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Many thousands of undiscovered manuscripts, invaluable to India's literary legacy, are rotting away as we speak. There is very little financial support for arch

Many thousands of undiscovered manuscripts, invaluable to India's literary legacy, are rotting away as we speak. There is very little financial support for archeology or manuscriptology in India. So much has been lost already. And, of the estimated known 40 million manuscripts, no one is being trained to read and translate them! Opportunity for philanthropy? https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ancient-manuscripts-india-sanskrit-namami/story/1/17406.html https://www.dailyo.in/arts/ancient-manuscripts-india-sanskri... https://www.newindianexpress.com/thinkedu2020/2020/jan/08/hidden-treasure-95-of-indias-ancient-manuscripts-yet-to-be-translated-says-bibek-debroy-2086890.html https://www.newindianexpress.com/thinkedu2020/2020/jan/08/hi... https://namami.gov.in/manuscriptology-polygraphy https://namami.gov.in/manuscriptology-polygraphy

natcombs 6y ago
> It's a great opportunity for philanthropy With 189 million people undernourished or starving in India, why not donate to help with that first? https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger
- dr_dshiv 6y ago
  Because we should do both. If we only wait to preserve culture until all people are fed, then we will have lost those manuscripts forever.
  - natcombs 6y ago
    Which is the priority? > we will have lost those manuscripts forever. You do realize that starvation results in millions of lives lost forever. That’s why I donate to food & local water/well charities Today. Manuscripts can be photographed and transcribed later.
Mediterraneo10 6y ago
In recent decades, Hindutva forces have gained more and more political influence in India, and their rhetoric continually emphasizes that India is home to ancient Vedic wisdom unparalled in the world, and that Sanskrit is some kind of super-language handed down by the gods millions of years ago (instead of a codified form for sacramental use of an ordinary language spoken just a few thousand years ago). And yet, while many Indians are swelling with patriotic pride at their country’s inheritance, actual classical philology is dying and largely done by interested foreigners. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied within India, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. Yes, of course you’ll hear urban myths about whole villages speaking Sanskrit or whatever, but this is always huge exaggeration that gets perpetuated for decades.
- dr_dshiv 6y ago
  > actual classical philology is dying. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. I've also heard that there is anger when non-Indian scholars study Sanskrit. Cambridge shut down their Sanskrit program, after 150 years. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-study-hinduism-and-india-face-hostile-climate https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-...
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  - deepglacier 6y ago
    The reason for this anger is the fear of losing control of the narrative. By keeping the Sanskrit scriptures arcane, they can build their own narratives around it. But when scholars start studying those text, the cat will be out of the bag. They may feel that it is harmful to the Hindutva interests when scholars write about the procedure for cow sacrifice mentioned in Yajur Veda or the racism and misogyny perpetuated by Manu Smriti or the Soma drinking revelry in Rigveda. These efforts to stop others knowing these scriptures are happening since pre-historic times and even codified in Hindu Law. Dharmasutra says "If he (Sudra) listens in on a vedic recitation, his ears shall be filled with molten tin or lac; if he repeats it, his tongue should be cut off; if he commits it to memory, his body should be split."[1] Dharmasutra, written circa 600 BCE, is a book on Hindu Law and Sudra is the lowest class in the Varna system. The ban on Wendy Doniger's book in India is a case in point. References: [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snippet&q=molten%20tin%20or%20lac&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snip... [2] https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm [3] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-reasons-why-manu-smriti-was-burned-down-399546 https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-rea... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger
actuator 6y ago
While there seem to be ancient unis with rich literature[1], my understanding was most of the manuscripts were destroyed by invading forces, does the 40 million figure count those as well? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_higher-learning_institutions#Ancient_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_higher-learning_instit...

natcombs 6y ago

> It's a great opportunity for philanthropy With 189 million people undernourished or starving in India, why not donate to help with that first? https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger https://www.indiafoodbanking.org/hunger

dr_dshiv 6y ago
Because we should do both. If we only wait to preserve culture until all people are fed, then we will have lost those manuscripts forever.
- natcombs 6y ago
  Which is the priority? > we will have lost those manuscripts forever. You do realize that starvation results in millions of lives lost forever. That’s why I donate to food & local water/well charities Today. Manuscripts can be photographed and transcribed later.

Mediterraneo10 6y ago

In recent decades, Hindutva forces have gained more and more political influence in India, and their rhetoric continually emphasizes that India is home to ancient Vedic wisdom unparalled in the world, and that Sanskrit is some kind of super-language handed down by the gods millions of years ago (instead of a codified form for sacramental use of an ordinary language spoken just a few thousand years ago). And yet, while many Indians are swelling with patriotic pride at their country’s inheritance, actual classical philology is dying and largely done by interested foreigners. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied within India, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. Yes, of course you’ll hear urban myths about whole villages speaking Sanskrit or whatever, but this is always huge exaggeration that gets perpetuated for decades.

dr_dshiv 6y ago
> actual classical philology is dying. Not only are the manuscripts not being adequately studied, but deep practical knowledge of Sanskrit is dying out, too. I've also heard that there is anger when non-Indian scholars study Sanskrit. Cambridge shut down their Sanskrit program, after 150 years. https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-study-hinduism-and-india-face-hostile-climate https://www.insidehighered.com/news/2016/04/12/scholars-who-...
- deleted 6y ago
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- deleted 6y ago
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- deepglacier 6y ago
  The reason for this anger is the fear of losing control of the narrative. By keeping the Sanskrit scriptures arcane, they can build their own narratives around it. But when scholars start studying those text, the cat will be out of the bag. They may feel that it is harmful to the Hindutva interests when scholars write about the procedure for cow sacrifice mentioned in Yajur Veda or the racism and misogyny perpetuated by Manu Smriti or the Soma drinking revelry in Rigveda. These efforts to stop others knowing these scriptures are happening since pre-historic times and even codified in Hindu Law. Dharmasutra says "If he (Sudra) listens in on a vedic recitation, his ears shall be filled with molten tin or lac; if he repeats it, his tongue should be cut off; if he commits it to memory, his body should be split."[1] Dharmasutra, written circa 600 BCE, is a book on Hindu Law and Sudra is the lowest class in the Varna system. The ban on Wendy Doniger's book in India is a case in point. References: [1] https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snippet&q=molten%20tin%20or%20lac&f=false https://books.google.com/books?id=gnVxqvPg9a0C&q=lead#v=snip... [2] https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm https://www.sacred-texts.com/hin/manu/manu05.htm [3] https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-reasons-why-manu-smriti-was-burned-down-399546 https://www.tribuneindia.com/news/archive/features/a-few-rea... [4] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendy_Doniger

actuator 6y ago

While there seem to be ancient unis with rich literature[1], my understanding was most of the manuscripts were destroyed by invading forces, does the 40 million figure count those as well? [1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_higher-learning_institutions#Ancient_India https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_higher-learning_instit...