Cambridge Project Unearths Hidden Sanskrit Scholars Amidst British Rule

London, Oct 16 (PTI) - A new research project spearheaded by Cambridge University has brought to light the efforts of scholarly pundits who, despite the forces of British imperialism that began in the seventeenth century, kept Sanskrit intellectual thought, literature, and arts flourishing across remote Indian settlements.

This pioneering research challenges the prevailing notion that British colonial expansion smothered Sanskrit scholarship. It highlights the contributions of numerous unsung literary experts scattered across Brahmin settlements, known as agrahara, and monasteries, or matha. These scholars were instrumental in nurturing Sanskrit culture despite the British encroachment. According to the researchers, these endeavors were particularly remarkable in the Kaveri Delta region of southern India, where Brahmin scholars continued to produce poetry, plays, philosophy, theology, legal texts, and other literature in Sanskrit despite the increasing influence of British rule.

Dr. Jonathan Duquette, who leads the research project from the University’s Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Selwyn College, emphasized, “There were literary geniuses among these men whose contributions are historically significant, yet many people in India remain unaware of them.” Dr. Duquette noted that the works of these pundits have been largely forgotten, except by a small faction who still revere their legacy. The project aims to study texts that have never been translated or printed before, potentially uncovering materials previously unexamined in Western scholarship.

The advent of British colonial power radically transformed India’s traditional education and knowledge systems. After the East India Company assumed control of the Thanjavur court in 1799—a hub of Sanskrit patronage—English-speaking schools proliferated, changing educational priorities. As a result, Brahmin families increasingly chose Western-influenced schools over traditional pathways for their sons, which might have stifled Sanskrit scholarship.

However, Dr. Duquette argues that the rural settlements, where scholars held perpetual land grants, provided a sanctuary for Sanskrit scholarship. He noted, “There is an assumption that Sanskrit was confined to aristocratic circles, courts, and cosmopolitan centers. But our project will show that it had a vibrant life in the countryside and interacted with Tamil scholarship in the region.”

The project focuses on the period from 1650 to 1800, aspiring to identify over 20 settlements of significant intellectual importance in the Kaveri Delta.

Cambridge’s research initiative coincides with efforts by the Faculty of Asian and Middle Eastern Studies to secure philanthropic funding for Sanskrit and pre-modern Indo-Persian studies positions. The University has a rich history in Sanskrit research since 1867 and hosts a renowned collection of Sanskrit manuscripts.

The ‘Beyond the Court’ project, led by Dr. Duquette along with other international experts, is supported by a grant from the UK’s Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).