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RC Passage
Direction for the questions 1 to 4: The passage below is accompanied by a set of four questions. Choose the best answer to each question.
Interpretations of the Indian past . . . were inevitably influenced by colonial concerns and interests, and also by prevalent European ideas about history, civilization and the Orient. Orientalist scholars studied the languages and the texts with selected Indian scholars, but made little attempt to understand the worldview of those who were teaching them. The readings, therefore, are something of a disjuncture from the traditional ways of looking at the Indian past. . . . Orientalism [which we can understand broadly as Western perceptions of the Orient] fuelled the fantasy and the freedom sought by European Romanticism, particularly in its opposition to the more disciplined NeoClassicism. The cultures of Asia were seen as bringing a new Romantic paradigm. Another Renaissance was anticipated through an acquaintance with the Orient, and this, it was thought, would be different from the earlier Greek Renaissance. It was believed that this Oriental Renaissance would liberate European thought and literature from the increasing focus on discipline and rationality that had followed from the earlier Enlightenment. . . . [The Romantic English poets, Wordsworth and Coleridge,] were apprehensive of the changes introduced by industrialization and turned to nature and to fantasies of the Orient.
However, this enthusiasm gradually changed, to conform with the emphasis later in the nineteenth century on the innate superiority of European civilization. Oriental civilizations were now seen as having once been great but currently in decline. The various phases of Orientalism tended to mould European understanding of the Indian past into a particular pattern. . . . There was an attempt to formulate Indian culture as uniform, such formulations being derived from texts that were given priority. The so-called âdiscoveryâ of India was largely through selected literature in Sanskrit. This interpretation tended to emphasize non-historical aspects of Indian culture, for example, the idea of an unchanging continuity of society and religion over 3,000 years; and it was believed that the Indian pattern of life was so concerned with metaphysics and the subtleties of religious belief that little attention was given to the more tangible aspects.
German Romanticism endorsed this image of India, and it became the mystic land for many Europeans, where even the most ordinary actions were imbued with a complex symbolism. This was the genesis of the idea of the spiritual east, and also, incidentally, the refuge of European intellectuals seeking to distance themselves from the changing patterns of their own societies. A dichotomy in values was maintained, Indian values being described as âspiritualâ and European values as âmaterialisticâ, with little attempt to juxtapose these values with the reality of Indian society. This theme has been even more firmly endorsed by a section of Indian opinion during the last hundred years.
It was a consolation to the Indian intelligentsia for its perceived inability to counter the technical superiority of the west, a superiority viewed as having enabled Europe to colonize Asia and other parts of the world. At the height of anti-colonial nationalism it acted as a salve for having been made a colony of Britain.
RC Line-wise Explanation
Paragraph 1
Original: Interpretations of the Indian past . . . were inevitably influenced by colonial concerns and interests, and also by prevalent European ideas about history, civilization and the Orient.
Explanation: The way Europeans understood Indian history was shaped by their own colonial objectives and the ideas they held about the Orient (East), civilization, and history.
Original: Orientalist scholars studied the languages and the texts with selected Indian scholars, but made little attempt to understand the worldview of those who were teaching them.
Explanation: Though Western scholars learned Indian languages and texts with local scholars, they did not try to grasp the broader cultural and philosophical views of these Indian teachers.
Original: The readings, therefore, are something of a disjuncture from the traditional ways of looking at the Indian past.
Explanation: As a result, these studies were disconnected from how Indians traditionally understood their own history.
Paragraph 2
Original: Orientalism [which we can understand broadly as Western perceptions of the Orient] fuelled the fantasy and the freedom sought by European Romanticism, particularly in its opposition to the more disciplined NeoClassicism.
Explanation: Western views of the East (Orientalism) inspired the imagination and emotional freedom favored by Romanticism, which rejected the order and logic of earlier Neoclassical art and thinking.
Original: The cultures of Asia were seen as bringing a new Romantic paradigm.
Explanation: Asian cultures were viewed as offering a new model aligned with Romantic ideals.
Original: Another Renaissance was anticipated through an acquaintance with the Orient, and this, it was thought, would be different from the earlier Greek Renaissance.
Explanation: Europeans expected a new cultural awakening or âRenaissanceâ from engaging with Eastern cultures, which they believed would differ from the classical Renaissance.
Original: It was believed that this Oriental Renaissance would liberate European thought and literature from the increasing focus on discipline and rationality that had followed from the earlier Enlightenment.
Explanation: People hoped that this engagement with the Orient would free European thought from the rigid, rational focus that emerged during the Enlightenment.
Original: [The Romantic English poets, Wordsworth and Coleridge,] were apprehensive of the changes introduced by industrialization and turned to nature and to fantasies of the Orient.
Explanation: Poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge disliked the industrial changes in Europe and turned for comfort to nature and the imagined world of the East.
Paragraph 3
Original: However, this enthusiasm gradually changed, to conform with the emphasis later in the nineteenth century on the innate superiority of European civilization.
Explanation: Over time, the romantic fascination with the East gave way to a belief that European civilization was naturally superior.
Original: Oriental civilizations were now seen as having once been great but currently in decline.
Explanation: Eastern societies were now seen as formerly great, but currently decaying or stagnant.
Original: The various phases of Orientalism tended to mould European understanding of the Indian past into a particular pattern.
Explanation: Different phases of Orientalist thought shaped European interpretations of Indian history in a fixed way.
Original: There was an attempt to formulate Indian culture as uniform, such formulations being derived from texts that were given priority.
Explanation: Indian culture was wrongly portrayed as a single, uniform entity, based mostly on select ancient texts.
Original: The so-called âdiscoveryâ of India was largely through selected literature in Sanskrit.
Explanation: Europeans claimed to "discover" Indian culture by reading only specific Sanskrit works.
Original: This interpretation tended to emphasize non-historical aspects of Indian culture, for example, the idea of an unchanging continuity of society and religion over 3,000 years;
Explanation: This version of Indian history focused on timeless spirituality and religious continuity rather than historical change.
Original: and it was believed that the Indian pattern of life was so concerned with metaphysics and the subtleties of religious belief that little attention was given to the more tangible aspects.
Explanation: It was assumed that Indians were so focused on religion and abstract thinking that they ignored practical, material life.
Paragraph 4
Original: German Romanticism endorsed this image of India, and it became the mystic land for many Europeans, where even the most ordinary actions were imbued with a complex symbolism.
Explanation: German thinkers supported this spiritualized view of India, imagining it as a mystical place where every act had deep symbolic meaning.
Original: This was the genesis of the idea of the spiritual east, and also, incidentally, the refuge of European intellectuals seeking to distance themselves from the changing patterns of their own societies.
Explanation: This marked the birth of the concept of the âspiritual Eastââa place European intellectuals romanticized to escape their own industrializing world.
Original: A dichotomy in values was maintained, Indian values being described as âspiritualâ and European values as âmaterialisticâ, with little attempt to juxtapose these values with the reality of Indian society.
Explanation: A false divide was created: Indian values were labeled spiritual, and European ones materialistic, without examining how these values worked in real Indian life.
Original: This theme has been even more firmly endorsed by a section of Indian opinion during the last hundred years.
Explanation: Some Indians have also strongly supported this EastâWest contrast over the last century.
Paragraph 5
Original: It was a consolation to the Indian intelligentsia for its perceived inability to counter the technical superiority of the west, a superiority viewed as having enabled Europe to colonize Asia and other parts of the world.
Explanation: Indian intellectuals used the idea of spiritual superiority as a way to cope with their inability to match Europeâs technological power, which had enabled colonization.
Original: At the height of anti-colonial nationalism it acted as a salve for having been made a colony of Britain.
Explanation: During the struggle against British rule, this idea of spiritual richness helped Indians feel proud despite being politically subjugated.
RC Paragraph Explanation
Paragraph 1 Summary
The European interpretation of Indian history was shaped by colonial interests and Western assumptions. Though Orientalist scholars learned from Indian scholars, they failed to appreciate the deeper Indian worldview, resulting in a disconnected understanding of India's past.
Paragraph 2 Summary
Romantic European thinkers saw Asian cultures as a refreshing contrast to Western rationalism and industrialization. They imagined an Oriental Renaissance that would revive European creativity, with poets like Wordsworth and Coleridge turning to the East for inspiration.
Paragraph 3 Summary
By the late 19th century, Orientalist admiration gave way to assertions of European superiority. India was depicted as culturally stagnant, with its complex history oversimplified into a timeless, spiritual tradition based mostly on select Sanskrit texts.
Paragraph 4 Summary
The myth of a spiritually rich India was embraced by German Romanticism and used by European intellectuals as an escape from their own changing societies. This EastâWest value divide became a dominant narrative, even among some Indian thinkers.
Paragraph 5 Summary
The Indian elite clung to the idea of spiritual superiority as a coping mechanism against Western technological dominance. During anti-colonial struggles, this belief provided emotional relief for being colonized by Britain.
RC Quick Table Summary
| Paragraph Number | Main Idea |
|---|---|
| Paragraph 1 | European interpretations of India were shaped by colonial motives and biases. |
| Paragraph 2 | Romanticism idealized the Orient as a spiritual alternative to industrial Europe. |
| Paragraph 3 | Later Orientalist views portrayed India as static and inferior. |
| Paragraph 4 | The idea of âspiritual Indiaâ grew, contrasting it with materialistic Europe. |
| Paragraph 5 | Indians adopted the spiritual East idea to counter colonial inferiority. |
RC Questions
Ques 1. It can be inferred from the passage that to gain a more accurate view of a nationâs history and culture, scholars should do all of the following EXCEPT:
Ques 2. It can be inferred from the passage that the author is not likely to support the view that:
Ques 3. In the context of the passage, all of the following statements are true EXCEPT:
Ques 4. Which one of the following styles of research is most similar to the Orientalist scholarsâ method of understanding Indian history and culture?
