `hen aogaJa:ubao vas hrst QubIshed,
the vet_ hrst artIce otits hrst issue vas devoted to the retutation
ot a on_-standn_ sander about ndia. hat vas an act olrttual
meant to ensure QrosQerIQ (maakaraa} tor the ourna.
Fbar ts nov emulattn_ that eamQe U_ undertakin_ to reute a
on_-standin_ sander about en_a In the hrst artce ol its vet_
hrstnumberas ve. a_ Lod and the chtdren oten_al heQ

us.
e Invoke these vords to underscoe not on_ the QoemIca
tunctIon ot that theme tn anktmchandras a_enda, Uut aso the
ht_h sertousness, amountIn_to auast-ret_toustervor,vIthvhtch
he aQQroached tt. evasentire_ consIstentvIthhIsettndotn_
so. or he had aread_ endoved the Qat vtth the sanctIQ olan
ATndmHwwrqro]Tndw 203
anccstral tmc, as wtncss somc ol thosc kc_ gassa_cs,' whcrc
urbakatmya lormcr _loi_) was assmlatcd to aqcruu
rekdqcryourob {thc _loi_ ol our lorclathcrs) and thc rccoVct_ ol
thc gast as hIstot_ grcscrbcd aS a hlial duj to rcdccm thc laml_
namc. hctoric ol ths sor| was thc s_n ol an dcoo_ical ogcration
b_ whch hIstorIo_ragh_, n ts turn, waS aSsImIatcd to natIona-
ism~a si_n, :ndccd, ol thc timcs whcn scntimcnts, ob_atons apd
notons rclatcd to thc natura lam_ would bc translcrrcd ncrcas-
in__ to a ar_cr, idcal lami_, constructcd b_ goitcal cuturc as thc
nation.
kuboaod1 Obcc
alamka, thc mark ol thc Lthcr on a gaSt aggrogrratcd b_ lorci_n-
crs, was suggoscd to haVc bccn thc work ol Uoth ritish and
usalman historans. ut bctwccn thc two, it waS thc lattcr who,
accordin_ to ankmchandra, wcrc morc to blamc, bccausc thc
rtsh rclicd on thcm lor much ol thcir sourcc matcral. Ll thc
strin_s ol uncomglimcnta_ ghrascs hc uscd lor thc uslim wrt-
crs two scts wcrc gartcularl_ rcVcaln_~onc ol whch {madc ug
ol thc ghrascs eayabka and mabai) charactcrzcd thcm as
liars, and thc othcr {madc ug ol aradkarmadeekand kmd:eek:)
dcscrbcd thcm _cncral_ as :ntolcrant toards othcr rcl_ions apd
garticularl_ as ndu-hatcrs. Jhc gast, lashcd b_ lorci_n writ-
crs, was dcnthcd thus aS a tindu gast.
n what scnsc waS that gast lashcd t was lashcd, hc ar_ucd,
b_ thc laiurc ol urogcan and usalman hstorans to acknow-
cd_c thc lormcr _or_ ol thc cn_ali gcoglc. Ll thc two knds ol
_lor_ hc mcntoncd in this conncction, onc was sgr:tua and ntc-
lcctual. and hIs lst ol allc_cdl_ unacknowlcd_cd achcVcmcnts in
that catc_ot_ includcd thc rcl_ous doctrncs ol Lhatan_a, thc
lo_ic ol thc |av_an_a_a school, and thc goctt_ ol Ua_dcb, Nid_a-
gat, and othcrs. hat howcVcr was garticular_ s_nIhcant waS
thc cmghass hc gut on thc dcnial ol _ct anothcr knd ol _ot_-thc
_lo_ ol gh_sca growcss, bahubol, ltcral_, thc strcn_th ol arms.
1c dwclt so obscssiVc_ on ths asgcct ol thc kalamka, so gcrsIstcnt
and ndccd so gassonatc waS hs attcmgt to dsgroVc t, that thc
sandcr, aS hc callcd t, aggcarcd grmar_ to rclcr to ths onc
20 Oommco vthout Hogomonj
ImQutcd wcakncss. hc ImQortancc ot bahubo tor hIs Idca ol an
atcrnatIVc hIstorIo_raQh_ coud thcrctOrc bc hard!_ oVcrstatcd.
ts si_nIhcancc a_, In thc hrst Qacc, in its orI_InalIj. tor this
notion ccar_ sct hm aQart, as a libcra thtnkcr, lrom man_ ot hIs
dIsttn_uIshcd contcmQorarIcs. trom ?IlmanI asak, tor Instancc.
hc ta)lurc ol an_loQhonc historio_raQh_ to notIcc thc :ntclcctua
achIcVcmcnts ol ancIcnt ndta waS dcQlorcd b_ hIm aS wc. ut hIs
comQatnt on th:s scorc, Ikc that ol man_ othcrs. was not InconsIs-
tcnt wIth thc Ibcra Vaucs QroQa_atcd b_ thc coonia s_stcm ot
cducatIon. ?or was an_ dIsscnt to rit1sh domInancc QrcsuQQoscd
in it. Ln thc contrat_, aSaks conccr :n thIs rc_ard, Ikc ankIm-
chandras, coud bc consIdcrcd aS a dcrIVatIVc ot that LricntaIst
ccmcnt ot thc rulin_ culturc whIch had tau_ht thc ndIan Intcl:-
_cntsIa to aQQrccIatc thc wondcr that ndIa had bccn tn thc Qast.
1owcVcr, anktchandras scnsc otoss, untkc aSaks, cXtcndcd
bc_ond thc Qucst:on ol intccctua achIcVcmcnt to that ol Qh_sIcal
Qrowcss and shIcd thc comQaInt about torci_ncrs~and about
torci_n rulc b_imQIcatIon~to a QoItIca lcVcl whcrc acQu:csccncc
to coonIalism was on_ onc ot two Qoss:bc choiccs, thc othcr bcIn_
anta_on:sm. Nhcthcr that othcr choIcc was, in thc cVcnt. madc
oQcratIVc at wIthIn thc ibcra Intci_cntsias attItudc to coonIa
ruc, hcncc In hIstorIo_raQh_, is a gucstton wc shal soon takc uQ
tor dtscusSion. Cutcc It to notc, at this QoInt ot thc ar_umcnt, that
thc notIon ot bahubo _aVc to ankichandras a_cnda a rathcr
d)crcnt orIcntatIon lrom that ot an_ othcr Ibcra ndan cllort ot
thIs QcrIod at rcwrItIn_ our hIstog.
hat oricntaton hIn_cd crItical_ on thc tunctIon ol bahubo as
a conccQtua :nk bctwccn hIstorIo_raQh_ and Qowcr. ?ot an cas_
!ink to tor_c undcr thc bcst ot condIttons, tt was thc morc
dItcult to do so durin_ thc ast guartcr ot thc ccntut_, whcn, wIth
thc WutIn_ crushcd and most ol thc wars ol anncXation tou_ht and
won, thc ra waS morc sccurc than cvcr In its Qaramountc_. hts
was no tImc tor a dIsarmcd suDcct QoQuatIon to t!aunt Its
strcn_th, Qast or Qrcscnt. Ln thc contrai_, It woud Dc oQQortunc
now to sl:dc cos:!_ into introsQcction and sublimatc dcsQaIr b_
sct-imQroVcmcnt and charactcr-buIldIn_. ^ tImc to QroQa_atc
cbarrol rathcr than bahubo. hc lormcr had, ot coursc, Its
attraction lor anktmchandra, as wttncss his tabrIcatIon ol an tdca
charactcr ID 1rIshna, and aboVc a, hts labors at that schoo ot
n1mm Hwrqro]Imm 205
charactcr-bu:d:n_ hc had sct uQ undcr thc s:_n ol ^nushiand-
harna. ut :nVardncss, V:th h:m, un:kc N:d_asa_ar. Vas ncVcr
Qu:tc so hcrmct:ca_ scacd. t Vas tndccd onc Ol thc man_ Qara-
doxcs ol that Qarado-r:ddcn a_c. or h:s ind:V:duaism Vth :ts
rc:_ios:j and othcr-Vord_ tcndcnc:cs Vas st: morc oQcn, 5 a
scnsc, to Vord_ intruston than Vas thc sccuar, but hrd-bakcd,
bour_co:s :nd:V:dua:sm ol thc :ustr:ous :Vcs Qackcd :nto his
oldcr contcmQora:_s J:bancbac:tand Cbac:talah
hc conccQt ol bahubol stood, :n ank:mchandras thou_ht, lor
that rat-hoc Vh:ch aloVcd h:sto_ to Hood tnto Vhat Voud oth-
crw:sc haVc bccn a bankcd-uQ and :ntcr:or:zcd nat:ona:sm. hat
conccQt Vas, b_ dchn:tton, Qrcd:catcd on an obcct. oVcr ol arms
Vas QoVcr on_ :n thc scnsc and to thc cXtcnt that :t had an obcct
lor :ts ecrc:sc. t Vas :n tcrms ol such obcct:hcat:on and thc
Valucs ass:_ncd to it that a h:stor:o_raQh_ ol nd:a Voud hcncc-
lorth bc tcstcd lor an_ cam to autonom_. or such autonom_
rcQuircd a cr:t:Quc ol thc lundamcnta QoVcr rcat:on ol coon:a-
tsm, that :s, a cr:tQuc ol thc ncccss:j ol coon:atsm :tscl, as its
ind:sQcnsabc condition. n othcr Vords, a h:stor:o_raQh_ ol coo-
n:a ndta Voud Qua:_ as _cnu:nc_ ndian and autonomous il
and on_ :l :t aloVcd bahubo to oQcratc as a dcc:s:Vc ccmcnt ol
that cr:ttQuc. Jh:s Vas Vhat madc ank:mchandras a_cnda so
or:_:na and so Qrc_nant w:th Qoss:b::t:cs. t Qrobcmatizcd h:sto-
ro_raQh_ at a h:_hcr cVc ol Qo:ttcs than had bccn donc so lar b_
an_ othcr tcndcnc_ in :bcral h:storica th:nk:n_. ^boVc a, :t
armcd ndian h:stor:o_raQh_ v:th a Qr:nc:Qc that Voud cnabc :t
to cXQroQrtatc thc cXQroQrtators b_ mak:_ thc nd:an QcoQc,
const:tutcd as a nat:on, thc subjcct ol thcir oVn h:stoQ.
hc :ron_ ol :t a Vas that haV1n_ _onc as lar as hc d:d to lormuatc
such a Qr:nc:Qc ank:mchandra turcd back Qrcc:sc_ at thc Qoint
Vhcrc hc Vas cacd uQon to Qracttcc :t b_ thc o_:c ol his oVn
d:scoursc. h:s can bc ccar_ sccn lrom thc manncr :n Vh:ch
bahubo Vas uscd :n h:s Vr:tin_s on thc thcmc ol kaamka. n a
thc hVc cssa_s dca:n_ V:th th:s Qucst:on bctwccn harat-
kaamka (I/) and an_aar 1aamka (l) h:s dclcnsc ol
anccstra rcQutaton cons:stcd Qrimar_ :n an cort to QroVc that
thc 1:ndus d:d not ack :n strcn_th ol arms. ndccd, h:s cmQhas:s
on this asQcct so comQctc_ outVc:_hcd hts tnc:dcnta rclcrcnccs
26 vthout Hogomonj
to sQ:rItual achIcVcmcnt~and cVcn thcsc wcrc abscnt lrom thc
two kc_ art:ccs, thc hrst and thc last. ol thc scrIcsthat thc
slandcr hc had sct out toanswcr aQQcarcd cnt:rcl_to bc amattcr
olasQcrs:onsaboutQh_sIcawcakncssandwantolh_htIn_guali_.
hc rccoVcr_ ol Qast _lot_ mcant, thcrclorc, sctt:n_ thc rccord
ri_ht lor bahubol andQutt:n_histot_to work to thatcndilItvas
to bc a_cnuInc hIstot_ {cakcuam~anat:onal hIstot_.
hc hVc cssa_s, takcn to_cthcr, stand lor hIs own contr:but:on
to such a histot_. owcVcr, thc cV:dcncc hc Qut loFard thcrc :n
suQQort olhIs casc a_aInst m:srcQrcscntat:on b_ lorcI_n authors
makcsItobViousthatthccxcrcIsc olbahubolwas, lor hIm, QrImar-
il_ adcmonstratIon olthc mart:al suQcrIor:_ olIndus to Wusal-
mans. ahubol, In thc lorm olwars andarmcdra:ds,was:nVokcd,
on a rou_h count. twcn_-hVc't:mcs In thcsc cssa_s. LxcludIn_
thrcc rclcrcnccsto indu colonIzatIonabroad (himha1, UaVa and
alI) and sIx to indus h_htin_ amon_st thcmsclVcs,wc arc lc
withs:xtccn Instanccs, onl_ thrcc olwhiChhaVc LuroQcans asthc
ob|cctolbahubolandthcrcst,that:s,th:rtccn-Wusalmans.Incc
thc Indus h_urc in cach olthcsc :nsLDccs as thc QrIncIQal and
VictorIous a_cnt ol bahubol, thc lattcr ma_ bc said to haVc bccn
ob|cctIhcd b_ ankImchandra, lor thc _rcatcr Qart ol hIs ar_u-
mcnt-coVcrin_ cI_h_ Qcrccnt olthc cascs mcnt:oncd- as a Qro-
tractcd trial olstrcn_th wIth thc Vcrdict Qronounccd dccisIVcl_ In
laVor olthc Indus. nsolarasthIsVcrdIct was h:sowncontr:bu-
tion to thc rccoVct_ ol a _lorious Qast, thcrc could bc no doubt
about hIs laIthIn thc indu charactcrolthatQast. Pnd, insolaras
that VcrdIct was hIs answcr to dclamatIon ol thc 1nd:an national
charactcr, thcrc could bc no doubt cIthcr aboutthc Qurcl_ indu
IdcntI_ olthat nationhood. Pn_ hIstorIo_raQh_, constructcd In
thcsctcrms,wasboundtobcInadcQuatc lorthca_cndalormulatcd
b_ thc author hImscll, ilonl_ bccausc thc contradiction that _oV-
crncd thc dcQlo_mcnt olbahubol In It dd not haVc colon:alIsm as
onc olIts tcrms. hcrc would bc nothin_In:t, thcrclorc, to const:-
tutc that crItIguc olcolonIalIsm wIthout whIch no hIstorIo_raQh_
could bc trul_ autonomous.
Pnothcr look at thosc Instanccs olbahubol ma_ hclQ to clar:Q
thIs Qoint urthcr. Ll thc sIxtccn cItatIons which wcrc str:ctl_
rclcVant to ankImchandras ar_umcnt, all but onc wcrc about
dcmonstratIons olQh_sIcal Qrowcss:nthc Qrccolonial Qcr:od. wo

nIn Hwmcqcao]Indm 207

out ol the three relerences to LuroQeans as the object ol bahubol
concerned ^lexanders nVason o anjab n 2/ .. he onl_ case
ol an armed encounter wth LuroQeans n coona! tmes was taken
lrom the becond ^n_!o-bkh ar ol !4-4, and althou_h the
Valor ol bkh reststance at Hamna_ar and Lhl:anwaa was
QromQtl_ asstmlated to the record ol tndu _lo:_, the decsVe
character ol rtsh Vtcto:_ dd not al!ow lor the nomnaton ol ths
eVent as the most conVncn_ examQe ol bahubOl.
or al Qractcal QurQoses, therelore, the tmQortance ol bahubol,
lor ankimchandia, was mted to ts exercse n the Qrecolonta
hstor_ ol nda. _ choosn_ not to extend \t tnto the Qerod ol
rttsh Qaramountc_ n sQte ol the lar_e nCtdence ol armed
conlct between the ra| and the QeoQle wth wh:ch to lustrate tt
{the hrst and the last essa_s ol the kalamka scres were wrtten
resQectVe_ w:th:n s\xteen and twenj-e_ht _ears ol the utn_),
he lated to exQ!ore the Qower ol that conceQt to tts ull extent, that
s, ts Qower to obect_ the most s_nhcant contradctton ol the
coonal eia-the contrad:ct:on between colonzer and coon:zed,
as one whch could not be resolVed eceQt b_ recourse to arms.
bnce an objecthcaton ol that order was ndsQensabe lor the
autonom_ ol hstoro_raQh_, l t were to deVeoQ a undamental
crtQue ol colon:alsm n the onl_ wa_ t was Qosstbe to do so,
name_, tn terms ol a crtQue b_ arms, the excson ol co!ona rule
lrom the h:sto:_ ol bahubol, hence the excluston ol bahubo l1om
the hsto:_ ol colontal rule, QreVented the a_enda lor an aternattVe
historo_raQh_ lrom betn_ Qut nto el1ect eVen as t was lormuated
and ur_ed wth such lervor.
ut l ankmchandra had no use lor bahubo1 as an eement ol
the Qower relatons ol colonatsm, wh_ dtd he post that conceQt
n the hrst Qace! 1or b_ don_ so and !mtn_ tts deQo_ment to
Qrecoona 1nda, he certanl_ _ot hmsel :nto a tan_e ol h:s own
mak:n_, as shoud be eas_ to demonstrate b_ consdern_ bahubol
to_ether wth the noton ol jatQratshtha, whch was no !ess _er-
mane to hs hstorca thnkn_. e connected these two deas n
the Ve:_ rst arttcle ol the kaamka seres, `harat-kalamka,
whch had all ol tts concludn_ Qart taken uQ b_ a dtscusson ol
jatQratshtha. Jhe !atter had neVer been a Qart ol the 1ndan
h:storca exQerence n Qrecolona tmes exceQt on three occa-
sons, aCcordn_ to hm. Jhe ^:_ans had consttuted themseVes as
208 Dominance without Hegmonj
a naton or nattonat[ {these tvo Ln_sh Qhrases vere used O_
htm s_non_mous_ vIth ati) tn the edc and the tmmedtate Qost-
edc Qertod. and subseguent_, the arathas and the btkhs, too,
had done the same, each tor a short vhte, under thetr resQecttVe
leaders, btVat and Vant btn_h. Lxcudtn_ these three tnstances,
the Qrecoonta Qast, he ar_ued, had been consQtcuous b_ the
aOsence ot nattonhood, because tt acked n both ot the codtttons
vlhout vhtch a QeoQe coud never torm ttset into a naton. he
Hrst ot these vas a QosittVe condttton conststn_ ot a sense ot uni[
(ayanan} a threetod uni[ ot common counse, common oQtn-
ton, and common actIon. he second condttton, a ne_atiVe one, he
vrote tn a achtaVetan vetn, regutred that the tnterests ot one s
ovn natton had to be Qromoted, tt necessat_-and tt vas necessa
tn most cases -b_ harmtn_ those ot other nattons, eVen tt that
meant Qut1tn_ them dovn (,araatquan} b_ torce, that s, b_ ba-
hubo.
1t vas anktmchandras Vev that nether ot these condttons
obtatned tn the Qrecolonia Qoi[. 1or one thtn_, the dtVersttes ot
1ndan ltte-terrttora, tn_utstc, ethnc, and rei_ious~comOtned
to deteat 1he sense ot unt] not on_ at the a-1ndta eVe, Out
re_tona_ as ve. he en_ats do not haVe a sense ot uni[ as a
en_ali natIonat[, the btkhs do not haVe a sense ot un[ as a btkh
nattonat[, he deQored. nd since there vas no nationhood,
there vas nothn_ to detend b_ torce. Jatqratwbtba dsaQQeated
trom 1ndia on_ a_o tor a Var\e[ ot reasons . . . 1rectse_ because
tl dtsaQQeated, ruers ot a other nattonates vere inslaled as
rulers ot the ndu ktn_doms b_ the jtnduj soce[ ttset vtthout
a h_ht. hat ts vh_ tndu socte[ neVer tHed a hn_er lo detend
tts ovn tndeQendence. he sum ot the ar_ument vas, therelore,
to sa_ that Oarrtn_ three sota tnstances, there vas no jattQra-
ltshtha in Qrecoona 1ndia because there vas no sense ot un[
(adana:i;, and stnce there vas no natIonhoOd to H_ht tor, there
vas no Oahubol.
hat a _artn_ tnconststenc_ he theot_ ot jattQrattshtha de-
moshed n eec1 the constructton ot ndu Qrovess tn Qrecoo-
na lnda O_ the conceQt ot bahubo. he tnconststenc_ ts urther
a__ravated b_ anktmchandras acknoved_ment, n the concud-
tn_ ltnes ot the same semtnal essa_, hatat-kaamka, that ove ot
ndeQendence and naton-tormatton, vhch had been unknovn to
HnImm Hwwrqro]Jmm 209
the Indus, vere tnteectua _Hs bestoved on us b_our _reat
benetactors (amakar:}, the tn_sh. h_, one :s temQted to
ask, vere these _tHs not used b_ the author to deveoQ a crItIQue
otcoon:arue vh:ch, too,vasbestoved on us D_ thesame _reat
beneactorsov:s It, one vonders, thathecame sotantal:In__
cose to Identtt:n_ r:tIsh domInance as the QrQer obect bothot
h:s theot_ otatIQrattshtha and hts conceQt ot bahubol and _et
m:ssed :t
e Quze about such Quest:ons because there Is enou_h evt-
dence tosu__es!that ankImchandravas notato_etherunavare
otthe bear:n_ otthese conceQts onthe Qovcrreat:ons otcoon:a-
:sm. Lontronteo v:th It trom tIme !o tIme b_ the o_Ic othts ovn
d:scourse, he voud resQond vth a gutck detensIve _esture that
v eoQuent w:th the anxIet:es vh:ch stImuated :t. hus, vhen
the rI_or othIs ar_ument:navel-knovn essa_ torced on hIm the
uestIon, ++^re IndeQendence and deQendence then eQu:vaent to
_ouh:s r:Qoste vas to sa_, Lur submIss:on t thosevho sQeak
thus :s that ve are not en_a_ed :n debattn_ such :ssues. e are a
deQendent natIon and shal reman In a state ot deQendence tor a
on_ tIme_et. t Is not tor us to debate such Issues. ^n evasIve
reQ_, tt d:d more !o revea than hIde the censorn_ mechanIsm he
used to muzzle htmset vhen :t came to address:n_ crIttca_ the
guest:on olQover under the cond:ttons otcoon:a rule. he same
kInd oset-censorsh:Qvasatvork a_atr

vhentheauthor, sQeak-
In_ In the votce otthe Lh:kt!sa, stoQQed baanada trom eXer-
cIsIn_ bahubo a_aInst the rItIsh, athou_h he had ust used :t
conv:nctn__todeteattheusamansatthebatteot^nandamath.
1 ovh:ch_oes to shov hov the needtoracrtttQue otcoon:-
a:sm Qressed Itseta_a:n and a_a:n on ank:mchandras vork m
bothItsdIscurs:ve torms~that :s,theessa_andthenove.andhov
he evaded that crIt:gue. ovever, In thInk:n_, as tn vr:ttn_, the
outcome otsuch_amesotevastondoesnotava_stavortheQa_er.
btQQa_es occur. ^s the Qs_choQathoo oteve_da_Ite demon-
stratessovel,Qhrasesvearesocaretu nottout!er, ma_sudden_
_ve us the s:Q, and a s:Q ot the ton_ue ca exQose vhat :s
eQressed more amQl_thanan ent:re adav:t. Jheres an :nstance
ol such a QaraQraX:s vh:ch mana_ed to de[ the vtlance ot
ank:mchandras set-censorshIQ. hts occurreU Inthe course ot
one oth:sman_ obsess:ve eerences to the sac oabadwtQ b_
2I0 Oominanco without Hogomonj
akhQar II and hIs horsemen, and hts eQua_ obsessIve at-
temQt to Qrove that thIsvas a Ie Inventeob_austm chrontcer.
`he hIstoQ olen_a abounds nsuch [mIsreQresentatIons], he
vrote. `^ccordtn_ o such hIstot_, a handtu otLn_Ish and e-
In_a trooQsare saId to have destro_ed thousands otnatIve sodIers
to vIn a sQectacular vIctot_ at the batte ol asse_. hIs Is mere
hctIon. o rea batte vas lou_htat asse_. t vasa larce.
^chaInolassocIatIonsb_vhtchthebatteotlasse_substItuted
or the sackoabadviQandthe tn_Ish tortheusalmanIn thIs
QaraQrats,renderedthe censorshIQotaconsctousvI InoQeratIve
lor a moment and enabed a hItherto reQressed tdea to manIest
Itselb_assI_ntn_ the colontzes, tor once, asthe ob|ect olbahubo
InahIstortcadecIstvebatte or Qover. tIseas_thereloreto see,
In the t_ht olthIs stQQa_e, hov, converse_, the torce otIdeoo
had brou_htaboutaserIesotdisQacementstomakethe usalman
rather than the rItIsh the obect o bahubo and the remote
Qrecoonta Qast rather than the recent colonIal Qast tts temQora
sIte. he tnconsIstenc_, nottced above, betveen ankImchandras
theot_ otattQratIshthaand his notton otbahubo vas a s_mQtom
QrecIse_ otthts dIsQacement. _ Quttn_ bahubo tn the vron_
Qace tn lndtan hIsto_, that Is, b_ dtsQlacIn_ Itto the QrecolonIal
QerIod, tt denIed the conceQt otIts true hIstorca tunctIon as an
tndIsQensabe eemcntolthat crItIQuevtthoutvhIchthe tormatIon
olnatIonhood, hence the vrItIn_ otIts hIstot_, voud not be Qos
sIbe tn theeraottmQerIaIsm.
. P Iai|ed P_cnda
1t vas thus that eements ot ratIonaltst thou_ht ImbIbeo lom a
este-sQe eoucatIon, the deveoQment ota veacular Qrose,
and above all, anncQtentnatIonalIsm conver_eo on ankImchan-
dras _enIus to Qroduce the nIneteenth-centut_ a_enda tor an n-
dtan hIstorIo_raQh_ ot $na. ut there vas nothIn_ In tbera
Ideoo _et to enabe the ndIan Intelectua to Qut that a_enda
Intoe1ect. tor the cItIQue otthe tundamenta Qover reatIons ot
coonIatsm, the crItIQue vhtch voud QuestIon the vet_ necessI
olcoonIaIsm Itseland vIthout vhIch that a_enda coud not be
eltectuated Into htstorIo_aQh_, vas stI be_ond the ken ottbera
QoItIcs.
A Imm Hwurrq o[Imm 2II
t woud not bc untI thc hrst dccadc ol thc twcntIcth ccntu:_
that a natIonaIst vicw ol thc Qast woud arm Itscl wIth such a
crItIQuc and act uQon that a_cnda to Qroducc the rst tru_ ndian
hIstorIo_raQh_ ol ndIa. n doIn_ so, It woud hrc Itscl b_ thc
mIItanc_ ol thc css concIIator_ tcndcncics within thc bwadcshI
camQaI_n and abovc a, b_ thc uncomQromIsID_ anti-ImQcrIaIst
stancc ol thc rcvoutiona:_-tcrrorIst movcmcnts. t woud dcrIvc
much ol Its QassIon lrom a s_mQtomatIc rcadIn_ ol ankImchan-
dras historIo_raQhIca! cssa_s and hIstorIca novcs and cXpoIt thc
sIQQa_cs and InconsIstcncIcs ol hIs dIscoursc to rccuQcratc thc
su__cstIons ol a radica crItiQuc whIch hc had hImscl takcn so
much carc to cXcIsc and suQQrcss b_ scl-ccnsorshIQ and cvasion.
hc thrcshods sct uQ b_ thc cautious and cacuatIn_ o_aIsm ol
nInctccnth-ccntuQ Ibcra1 thou_ht woud hcncclorth bc I_norcd
b_ a ncw QatrIotIc hIstorIo_raQh_ whIch madc uQ b_ Its vi_or lor
what It ackcd In hncssc and discrIminatIon chazactcristIc ol somc
ol thc bcst coonIaist and o_aist writiD_s. ut v1th a Its crudiQ,
thIs stI QrcdomInant_ Qct[-bour_eoIs discoursc woud usc Its
QrIdcs and Qrc|udIccs to stakc out lor thc hrst t1mc a caIm to thc
cntIrc Qcriod ol coon1a ruc as an ndIan Qast, hcncc as a QroQcr
subcct lor an autonomous ndIan hIstorIo_raQh_.
hIs stru__c lor cxQroQrIatIn_ thc cxQroQrIators ol thc rcccnt
ndIan Qast was, ol coursc, not cI_b!c lor oHcIa Qatrona_c. 1
unauthorIzcd atcrnatIvc to coonIaIst dIscoursc, QIttcd a_aInst thc
attcr lrom Its InccQtIon, It woud havc no Qacc lor a on_ tImc _ct
In cass-rooms and currIcua. 1ar lrom bcIn_ Qromotcd as an aId to
thc cducatIon ol thc _oun_, It was dcstIncd to bc cassIhcd as
lorbIddcn rcadin_ lor a~_oun_ and od. bomc ol thIs ncw hIs-
torica lItcraturc woud De IdcntIhcd not on_ as a mIs_uIdcd dcvIa-
tion lrom thc rucrs own vicw ol thc rccord ol thc ra|, but morc
_ravc_, as a thrcat to thc sccur[ ol thc ra| Itscl. ^ot a lcw
cxcrcIscs In thIs _cnrc ol hIstorio_raQh_, ol which bakharam
Jancsh cuskars DebccKba was onc, cntcrcd thc drcadcd Ist
ol scdItIous books and QamQhcts. roduccd In sccrcc_ b_ sma
backstrcct Qrintcrs, ocn at much rsk to thcir Qcrsons and QroQ-
crtics, thcsc QubIcatIons cIrcuatcd amon_ a candcstInc rcadcr-
shIQ, QassIn_ lrom hand to hand, untIl thc rca_ woud bc dIsruQtcd
b_ a dawn raId and thc ast rcadcr, usua_ a schoobo_ or somc
uncmQo_cd _outh In a mulassI town, takcn to thc oca QoIcc
2I2 Oommnco vthout Hogomonj
smtion to_ether v1th the oend:n_ oD|ect, an eXh:D:t :n suQQort ot
the Lrovns case a_a:nst a memDer or s_mQath:zer ot some m:l:-
tant nat:onal:st oamu hat vas the Qr:ce that nd:an h:stor:o_ra-
Qh_ had to Qa_ as :t moved :nto the Iventteth centu:_ to act uQon
ank:mchandras a_enda D de_:n_ h:m and us:n_ his concept ot
DahuDol to deVeloQ a 0rit:Que not onl ot the adm:n:strat:Ve Qer-
ormance o the colon:al rulers. Dut o the:r r:_ht to rule.