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Maxmuller Christian agent, enemy of India

Maxmuller is credited with helping revive Indian scriptures and take


them across the globe. What he did in reality was to present our scriptures as full of filth,
vulgarity, barbarism and bestiality and present an uncivilized view of Indian culture with
which we struggle till date. Its a shame that such Christian missionaries are now regarded as
great scholars and lovers of India.

1. Who was Maxmuller?


Maxmuller was a fugitive from Germany who in his youth was in extreme difficulty to earn
even two square meals for him. (Had not a penny left, and that in spite of every effort to
make a little money, I should have had to return to Germany-ref the life and letters of
Maxmuller, vol.1, p.61, London edn.) He was a scholar extraordinary but his situation made
him easy tool in the hands of Britishers. Maxmuller who had continuously suffered from
want and youthful zeal and an insatiable ambition willingly agreed to prostitute his pen,
intellect and scholarship for the filthy lucre the new job promised him plenty. (I am to hand
over to the company, ready for the press, fifty sheets each year-the same I had promised to
samter in Germany; for this I have asked 200 pounds a year, 4 pounds a sheet- ref. the life
and letters of Maxmuller, vol.1, p.60-61, London edn.) He soon launched himself upon the
project with the zeal and devotion that can be expected only from a religious zealot. He did
his best to equate Hinduism with polytheism even though he had to invent for this purpose a
new Jesuitical definition for the religion of the Rigveda.

2. Boden chair and its motives


Col. Joseph Boden one time Bombay colonel with the army of the east India Company
wanted to do whatsoever lay in his power to help Christian missionaries to Christianize India
in general and the Hindus in particular. So, after his retirement (in 1807) he donated 25,000
pounds to the university of oxford to enable it to found a chair of Sanskrit, which the
university, justifiably and as a mark of gratitude, named after him. Boden objective was to
enable his countrymen to proceed in the conversion of the natives of India to the Christian
religion by providing translations of the bible into Sanskrit.

As Christianity is founded upon and wedded to trinitarianism it would not give up its belief in
three gods except at grave peril to its very existence. The Christian missions wanted therefore
as the only other alternative available to them, to show someone to the world at large that
Hinduism was a polytheistic religious faith. Since the Hindus traced their monotheism back
to the Vedas, to the Rig in particular, it was considered absolutely necessary that the
concocted evidence in order to be readily acceptable to the Hindus must have behind it the
sanction and authority of the Rigveda. Once the decision had been made and the target fixed
the only thing that remained to be done was to find the right marksman. The search for the
right man continued till Maxmuller happened to come their way. Maxmuller was a German
and was not at all well versed with English, Sanskrit was far off. But he was a youth of 24
and this task assured him bread and butter for next eight years. In addition he had at his back
the combined might of all those Christian missionaries who wanted to convert the Hindus of
India to Christianity. These missionaries readily and willingly broadcast to the world
whatever Maxmuller said and wrote and this went a long way to enhance Maxmullers
prestige as a scholar.3. Maxmuller meets Macaulay and its impact
Macaulay was born in a Presbyterian family and brought in rigid clapham sect of Christians
so he was having a strong bias in favor of Christianity to the exclusion of all other religions- a
prejudice from which he was not able to free himself even when he had grown into a matured
man of 55 years. He came to India in 1834 with plans in his mind to introduce European
education in combination with Christian doctrines so that Indians could more easily be made
to accept the religion of Christ.

In feb.1835 he made English language the compulsory medium of instruction in all Indian
schools. Very gleefully he writes to his father in his letter dated Oct. 12, 1836 our English
schools are flourishing wonderfully. We find it difficult indeed, in some places impossible
to provide instructions for all who want it. At the single town of hoogle fourteen hundred
boys are learning English. The effect of this education on the hindoos is prodigious. No
hindoo, who has received an English education, ever remains sincerely attached to his
religion. Some continue to profess it as a matter of policy; but many profess themselves pure
deists, and some embrace Christianity. It is my firm belief that if, our plans of education are
followed up, there will not be a single idolater among the respectable classes in Bengal thirty
years hence. And this will be affected without any efforts to proselytize; without the smallest
interference with religious liberty; merely by the natural operation of knowledge and
reflection. I heartily rejoice in the prospects. Ref. the life and letters of Lord Macaulay, pp.
329-330

In 1851 Maxmuller met Macaulay for first time for a short while in a party in London. He
met him second time only in Dec. 1855 when he had with him long interview. In between
Maxmuller wrote a pamphlet suggestions for the assistance of officers in learning the
languages of the seat of war in the east in which he had stressed importance of learning
oriental languages especially Sanskrit. Macaulay a mulish Christian and a rabid enemy of
oriental languages and literature did not like the idea of Maxmuller. Maxmuller went to plead
Macaulay the case for oriental studies forgetting the historian fact that it was Macaulay who
had imposed on the Indian people English language with the covert purpose of language
being used as a vehicle for converting people to Christianity. Maxmuller wrote to his mother
about this encounter as I made acquaintance this time in London with Macaulay, and had
along conversation with him on the teaching necessary for the young men who are sent out to
India. He is very clear headed, and extraordinarily eloquentI went back to oxford a sadder,
and, I hope, a wiser man. Ref. the life and letters of Maxmuller, vol.1, p.162, London edn

Maxmuller profited very little because while he gathered pelf in accepting the companys
assignment he had, in the bargain, lost his soul. His writings took a different trend in as much
as he became more active and less inhibited in praise of Christianity; of the bible and of Jesus
Christ.

4. Maxmuller revealed himself as a Christian zealot


Maxmullers encounter with Macaulay left an indelible impact on Maxmuller. Despite his
constant endeavors to hide his moves behind the secular mask of scholarship he too often
gave himself away as a Christian proselytizer and evangelist. He had written a letter to
Bunsen saying- nevertheless I of course shall be glad if the Rigveda is dealt with in the
Edinburgh review, and if Wilson would write from the standpoint of a missionary, and would
show how the knowledge and bringing into light of the Veda would upset the whole existing
system of Indian theology, it might become of real interest (The life and letters of
Maxmuller, vol.1, p. 117, London edn.)

Maxmullers hidden mission even received support of influential missionaries and


ecclesiastics like bishop of Calcutta and Dr. Pusey.

Bishop of Calcutta wrote to him (Maxmuller) I feel considerable interest in the matter,
because I am sure that it is of the greatest importance for our missionaries to understand
Sanskrit, to study the philosophy and sacred books of the Hindus, and to be able to meet the
pundits on their own ground. Among the means to this great end, none can be more important
than your edition and professor Wilsons translation of the Rigveda. It would be most fitting
in my opinion for a great Christian university to place in its Sanskrit chair the scholar who
has made the Sanskrit scriptures accessible to the Christian missionary.
(The life and letters of Maxmuller, vol.1, p. 236-237, London edn.)

Dr. Pusey wrote to Maxmuller. I cannot but think that your lectures on the Vedas are the
greatest gift which had been bestowed on those who would win to Christianity the subtle and
thoughtful minds of the cultivated Indians.
(The life and letters of Maxmuller, vol.1, p. 237-238, London edn.)

Monier-Williams who had become second professor of Boden Sanskrit chair revealed more
in being a proselytizer than a scholar of Sanskrit. In his preface to a Sanskrit- English
dictionary which he compiled he boastfully gave vent to his christianish zeal and aspirations
in these words: in explanation I must draw attention to the fact that I am only the second
occupant of the Boden chair, and that its founder col. Boden, stated most explicitly in his will
that the special object of his munificent bequest was to promote the translation of the
scriptures into Sanskrit so as to enable his countrymen to proceed in the conversion of the
natives of India to the Christian religion

Today even people think Maxmuller as friend of Hindus; a scholar extraordinary in Vedas,
the letter of Maxmuller written to his wife in 1866 exposed his aspirations.

I hope I shall finish that work (translation of Rigveda), and I feel convinced, though I shall
not live to see it, that this edition of mine and the translation of the Veda will hereafter tell to
a great extent on the fate of India, and on the growth of millions of souls in that country. It is
the root of their religion, and to show them what that root is, I feel sure, is the only way of
uprooting all that has sprung up from it during the last 3000 years. (The life and letters of
Maxmuller, vol.1, p. 328, London edn.)

The missionaries have done far more than they themselves seem to be aware of, nay,
much of the work which is theirs they would probably disclaim. The Christianity of our
nineteenth century will hardly be the Christianity of India. But the ancient religion of India is
doomed- and if Christianity does not step in, whose fault it be?
(The life and letters of Maxmuller, vol.1, p. 357-358, London edn.)

Inspite of the fact that the Vedas sings monotheism Christian missionaries tried to show
polytheism in Vedas. Maxmuller wrote, When I undertook to publish for the university
press a series of translations of the most important of these sacred books, one of my objects
was to assist missionaries. What shall we think if a missionary who came to convert us, and
who had never read our bible? . But, it will be said, you cannot deny that the Hindus are
polytheists, that they worship idols. But let us look at their own bible, at the Veda, older than
any other book in India. No doubt we find there many names for the divine, many gods, as
we are accustomed to say. But there are also passages in which the oneness of the deity is
clearly asserted.
(The life and letters of Maxmuller, appendix D p.455, London edn.)

The world at large now knows it too well that this scholar extraordinary who masqueraded all
his lifetime from behind the secular mash of philology was more a Christian missionary than
a scholar of the Vedas.

5. Maxmuller as a scholar of Vedas


Maxmuller is considered as one of the foremost scholar of Vedas worldwide. But was his
level of knowledge in Sanskrit and English (both were not his mother tongue) sufficient to
complete this task. He himself has agreed with Swami Dayanand that it is not an easy matter
to interpret the Vedas. The language is different from the classical as well as colloquial
Sanskrit.

Maxmuller himself was aware of his limits so he started making impressions that his
translations were genuine, flawless and correct. When he revised his first edition, he
reaffirmed that he believed that the translators (of the Rig-Veda) ought to be decipherers.(
Ref- sacred books of the east, vol. 12 introduction, p.9) he even confessed his utter failure as
translator by saying no one who knows anything of the Veda would think of attempting a
translation of it at present. A translation of the Rig-Veda is a task for the next century. He
further added not only shall we have to wait till the next century for such a work, but I doubt
whether we shall ever obtain it (Ref- sacred books of the east, vol. 12 introduction, p.9).

Maxmuller was even unaware of Panini grammar who was constantly referred to by Sayana
in his commentary of the rig-Veda .He writes in his autobiography, p.94 that he (boehtling)
could have done the whole work himself, in some respect better than I, because he was my
senior, and besides, he knew Panini, the old Indian grammarian who is constantly referred to
in Sayanas commentary, better than I did). Maxmuller admitted his shortcomings as a
scholar of Vedic Sanskrit as over and over again was I stopped by some short enigmatical
reference to Paninis grammar or Yasakas glossary, which I could not identifyhow often I
was in prefect despair, because there was some allusion in Sayana which I could not make
out, and which no other Sanskrit scholar, not even Bournouf or Wilson could help me to clear
up. It often took me whole days, nay weeks, before I saw light (ref- my autobiography,
p.108-109).

Maxmuller played another plank by saying that the great difficulty in all discussions of this
kind arises from the fact that we have to transfuse though from ancient into modern forms. In
that process some violence is inevitable (ref- lectures of the origin and growth of religion,
p.245, fifth Hibbert lecture)

Its not uneasy to understand that violence was inevitable because all the while Maxmuller
had been pre-resolved to translate the rig from the standpoint of a missionary. And a
Christian missionarys standpoint is, nearly always, only to denounce and denigrate every
other religious faith except his own brand of Christianity.
5. Maxmuller and Swami Dayanand
Great Vedic scholar Swami Dayanand Saraswati in Satyarth Prakash p.278 as the
impression that the Germans are the best Sanskrit scholars, and that no one has read so much
of Sanskrit as Prof Maxmuller, is altogether unfounded exposed Maxmuller. Yes, in a land
where lofty trees never grow, even recinus communis or the castor oil plant may be called as
oak. I came to learn from a letter of a principal of some German university, that even men
learned enough to interpret a Sanskrit letter are rare in Germany. I have also learnt from the
study of Maxmullers history of Sanskrit literature and his comments on some mantras of the
Veda, that prof. Maxmuller has been able to scribble out something by the help of the so-
called tikas or paraphrases of the Vedas current in India Swami Ji was supported in his view
by famous German scholar Schopenhauer that our Sanskrit scholars do not understand their
text much better than the higher class boys their Greek or Latin.

In the context of the commentary/translation of the Vedas by Max Muller, it will be relevant
to point out the opinion of Mr. Boulanger, the editor of Russian edition of The Sacred Books
of the East Series as follows:
What struck me in Maxmullers translation was a lot of absurdities, obscene passages and a
lot of what is not lucid.
As far as I can grab the teaching of the Vedas, it is so sublime that I would look upon it as a
crime on my part, if the Russian public becomes acquainted with it through the medium of a
confused and distorted translation, thus not deriving for its soul that benefit which this
teaching should give to the people.

Swami Dayanand translation of Vedas is based on Yasakas, Nirukta and Panini


Ashtadhyyayi that have been considered and accepted throughout the ages and throughout the
world as indispensable for correct comprehension. He specially elaborated spiritual meaning
of Vedas

Maxmuller with fear of being exposed started attacking swami Dayanand not through the
way as scholar does but like a shrewd clever mind after his death. He write to malabari that
he had wished to warn against two dangers, that of undervaluing or despising the ancient
natural religion, as is done so often by your half-Europeanized youths, and that of
overvaluing it, and interpretating it as it was never meant to be interpreted, of which you may
see a painful instance in Dayanand Saraswatis labors on the Veda. (Ref- the life and letters
of Maxmuller, vol. 2, p.115, newyork edn). He thought Dayanand had interpreted the Veda
ought to have been interpreted. That the interpretation had to be from the standpoint of a
missionary so that the translation would be of help in uprooting Hinduism and in the
conversion of the Hindus to Christianity. He like a coward tried to smear Dayanands name
after his death in these words but he indulged for a time in the use of bhang, hemp, which
put him into a state of reverie from which he found it difficult to rouse himself(ref- chips
from a German workshop, vol.2, p.178). In a postscript Maxmuller added from what has
come to light after Dayanand Saraswatis death, I am afraid that he was not simple-minded
and straightforward on his work as a reformer as I imagined (ref- chips from a German
workshop, vol.2, p.182)

Though Christian missionary backed government of India purposefully to ignore Swami


Dayanand in his times but it did not deter the lion-hearted Dayanand from his mission of
reviving the Vedic dharma.
Its very clear that Maxmuller was a Christian missionary but only in secular garb of a
philologist whose main aim was to denounce the Vedas to clear way for Christian
missionaries. Maxmuller masqueraded all his lifetime from behind the mask of literature and
philology and mortgaged his pen, intellect and scholarship to wreck Hinduism but Swami
Dayanand exposed his cruel plans.

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