Thank you, Jan, for introducing this point and for the references to your papers.
Best wishes, Joanna --- Prof. dr hab. Joanna Jurewicz Katedra Azji Południowej /Chair of South Asia Studies Wydział Orientalistyczny / Faculty of Oriental Studies Uniwersytet Warszawski /University of Warsaw ul. Krakowskie Przedmieście 26/28 00-927 Warszawa , Poland Department of Linguistics and Modern Languages College of Human Sciences UNISA Pretoria, RSA Member of Academia Europaea https://uw.academia.edu/JoannaJurewicz niedz., 9 maj 2021 o 15:59 Jan E.M. Houben via INDOLOGY < [email protected]> napisał(a): > Dear All, > A fascinating symposium on "Greater Magadha" is at present taking place at > Edmonton (Alberta), Canada, and on account of the ongoing epidemic it is > entirely online: the announcement (http://eventleaf.com/GreaterMagadha) > is accessible on several lists. > In a brief presentation and subsequent discussion of his theory at the > beginning of this symposium -- a detailed argument and extensive references > to pieces of evidence for this stimulating and well-researched theory is > found in his *Greater Magadha: Studies in the culture of early India* (Leiden > 2007) -- Johannes Bronkhorst referred briefly to his comparison between > Brahmins (and their cultural context) and the German Nazis (and their > cultural context). On this specific reference by Johannes Bronkhorst during > the symposium, I posed a question in the special section set up by the > organizers of the conference: "Questions and answers will be conducted over > a separate service, sli.do." > Since my question, although it received several "upvotes", did not pass > the censorship of the anonymous "moderator" of the online questions -- who > wrote to me "3 days ago (only visible to you) There was no such comparison" > -- it would be useful to pose the question in other fora such as this > Indology List. > Those familiar with the work and especially the *Greater Magadha* book of > Johannes Bronkhorst -- this apparently does not include the anonymous > moderator of the Questions section of the symposium -- will have > immediately recognized that the remark by Johannes Bronkhorst refers to pp. > 251-252 of *Greater Magadha* (and similar passages elsewhere), where we > read: > > "when it came in contact with cities, Vedic civilization did not like them. > ... > It is hard to resist the temptation of a comparison with the Third Reich. > Among the hundreds of paintings brought together in the House of German Art > in Munich, opened by Hitler in 1937, not a single canvas depicted urban and > industrial life (Watson, 2004: 311-312)." > > The comparison is both inappropriate and inapt, especially since a very > different analysis of the situation of the community of practicing Brahmins > in ancient India is possible, for instance the one proposed by me in: > > “From Fuzzy-Edged ‘Family-Veda’ to the Canonical Śākhas of the Catur-Veda: > Structures and Tangible Traces.” In: *Vedic Śākhās: Past, Present, > Future. Proceedings of the Fifth International Vedic Workshop, Bucharest* > 2011, ed. by J.E.M. Houben, J. Rotaru and M. Witzel, p. 159-192. Cambridge, > Mass. : Harvard University, 2016. > > As the book is at present no more available but will soon again be > available in a new edition, I have made this study *temporarily* accessible > on my Academia.edu page. > > The main principles followed in this study to explain the situation of the > community of practicing Brahmins in ancient India are (1) "natural > selection" in the transmission of knowledge through any current medium of > transmission (at first exclusively ritual, next ritual plus written texts, > inscriptions and manuscripts -- much later printing is added and at present > the internet...): see e.g. Houben 2001; (2) ritual in the context of an > *evolving* economical and ecological world: see Houben 2019 (see also: > Gadgil and Guha, *This Fissured Land: an Ecological History of India*, > 1992 and Perennials edition 2013). > N.B. Both Houben 2001: > “’Verschriftlichung' and the relation between the *pramāṇa*s in the > history of Sāṁkhya.” *Études de Lettres* 2001.3: *La rationalité en Asie > / Rationality in Asia*, ed. by J. Bronkhorst: 165-194. > and Houben 2019: > “Ecology of Ritual Innovation in Ancient India: Textual and Contextual > Evidence.” [NB: partly comparing and contrasting Vedic and ancient Iranian > ritual.] In: *Self, Sacrifice, and Cosmos: Vedic Thought, Ritual, and > Philosophy. Essays in Honor of Professor Ganesh Umakant Thite’s > Contribution to Vedic Studies*, ed. by Lauren M. Bausch, pp. 182-210 > (References to this article integrated in id., “Bibliography,” pp. > 223-238.) Delhi: Primus Books > are now accessible on my Academia.edu page. > > I hope and expect the issue will lead to further fruitful discussions. > > All best, Jan Houben > > -- > > *Jan E.M. Houben* > > Directeur d'Études, Professor of South Asian History and Philology > > *Sources et histoire de la tradition sanskrite* > > École Pratique des Hautes Études (EPHE, Paris Sciences et Lettres) > > *Sciences historiques et philologiques * > > Groupe de recherches en études indiennes (EA 2120) > > *johannes.houben [at] ephe.psl.eu <[email protected]>* > > *https://ephe-sorbonne.academia.edu/JanEMHouben > <https://ephe-sorbonne.academia.edu/JanEMHouben>* > > *https://www.classicalindia.info* <https://www.classicalindia.info> > > LabEx Hastec OS 2021 -- *L'Inde Classique* augmentée: construction, > transmission > > et transformations d'un savoir scientifique > > _______________________________________________ > INDOLOGY mailing list > [email protected] > https://list.indology.info/mailman/listinfo/indology >
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