Scholarship and Warren Hastings

(Wadia College, Poona)

In spite of all the sins that have been heaped upon him, Warren Hastings remains one of the brilliant English statesmen who built up and consolidated the British Empire in India. But administrative ability was not his only forte. It is true that he enlarged and gave shape and consistency to the English dominion in India; but that which is of greater importance than this to the student of literature is his solid contribution to scholarship and to the development of Anglo-Indian Literature. He gave an impetus to cultural contacts between India and England. During his regime as the head of British Indian administration, Hastings personally encouraged scholars, and did all he could to help them in elucidating and interpreting Indian thought through the ages.

His regime as Governor-General saw the rise of regular Anglo-Indian journalism. The Indian Observer, (modelled on Dr. Johnson's Rambler) Hickey’s Bengal Gazette, and other minor periodicals made their appearance, to the great delectation of the public; In 1789, Hartley House–a novel in three volumes–was published anonymously, in the form of a Journal written by an English lady, resident at Calcutta, for her friends in England. And in this, according to Mr. Robert Sencourt, "we have a definite attempt at an Anglo-Indian book."

That all these happened during Hastings’ time may be deemed quite accidental. In the realm of pure scholarship, how-ever, his direct influence cannot be ignored or even undervalued. The first to receive encouragement and guidance from him was Sir Charles Wilkins, who was for many years in the Company’s Civil Service in Bengal. Of a scholarly bent of mind, Sir Charles pursued his silent studies, undeterred by routine official work. When finally he conceived the idea of translating the Bhagavad Gita into English, he received the hearty support and patronage of Warren Hastings. The work was dedicated to Warren Hastings–" the great encourager of a study of the languages and laws and customs of the natives of India." Hastings, in his turn, contributed a valuable and informative preface. The preface is remarkable for the manner in which Hastings elucidates and evaluates the cultural and moral heritage of India. Keeping in mind that his words are intended mainly for the English reader, he writes:

"….It is not very long since the inhabitants of India were considered by many as creatures scarce elevated above the degree of savage life; nor, I fear, is that prejudice yet wholly eradicated, though surely abated. Every instance which brings their real character home to observation will impress us with a more generous sense of feeling for their writings; and these will survive when the British dominion in India shall have long ceased to exist, and when the forces which it once wielded of wealth and power are lost to remembrance."

What an index these sincere and prophetic words are to the large-heartedness of the writer! And just think what a cultured outlook and catholicity and sympathy one should have had to have written thus over a century and half ago, when the relations between the two countries were not one-fourth as intimate as they are now! Describing the tenets propounded in the Gita as ‘scientific and allegoric,’ Hastings expresses his appraisement of the great book thus:

"Many, passages will be found obscure and many will seem redundant; others will be found clothed with ornaments of fancy, unsuited to our taste, and some elevated to a tract of sublimity into which our habits of judgment will find it difficult to pursue them; but few will shock either our religious faith or moral sentiments….."

What a frank confession of national ‘habits of judgment,’ and what a spirit of toleration! Has not Hastings said what many of his countrymen today cannot and, even if they can, are not prepared to say? And does this not show the good understanding and enlightened outlook engendered in him by learning and culture? In the preface, Hastings also records how he once observed a Brahmin at Benares wrapt in contemplation; and he notes a similarity between the Hindu way of concentration and "the methods of training approved by the most ancient form of Christianity."

Sir Charles Wilkins’ translation, though a pioneer work and good in itself, is not among the best of its kind. Lack of perfect knowledge of Sanskrit, the use of a high-flown Hebraic style, an incorrect mariner of spelling Hindu names–all these detract from the value of the work. But these can be overlooked when taking into consideration the fact that Sir Charles’ desire was only to convey some idea of the Hindu conception of religion and of God, and that foreign scholarship in Sanskrit was then still in its infancy.

Warren Hastings enthused Sir Charles in another sphere of activity also. The Company’s headquarters being in Bengal, it was found useful to systematise the print letter-press in the vernacular. Hastings advised and encouraged Wilkins to undertake the task of putting together the Bengali types. Unafraid of the heavy task, Wilkins applied himself conscientiously to the work. Acting the metallurgist, engraver, founder and printer, he "exhibited his work in a state of perfection which in every part of the world has appeared to require the united improvements of different projectors and the gradual polish of successive ages."

Halhead, a class-fellow of Sheridan the dramatist, came to India to deepen his acquaintance with Hindu Literature, and to study Aryan etymology. Him Hastings inspired to translate the Hindu Laws. Basing his English translation on a Persian version of the Sanskrit original, Halhead brought out the Code of Gentoo Laws (‘Gentoo’ was used in those days as a synonym for ‘Hindu’) in 1776. In doing so, he did not fail to express his gratitude and indebtedness to Warren Hastings. In your (meaning Hastings’) own right," observed Halhead significantly, "the whole result of the execution is yours, as well as the entire merit of the original plan." It was valuable work that Halhead did. It helped to convey to the English rulers the essential unity underlying the surface diversities of the Hindu faith. In the preface, Halhead stresses the need for mutual good understanding and religious toleration between the rulers and the ruled. "The book," remarks a commentator, "was written that justice might be administered impartially according to the tenets of every sect."

In 1778 Halhead brought out his Sanskrit Grammar. It resulted from his astonishment at finding "the similitude of Sanskrit words with those of Persian and Arabic, and even of Latin and Greek, and this not in technical or metaphorical terms but in the main ground-work of the language." In an interesting preface, Halhead declares how, from a survey of internal evidence, he found Hindu thought to be superior to that of the Greeks and the Egyptians.

Another scholar of great repute who received stimulus from Warren Hastings was Sir William Jones. Born in 1746, Jones had his early education at Harrow and Oxford. While still a collegian he learnt Arabic and Hebrew. He pursued his linguistic studies further, and by the time he came to India in 1783 as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Fort William, he was reputed as a linguist. English, Latin, Greek, French, Italian, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Arabic, Hebrew, Persian and Turkish–in all these he was proficient. Contact with India turned his attention to Sanskrit, and he mastered the language and its literature in such a short time and to such an extent as soon to deserve the Presidentship of the Asiatic Society. The relations between Jones and Hastings were those of cultural camaraderie, and Jones was benefited in no small measure thereby. Four years after the departure of Hastings from India, Jones published (1789) the first volume of Asiatic Researches and his monumental translation of Sakuntala. Besides these, he produced many poems on Indian themes. His hymns to Indian deities like Lakshmi, Saraswati, and Indra, are either translations or adaptations from Sanskrit originals. In all these, as well as in his translation of Kalidasa’s drama, Sir William succeeded in retaining the Indian spirit and in making it agreeable to European taste.

Jones entered other fields of work also. Taking the hint from Halhead’s studies and researches, he opened fresh avenues in comparative philology. He also yearned to become the ‘Justinian of India’ by carrying further Halhead’s studies in Hindu Law.

Jones’ reputation as a scholar spread more widely than that of Wilkins or Halhead, and entered European thought in a tangible manner. He was regarded as a pioneer of Oriental Studies, and was hailed as India’s cultural ambassador. John Marshall, Alexander Knox, Alexander Dow, Halhead and Sir Charles Wilkins were earlier than Jones in the field, but to him goes the credit of having strengthened the cultural contacts between India and England in a greater and more substantial manner than anyone of his predecessors.

Yet another scholar of Oriental Studies who received great impetus and much help from Warren Hastings was Charles Hamilton. After seventeen years of devoted application, he brought out Hedaya, dedicating it to his great inspirer, Warren Hastings. Hedaya–the English translation from the Persian version of the Arabic original–was a commentary on Muhammadan Law. Written in scholarly fashion, it attempted an interpretation of the laws of the Muslims, and proved to be a happy complement to Halhead’s Code of Gentoo Laws. Hamilton presented a copy of Hedaya to his English friend. Henry Dundas, who in his turn gave it to Edmund Burke. After going through the work carefully, Burke wrote on the fly-leaf of the copy: "There is great power of mind and a very subtle jurisprudence shown in this work….." There can be no doubt that Burke must have taken some advantage of this useful work in preparing his attack against Hastings. What an irony that the work prepared under the inspiration and guidance of Hastings should have been made use of against him!

Charles Hamilton is also the author of another work of documentary interest. ‘Historical Relation of the Origin, Progress and Final Dissolution of the Government of the Rohilla Afghans in the Northern Provinces of Hindustan’ is the cumbersome title of a historical sketch of the Rohillas against whom Hastings waged war. That, as students of Indian history know, later on became the topic for endless criticism.

It may also be noted here that to Warren Hastings goes the distinction of having established in 1774 the Calcutta Madrassah where Persian and Arabic were taught. Hastings’ idea in founding this institution was to educate and train young Indians to be of help to the English judges in the administration of justice. In the wake of the Calcutta Madrassah, several other educational institutions came into existence, and helped the spread of knowledge among the inhabitants of India.

Thus we see that journalism, education and Oriental Studies received a strong fillip from Warren Hastings during his regime as Governor-General. It is really surprising to know how Hastings, whom the Company specifically instructed in 1772 "to make a strict enquiry into all the misdeeds of the Company’s servants of every grade, to punish proved offenders according to their deserts, to sweep away the monopolies that were killing the internal trade, to devise cheaper and surer methods of collecting the revenue, to reorganise the Nawab’s household, and to bring to account the chief native officers of Bengal and Bihar," could keep alive his interest in literary pursuits and find time to advise and encourage scholars, to write prefaces and to accept dedications. It only goes to prove that Hastings was essentially a man of culture, in whom love of learning was inherent and irrepressible.

It was his love of literary friendships that kept Hastings in touch with Dr. Samuel Johnson. Hastings and Dr. Johnson were in correspondence with each other, mostly on matters of cultural interest. Dr. Johnson held Hastings in high esteem, and Hastings’ regard for the great Doctor can be gathered from the fact that he wrote one of his letters to him within a few days of the sensational execution of Nand Kumar! Hastings’ letters, we are authoritatively informed, were always "full of the interests of a scholar." Dr. Johnson’s letters to Hastings contain his opinions about India and her people. There is reason to believe that the esteemed Doctor thought of India with warmth, and regarded Indians with something amounting to respect: He who had ever so many prejudices had none with regard to our country! His unstinted praise for our native talent can be gleaned from this sentence in one of his letters to Hastings: "Of the natural productions, animate and inanimate, we yet have so little intelligence that our books are filled, I fear, with conjectures about things which an Indian peasant knows by his senses." This, indeed, is high praise. If we compare this compliment with the ideas expressed by Hastings in his preface to Sir Charles Wilkins’ translation of the Gita, we will not fail to be impressed by the identical opinion the two great men had about the intellectual acumen of Indians. It is also interesting to know that Dr. Johnson, like Hastings, realised the importance of Oriental Studies. "You, Sir," he wrote to Hastings in a letter, "have no need to be told by me how much may be added by your attention and patronage to experimental knowledge and natural history. There are arts of manufacture, practised in the countries in which you preside, which are yet imperfectly known here either to artificers or philosophers." And Dr. Johnson paid the highest compliment to the intellectual gifts of Hastings when he wrote: "It is a new thing for a Governor of Bengal to patronise learning." Both while in England and away from it, Hastings did much to awaken among English scholars "that interest in Oriental learning which sprinkled its glittering dust over the high colours of the Romantic Revival in England and Germany."