Indian Themes Research Articles

Contribution of Indian English Poets towards Indian Freedom Movement

The idea of independence has always captivated the minds of the poets. Poets all around the world have always supported the cause of freedom of different countries. They have even served in wars for the same purpose. English Romantic poets were inspired by the French Revolution. There were war poets who served in the world wars and filled the hearts of people with patriotism. Some fought for the liberation of Greece and Spain. India had also been colonized by the Britishers for over a century. Freedom for India was brought about by the supreme sacrifice of many brave souls. The contribution of poets was no less as they ignited the souls of the people through their fierce words. Many poets have dedicated poems to their mother land which in turn reminded people of their glorious past. Prominent pre-independence poet Henry Derozio pines for the country to return to its pristine glory. Poets like Toru Dutt have written on Indian themes. Sarojini Naidu, through her poems, has shown her hatred for all forms of tyranny and shows the wish of rejuvenation of her motherland. This paper is a humble attempt to show the contribution of different Indian English poets towards the Indian freedom struggle.

Sexual Anarchy Versus Sexual Tranquility- An Insight in the Select Works of Kamala Das

Anglo-Indian Literature is written by Englishmen who are interested in Indian themes and subjects. Indo-Anglian literature and Indian English literature are closely related. Indo-Anglian literature frequently addresses social and domestic themes. It's an English-language genre created by Indian writers. There is a distinction between Indo-Anglian and Anglo-Indian literature. A few contemporary genius authors, like Mulk Raj Anand, R. K. Narayan, Kamala Das, Raja Rao, and Nirad Chaudhuri, are accountable for giving Indo-Anglian literature its specific label, standing, and renown even if it is separate from Anglo-Indian literature. It has been acknowledged that Kamala Das was a pivotal person and voice of her contemporary era. She distinguished and emphasized the Indian identity, setting an example for others to follow rather than copying the techniques of the English modernists. Her poetry is impassioned, energizing, and breaks from the past. Acclaimed for being the most candid and controversial writer, she rose to prominence as the "Voice of Women's Sexuality." Before converting to Islam, she wrote in English under the pen name Kamala Das and published in Malayalam under the pseudonym Madhavikutty. Her bad sexual relationship with her husband, Madhava Das, has been openly discussed, and it is mostly to blame for her notoriety in Kerala.

Representation of Indian Culture and Beliefs in the Poem, The Night of The Scorpion

Nissim Ezekiel is a poet of post-independent era. He occupies a substantial place in Indian Literature. Ezekiel always refers to Indian cultural beliefs and superstitions in his poetry. Through his poetry he throws light upon the popular beliefs revolving around common people of India. The concepts include ‘Karma’, which is about the deeds and results of previous life and after life. He not only represents Indian culture, but also comments and satirizes on the positive aspects of Indian culture and its distinct features. The poem, “The Night of the Scorpion” was the poem written by Nissim Ezekiel. It was first published in Nissim Ezekiel’s anthology entitled ‘The Exact Name (1965). This is a poem situated in an Indian rural background that focuses on the Indian agricultural family beliefs. Before independence, the rural Indian culture was an obvious contrast to the emerging urban culture. Ezekiel as a modern Indian poet thoroughly used the modern Indian themes and styles in his poetry. His usage of poetic techniques and diction are fairly simple and easy for the readers. The chief objective of the present paper is to focus on Nissim Ezekiel’s representation of Indian culture and beliefs in the poem ‘The Night of The Scorpion’.

Architecture of Books on Indian Topics by Mykola Pshinka

The purpose of the research: analysis of the architecture of Mykola Pshinka’s Indi- an-themed books as a harmonious unity of ar- tistic-graphic and structural-compositional ele- ments, the role of stylization tools in the design of children’s publications to achieve synergy of the text and the illustrative series (collections "Feather of the Pink Chakva", "Indian Folk Tales", "Myths of Ancient India"). Research methods: systematization of scientific sources, inter- views, empirical observations and their descrip- tion, artistic analysis, synthesis and generaliza- tion of the obtained results. The results of the research: the peculiarities of the architecture of M. Pshinka’s editions of Indian themes and the artistic interpretation of the ancient Indian epic as a synthesis of the features of the indi- vidual author’s style of the Ukrainian artist and the elements of Indian national color used by him are considered. Emphasis is placed on the importance of visual communication, achiev- ing empathy with the young reader, who is the most important participant in the creative pro- cess, conveying not only the ideological, but also the emotional content of the book through illustrative and constructive means. A compar- ative characterization of the means of artistic expression in the illustration and design-layout of books for readers of different ages was car- ried out: taking into account the psychological features of the perception of visual images by children and the criteria of the quality of the publication: ideological, aesthetic, socio-psy- chological, ergonomic qualities. Scientific nov- elty: books on Indian subjects by M. Pshinka as a syncretic artistic phenomenon, characterized by integral architecture, a synthesis of texts, il- lustrations, decorative elements, design-layout are for the first time comprehensively and multi- facetedly considered. On the basis of a compar- ative analysis of the artistic design of the books "Indian Folk Tales" and "Myths of Ancient India", the features of the design of publications for children of different ages, junior and senior high school, were commented.

‘In the Beginning’: Three Catholic Insights into Hinduism: Vasco Da Gama, Saint Francis Xavier and Roberto De Nobili

Before the landing of Vasco Da Gama and his seamen, India did not remain an isolated world: during the 4th century B.C., Alexander the Great reached the Indus. During the Middle Ages, Indian themes enjoyed a remarkable expansion in the West. In the mind of the Portuguese discoverers, the concept of an eastern Christianity created by Saint Thomas the Apostle was a deciding factor. Elsewhere, the Moslem abrahamised Hinduism: this was another source of confusion. The apostle of India, Saint Francis Xavier (1506-1552) belonged to the pre-Tridentine period: therefore, he demonised Hinduism. His meetings with the Brahmans were rather confrontational. But, with Roberto de Nobili (1577-1658) the Christian mission took an alternative path. We must take into account the struggle for indianising Christianity, conceived by Father De Nobili. Unfortunately, this enterprise evaded the key-problem of Hindu esotericism and metaphysical monism.

Finding the Voice of Indian Urbanity – Through the Selected Texts of Girish Karnad and Mahesh Dattani

In the present paper, I have endeavored to review the development of Indian English theatre since 20th century to emphasize the common themes and dilemmas that the Indian playwrights writing in English had to deal with special reference to the process of assimilation of Indian themes with the Western genre. The focus is upon analyzing the text from a post-colonial perspective. The aim is to show the manifestation of hybrid cultures in the urban areas as have been successfully represented by the Indian dramas by Girish Karnad and Mahesh Dattani.

Nicholas Roerich’s Himalayas as the ‘Treasury of Spirit’

Nicholas Roerich, as a historian and archeologist, explores the roots and origins of Russian culture, and that quest brings him to India. In 1900s in his art and writings he is increasingly drawn to Indian themes and subjects. The first Indian themes in Roerich’s art were, perhaps, the two illustrations to his own philosophical fairy tale narrating the story of a woman called Devassari Abuntu who professed Buddhism and lived in the company of birds and spoke their language. Meanwhile, Roerich’s interest in India deepens. He proposes to have an ancient Indian temple transported to St. Petersburg and becomes a member of the committee set up in 1909 to supervise the building of the first ever Buddhist temple in the same city, incidentally the first Buddhist temple to be ever built in Europe.

Contribution of the British To Develop Indian English Literature

Development of Indian English Literature in India gathered momentum with the consolidation of British imperialism in India. As we know the British sow the seed of Indian Writing in English during the period of the British rule in India. English language and literature in India starts with the advent of East India Company in India. It all started in the summers of 1608 when Emperor Jahangir, in the courts of Mughals, welcomed Captain William Hawkins, Commander of British Naval Expedition Hector. It was India's first tryst with an Englishman and English. Jahangir later allowed Britain to open a permanent port and factory on the special request of King James IV that was conveyed by his ambassador Sir Thomas Roe. English were here to stay. Indian writings in English were heavily influenced by the Western art form of the novel. It was typical for the early Indian English language writers to use English unadulterated by Indian words to convey experiences that were primarily Indian. The core reason behind this step was the fact that most of the readers were either British or British educated Indians. In the early 20th century, when the British conquest of India was achieved, a new breed of writers started to emerge on the block. These writers were essentially British who were born or brought up or both in India. Their writing consisted of Indian themes and sentiments but the way of storytelling was primarily western. They had no reservation in using native words, though, to signify the context. This group consisted likes of Rudyard Kipling, Jim Corbett, and George Orwell among others. In fact, some of the writings of that era are still considered to be masterpieces of English Literature. KEYWORDS: Contribution of British, Development, British works & strategy, English Literature.

The Spirituala Poems of Mahanand Sharma

Indian English Poetry is rich in Indian themes and symbols. Although the poets have drawn poetic elements from the Indian soil, theme of spirituality is still left untouched by the IWE. Mahanand Sharma’s poetry is the poetry of spiritual taste. As a poet of Modern Indian English sensibility, he has captured the diverse themes of Indian spirituality and mythology. His collection titled A Rudraksha Rosary and Other Poems is an interesting story of Lord Shiva written in Miltonic blank verse. However, the poet has employed the eighteenth-century diction, he has remained novel in his tackling of themes and myths of Lord Shiva. In a comprehensive manner, he uncovers the valour and exploits of Lord Shiva and provides the spiritual light to the people groping in dark of materialism. This paper is a modest attempt to unravel the spiritual strains in the poetry of Mahanand Sharma.

Indian Culture and Music as a Source of Inspiration for French Opera Composers

"The current paper strives to discover and reveal the influences of Indian culture and classical Indian music in French operas. At first, the evocation of India was obtained through the subjects of the operas and stunning scenic designs, fulfilling the requirements of exoticism. Gradually, the composers attempted to include in their musical discourses exotic rhythmic and melodic elements, in some instances inspired by Indian classical music, thus aiming to evoke a genuine image of India. At the same time, the use of elements pertaining to Indian music (rāgas, rhythmic patterns, timbres) offered the musicians the possibility to create novel sound discourses. The analysis focuses on several operas, composed between the eighteenth century and the beginning of the twentieth century, following the evolution of Indian representations in several dimensions: dramatic (libretto), visual (scenic representations, dance), and musical (melody, rhythm, timbre). The present paper investigates the way Indian themes influenced the conception of the libretto, and at the same time the visual dimension of the works (setting, costumes), observing how these visual elements were gradually absorbed into the musical discourse (analysis of the melodic structures), through the incorporation of Indian rāgas in works conceived according to the rules of Western music composition. Keywords: exoticism, orientalism, India, French opera, rāga "

Troops and Tribes: Masculinity, Playing Indian, and the Social Politics of Ernest Thompson Seton's Expulsion from the Boy Scouts of America

Troops and Tribes: Masculinity, Playing Indian, and the Social Politics of Ernest Thompson Seton's Expulsion from the Boy Scouts of America

Концепция романтического героя в скульптуре Аргентины 20–40-х гг. ХХ в.

The interest in the history and culture of Argentina in the Russian Federation today has a special character. It is believed that the presence of a huge number of immigrants from Europe, including from Russia, distinguishes Argentina culturally from other countries of the New World, makes its culture more understandable. There is a perception that this is the most Europeanized country in South America. To a large extent, this ideologeme is the result of foreign policy pursued by Argentina itself. At the same time, the process of the formation of national identity in here was complicated and did not end until the 40s of the 20th century. The relevance of the study is to reveal the inconsistency of this process on the material of sculpture as a document of the era, to show the rejection by masters from a remote region of the country, the province of Chaco, the prevailing ideas about the barbarity and savagery of the Indians and Gauchos, the original population of this province and part of other territories of the state. The novelty lies in the comparative comparison of the positions of the academic art history of Argentina and academic art in the understanding of Indian themes and in how it was interpreted by regional masters – K. Dominguez (died in 1969), C. Schenone (1907–1963), J. de la Mena (1897–1954), as well as in the art history analysis of significant works of the considered problematic and the romantic tendencies manifested in them. It is advisable to correlate the process of “Europeanization” of Indians, bloody and long-term hostilities in order to expel the gaucho and Indians from their ancestral lands with the understanding of who was the true hero of history in the creations of their descendants. The works of the sculptors Chaco, romantic in spirit, are related to the great J. Hernandez’s poem “Martin Fierro”. Today they are kept not only in the capital of Chaco, Resistencia, but also in museums in Buenos Aires and foreign collections

ДИАЛЕКТИКА ВРЕМЕНИ В «ИНДИЙСКОМ ТВОРЧЕСТВЕ» РОБЕРТА РОЖДЕСТВЕНСКОГО

The article analyses “Indian” motives in Robert Rozhdestvensky’s creative work and considers his philosophy of time, which manifested itself in this aspect of his poetry. Analysing the poet’s creative work the authors identify the stages of his interest in India and its culture and conclude that the “Indian theme” runs through all his works. The specificity of Rozhdestvensky’s philosophical and dialectic conception of time is associated with “woman” image. The paper concludes on the necessity for further study of R. Rozhdestvensky’s poetical heritage.

Re-imagining Nature and American Indian Identity in Film

Whether in terms of aesthetics, production, or consumption, llm is a preeminent art form of modernity. American Indian and other Indigenous peoples have played a pivotal role in its development. In US llms with American Indian themes, the constellation of nature and religion is saturated with political meaning: white settlers delne their identity through the conquest of a presumably untamed and sparsely populated wilderness paradise, whereas Indigenous efforts aim at portraying nature as rightful homeland and the site of contested colonial invasion. New llms about the era of boarding schools accentuate the clash of culture and religion and the portrayal of nature as a zone of historical encounter.

Thuggee and Sati Revisited

Films on Indian themes made by western filmmakers have often been ridden with stereotypes and clichés. The wave of Raj films that came out of British and American production companies in the years since India‟s independence have largely been nostalgia-driven, and they almost invariably end up exoticising the region. However, with regard to films made by the nonHollywood film company named Merchant-Ivory Productions, audiences had come to expect more sophisticated and nuanced treatments of themes drawn from Indian history. This paper examines one of their films, The Deceivers, which deals with the twin themes of Thuggee and Sati. The discussion of the film is set against the broader context of the literature and cinema spawned by Western interest in the Raj era. While it is certainly more aesthetically sophisticated than the Hollywood type of Raj films, The Deceivers nevertheless falls short of engaging with the complexities of 19th century India in any meaningful way and is especially blind to the tendency of colonial propaganda to criminalise entire ethnic groups. Such attempts at cross-cultural representation are nevertheless valuable from a pedagogic point of view in the specific context of postcolonial approaches in the humanities classrooms in our colleges.
 Keywords: Colonial, Empire, Gender, Sati, Stereotypes, Thuggee

Kobiecość przekształcona. Indyzacja i europeizacja kobiety w strefach kontaktu na przykładzie malarstwa miniaturowego XVI–XIX w.

The subject of the article is an analysis of how images of European women were adapted in Indian miniature painting created under the patronage of Muslim and Hindu rulers during the period from the 16th to the 19th century. The term contact zone was used to identify areas where two cultures – in this case, Indian and European – met and the interactions between them. This would seem relevant for a analysis of these complex multicultural relations and this article will focus on two issues – art and gender. The analysed works bring together some fundamental issues – they were created for a local recipient, not the coloniser. Therefore, they reveal the reactions of a local artist created for a local patron. By analysing the representations of European women, or those modelled on them, one may observe the following process of their assimilation into an Indian form: familiarsing themselves with a foreign femininity and technique by copying and then adapting it to an Indian theme and then the Indianisation of European women and the creation on this basis of a new type of Indian woman Images of European women also affected how Indian women were portrayed. So this contact had two main dimensions – European ladies were subjected to Indianisation, while the Indians underwent a kind of Europeanisation.

Examining the possibility of achieving inclusive growth in India through corporate social responsibility

The paper attempts to evaluate whether corporate social responsibility (CSR) can contribute towards achievement of inclusive growth in India. Using content analysis of annual reports belonging to 42 non-financial companies across 8 years (2004–2011), the study identifies company disclosures under areas that fall within the purview of both inclusive growth, as conceptualised by the Indian government and themes of CSR subject indices mentioned in corporate social disclosure literature. The study is unique in its attempt to address the relation between CSR and inclusiveness through a longitudinal analysis of 322 annual reports, in a timeframe when governmental intervention regarding CSR was negligible and the disclosures were primarily voluntary. The findings revealed that company CSR efforts are in congruence with some requirements for inclusive growth, like CSR activities in areas such as health, education, infrastructure, environment and energy and can contribute to the welfare of special interest groups such as women, children and backward sections. Apart from contributing to CSR literature in India, the paper will be of interest to corporations, government and other stakeholders of the CSR process.

John Milton Oskison and Assimilation

John Milton Oskison and Assimilation Lionel Larré (bio) John Milton Oskison (1874-1947) was a Cherokee writer, journalist, and activist and the author of novels and biographies as well as numerous short stories, essays, and articles about a great variety of subjects. Oskison thought of himself as "an interpreter to the world, of the modern, progressive Indian."1 He was interested in new representations. In his own words, this is how and why he wanted to represent the Indian: A new series of Indian portraits is needed. The "noble red man" of Fenimore Cooper and of Catlin, the fierce figure in war-paint and feathers, lost his romantic interest when he was confined to a reservation and fed on rations. He became of no more interest than any other stall-fed creature. Admiration of the untamed savage gave way to contempt for the dirty beggar in the streets and under the car windows. . . . Now the stall-fed reservation dweller has been supplanted in turn by the new man, Indian only in blood and traditions, who is stepping up to take his place in the life of the West.2 The kind of representation Oskison gave of the Indians-the "new Indians" stepping up to take their places in the social and economic life of the West-earned him the label of assimilationist.3 However, Gretchen Ronnow warned against such simplistic interpretations of Oskison's work: American Indian authors, Oskison included, writing during these years are often credited by critics with (or accused by them of) being assimilationists who proposed the idea that the "Indian [End Page 3] problem" would disappear according to the natural laws of "social evolution." A naïve reading of Oskison's articles on Indian topics would seem to justify aligning him with assimilationism, but a closer look at his rhetorical technique raises strong doubts.4 Other scholars have argued that Oskison did not write, or wrote very little, about Indians. This idea probably comforted the proponents of the assimilationist interpretation. Among other scholars, Paula Gunn Allen claimed that Oskison's three first novels had "little or nothing to say about Indian life." Yet she conceded in the same paragraph that although "Oskison's three novels do not treat identifiably Indian themes . . . they are each set in Indian Territory and include Indians as minor characters" before adding that in Brothers Three "Indians (breeds like himself) appear as major characters and the futile struggle to function in the white world is that book's major theme."5 Commenting on Allen's understanding of Oskison's texts, Craig Womack wrote that they "do not present the kind of Indians she is looking for."6 I would argue that his statement also applies to the other scholars with the same interpretation.7 Besides the fact that such comments are founded on a superficial knowledge of Oskison's work, it seems that they are also trapped in what Maureen Konkle calls "the assimilate-or-become-extinct narrative" and what Robert Allen Warrior calls "parochial questions of identity and authenticity."8 In Writing Indian Nations, Konkle aptly demonstrates how "early" Native American writers were reified by modern literary criticism in a struggle to preserve their culture when, in fact, they were pursuing an ongoing political struggle. Although Konkle focuses on a period that ended eleven years before Oskison's birth, I believe that Oskison-along with contemporary Native intellectuals such as Eastman, Zitkala-Ša, Arthur Parker, and Carlos Montezuma, to name but a few prominent ones-belongs to this "early" group of writers whose reputation has somehow suffered from the prevalence of that binary and simplistic narrative. The very term "early"-which I used between quote marks better to deconstruct it now-is a manifestation of this reification. Indian writers are generally referred to as "early" if they wrote before what came to be known as the American Indian Renaissance, the beginning of which is usually marked by the 1969 Pulitzer Prize awarded to N. Scott Momaday for House Made of Dawn. For a long time, these "early" intellectuals were hardly considered worthy of close attention. [End Page 4] Oskison is a case in point. If scholars have not paid much attention...

Kate Flint, The Transatlantic Indian, 1776–1930The Transatlantic Indian, 1776–1930. Kate Flint. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009. Pp. xv+376.

<i>Kate Flint</i>, The Transatlantic Indian, 1776–1930<i>The Transatlantic Indian, 1776–1930</i>. Kate Flint. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2009. Pp. xv+376.

The graphic novel in India: East transforms West

Dipavali Debroy outlines the debut of comics and graphic novels in India. In the process we see how East and West converge as graphic novels have transformed to a truly Indian product. She notes too that when publishers abroad create graphic novels with Indian themes, these novels may lack authenticity and accurate details. She calls for graphic novels infused with Indian themes and innovative Indian art styles.