Reviews

[We shall be glad to review books in all Indian languages and in English, French and German. Books for Review should reach the office at least SIX WEEKS in advance of the day of publication of the Journal.]

The Political Phillosophies since 1905–By Prof. Benoy Kumar Sarkar, with a foreword by Major B.D. Basu, I. M. S. (Retired)–Published by Messrs. B. G. Paul &Co., Madras. (Price Rs. 4)

This book achieves more than what can be done by such books as "What to Read" published by the Fabian Society, and "History and Historians" of Dr. Gooch and the "Chronological History" of Hassel, in that it gives in outline, in addition to a chronological catalogue of books and events, an idea of the special contents of the books mentioned and the particular interest stimulated by such books. Mr. Sarkar has tried not only to give an excellent list of books, but also to provide us with a chronological list of important events such as the Reform Acts. Poor Law Acts of England, the establishment of French and German Republics, the abolition of slavery and the organising of Internationals, besides tracing the tendencies of political philosophies since the beginning of the modern period i.e., 1776. Therefore, one can unhesitatingly say that the students of our Universities, as well as others interested in social sciences, will find it an excellent guide both for reference and for advanced studies.

In Chapter II, Mr. Sarkar presents an outline of the world thought upon such problems as sovereignty, economic welfare and international relations. He takes particular care to notice every important change of financial policy adopted by different European Governments. Special mention is made in this Chapter about the thought of Ricardo, Kant, Hegel, Savigny, Mazzini, Calhoun, Bakunin, List, Proudhon, Karl Marx, Spencer and Carlyle. But it is unfortunate that Mr. Sarkar should have decided to treat such thinkers as Adam Smith, Malthus and Mill with such scant notice.

In Chapter III, he brings us up to 1905 and gives us a fairly satisfactory idea of the thought of Treitschke, Gierke, Tolstoy, Leroy-Beaulieu, J. A. Hobson, Sorel, Max Muller, Green, and Tagore among many others. A brief account of the political parties in Japan and the Indian National Congress is also given.

In Chapter IV, the contemporary political philosophy is shown in all its aspects, although too much importance is given to its economic aspect. Duguit, Zaghlul Pasha, Laski, Mussolini, Hobhouse, Wilson, Oppenheimer, Lenin, Russell, Sun Yat Sen, Hobson, Seligman, Marshall, Cole, Taussig, Angell, Bryce, Nitti, are some of the important thinkers presented in this chapter. The political events of modern India, China, Egypt, Turkey, Afghanistan and Fascist Italy are presented so well as to remind one of some parts of the Daily Mail year book. One feels however that Mr. Sarkar has not done due justice to the vast and growing literature contributed by indigenous thinkers upon the economic, social and political questions of India, China and Egypt. One should take Mr. Sarkar very cautiously, because he is a man with very strong views which sometimes get the better of him as a scholar and researcher. One should not run away with the impression that because Mr. Sarkar dismisses a thinker with a few words, that unlucky thinker is unimportant or dull. For instance, Mr. Sarkar treats Mahatma Gandhi and Marshall to a few lines, while Ferraro, the comparatively very unimportant Italian is given much prominence.

He has also omitted to mention the thought of Godwin and Shelley, Barnett and Booth, Regnano, Selvemini, Serrati, Acton and Gooch, Herbert Fisher and Lord Hugh Cecil, Gilbert Murray and Lord Robert Cecil, and the work of the co-operative movement in Japan and Ireland, the Christian Missions in the Orient and the Social Reformers in India, China and Japan.

I think Mr. Sarkar makes his first chapter unnecessarily clumsy and confusing, and the merit of this book will certainly be enhanced if he makes it more attractive and easy reading.

The last chapter on the ‘Isms of today’ should have come as the second chapter. In fact it is the key-chapter for this excellent book, and I advise readers to go to the earlier chapters after looking through this fairly well-written chapter. A student of history or politics finds much that interests him in this chapter. For instance, the ‘origins of the eight Isms,’ ‘Anarchism vs Bolshevism,’ ‘Guild Socialism vs Syndicalism,’ ‘four varieties of Pluralism.’ ‘Monism, Internationalism and Neo-Nationalism,’ ‘Sovereignty’ are some of the subjects which are presented in their barest outlines.

One very important and welcome feature of this book is that, in it, is presented for the first time the thought of the thinkers of France, Germany and Italy. The Indian student who is starved today for facts concerning the different ‘Isms’ and the political events of Italy and Germany, China and Japan, is sure to find this book a great help. Not the least attractive feature about this useful book is its very moderate price.

N. G. RANGA B.LITT., (Oxon)

KANNADA

Nannadu i Kannada-Nadu: - A National Anthology edited by D.R. Bendre, B.A. and published by S.B. Joshi, ‘Geleyara Gumpu.’ Dharwar. Crown Oct. pp. 52, Price As. 4.

The Kannada-Nadu is verily in the throes of a re-birth today: the surest sign of which is the solicitude of her children to meet together in the cause of the mother-tongue after a long hypnotic slumber. Will not this happy meeting need a sunny book of songs to peep into and recall loving memories of the past, when the Kannadigas were culturally all one? In view of this reunion, therefore. we welcome this present anthology, which we hope would serve as a national anthem allover the Kannada country.

The book contains songs and poems, composed by poets old and new, singing the greatness and glory of Karnataka both severally and collectively. The salient features of the several parts of Karnataka such as Mysore, Kodagu, Tulu and Belawala are embodied mostly in the modern poems which poets of those very parts have written; the reason being that the cry for individual growth as leading to political unification is necessarily modern, although as the editor points out in his forword, "The consciousness of a whole Kannada country was not unknown in the past: Nripatunga, the Rashtrakuta King and poet of Manyakheta (the modern Malkheda in Nizam Karnataka) who ruled in the 9th century, speaks proudly of the ‘Kannada Land that spreads from the Godavari to the Kaveri’. The 13th century poet: Andayya of Banavasenadu (the modern North and South Kanara districts) sings with delight the song of ‘the land called Kannada’ And Chikupadhyaya of Mysore in the 17th century describes in detail the glory of ‘the land of Kannada’. The idea of the distribution of provinces on a linguistic basis was there in the minds of the people in the past. The same idea has now ripened in the modern times."

The prefatory poem of the editor himself who is one of the great modern poets in Karnataka, which is entitled, "The lullaby of the Kannada baby" imagines how Bharatamata is inducing to sleep her darling, the Kannada Nadu lying between the Eastern and Western ghats, which has done splendid service to Mother India in the past. The great Mother promises to set up a cradle in the skies for her baby in days to come. May we add that her old, old promise has been fulfilled today by the grant of a separate provincial unit made by the Congress and approved of by the All-Parties Convention? Round this cradle, we fancy that the poets of the past and the present have assembled to utter with pride and joy "This is mine, my own Kannada Nadu." The songs of this chorus have seen the light in the anthology before us. All the songs and poems are of good literary and artistic value.

The get-up of the book is perhaps the best that could be got out of a mediocre press, but we would suggest to the publisher to illustrate the book adequately. We earnestly hope that the alluring title of the book will arrest the attention of all Kannadigas.

R.S.M.