Imagining the German Past using Schlegel's romanticism of India

Published: Thursday, Apr 19,2012, 01:13 IST
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Migrated, Indian, Germans, Sanskrit, Ancient, Ancestor, Civilization, Indology, Rediscovery, Glory, IBTL

Hitesh Rangra is a young Engineering Graduate who works for an IT Firm. However, that's only his professional side. He has been more of a social activist, who likes doing service activities. His interests include reading, from Vivekanand to Indian history and cultural heritage.

German scholar felt kinship towards India like other american scholar. They started pouring idea of Sanskrit with German past and founded German School of romanticism. Schlegel's brother started their literally thought. Duo were architecture of romantic German school.  

Although the philosophical dimension and profundity of his writings remain underrated,  Friedrich  is considered to be one of the founders of the German Romantic Movement, as well as one of the most prominent disseminators of its philosophy, not only in Germany but also abroad and, most notably, in Britain.Schlegel rehected India's religions but his writings remained a critical way to blend German Nationalism and Catholicism into his newly created myth about Germany.

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Schlegel rejected the source of Indian religious inspiration and hoax had been created by Schlegel brothers hero of German romanticism. Schlegel duo theory supported herder's older version of myth about India.

Herder also announced that "national glory is a deceiving seducer. When it reaches a certain height, it clasps the head with an iron band. The enclosed sees nothing in the mist but his own picture; he is susceptible to no foreign impressions." And: "It is the apparent plan of nature that as one human being, so also one generation, and also one nationality learn, learn incessantly, from and with the others, until all have comprehended the difficult lesson: No nationality has been solely designated by God as the chosen people of the earth; above all we must seek the truth and cultivate the garden of the common good. Hence no nationality of Europe may separate itself sharply, and foolishly say, "With us alone, with us dwells all wisdom."  

Schlegel created a revised theory with Herder's older version as stated above that Sanskrit was the mother of Indo-European languages. He designed some new postulates into his theory which become prominent in German renaissance.  

    1. Indian migrated to Germany
    2. Germans have purer pedigree and retains a purer form of the original Sanskrit
    3. Ancient Germany thus imagined as ancestor for all modern civilization
    4. Study of Sanskrit and Indology is  critical to the rediscovery of German Glory

Intellectual of 19th century started blending schelgel theory of German nationalism to prove aryan race. Schlegel work gave new dimension to aryan race. Schlegel became a milestone in discovering aryan race.

to be continued ........

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