Indology and Ethnomusicology-Contours of the Indo-British Relationship

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The British impact on India was responsible during the early years for a strong interest in Indian languages, history, religion, geography, etc. The British workers on and in India supported emergence of Indology, and in the process they moved away from the prevailing Orientalism. According to the author, the Indological vision required a correction which was offered by studies into the Indian performing arts, especially music- to allow the aliens a true insight into Indian culture. Contributions to Indian cultural musicology (as ethnomusicology can be preferably called) of major figures such as William Jones, Capt. Willard and others are discussed to provide a fresh perspective to the thinking on Indo-British cultural relationship.

This monograph will be useful to students of Indian culture, Indo-British history, Orientalism and related disciplines.

Sangeetacharya Ashok Da. Ranade (1937- 2011) was internationally renowned vocalist (Hindustani Classical), composer, musicologist, enthnomusicologist, voice- culturist and a teacher with degrees in liteature, law and music. He was the author of a number of authoritative books on Hindustani music and enthnomusicology.

There has been considerable interest today in India and abroad to examine India as it was in the nineteenth century. Such examination is expected to provide insight into the mak- ing of modern India. A look at the forces operating in India during the period under study inevitably leads to the exciting pioneering work of the early British Indolo- gists-a people who differed much from those described as Orientalists! It is rarely realised that the British ethnomusicologists-cultural musicologists as I prefer to call them-represent an intensive attempt to reach the deeper levels of the Indian mind. The Indologist's endeavour would have remained incomplete without the reinforcement received from the cultural musicolo- gists. Their combined vision of India also traces con- tours of the early Indo-British relationship.

The present statement may help in creating a proper perspective for further and more detailed studies. This statement is based on the two talks I delivered for the Department of Sanskrit, University of Bombay in the Dr H.R. Karnik Memorial Series (August, 1990). I am grate- ful to Mrs Valerie D'Silva and Miss Shrimathi Madiman for preparing the manuscript and the index respectively.