3. Psychological invasion and a dilemma
Colonialism was more a psychological invasion than a physical one. A few thousand British could not rule millions of Indians for about 200 years with mere physical prowess. An inferiority complex had to be inculcated in the minds of the colonized to subjugate their minds. Colonialism was an interplay of masculinities. A propaganda was launched to impress on Indians that they were weak, effeminate and unfit to rule themselves. One influential leader of the Indian National Congress, Lala Lajpat Rai (1865–1928) rightly observed that political, physical and economic emasculation was the key to British rule in India.[3] Imperialist historians like James Mill and Vincent A. Smith, and journalists like Katherine Mayo acted as agents of this propaganda. Indians took pride in their religions. But James Mill (1773–1836), author of The History of British India, unjustly criticized Hindu religion. He called Indians ‘rude’ and ‘uncivilized’. He also ridiculed the gentleness of manners of Indians. He wrote, ‘In truth, the Hindu, like the Eunuch, excels in the qualities of a slave.’[4]
Allen Greenberger in his famous book The British Image of India points out that the image of effeminate Indians, especially effeminate Hindu, and masculine British was created in the fictional works of that time. It had its effect not only in England but also in India. The British went to India with this prejudice, which was one of the major reasons for the lack of understanding between the British and Indians.[5] This led to the development of British hegemonic masculinity and subordinated Indian masculinity.
The hegemony of the model of muscular Christianity was established. It posed a serious challenge in front of the elites in Hindu society who resided in towns and cities and had been defining Hinduism for generations. But Indians living in villages and the socio-religious life of rural area did not face the direct onslaught of muscular Christianity. The elite class of Indians living in towns and cities responded to the challenge through revivalist and reformist approaches. The revivalist religious reform movements, such as Arya Samaj, incorporated many traits of Christian missionaries and aggressively criticized Christianity along with other religions and even different cults within Hinduism. It appeared more like a missionary version of Hinduism. Swami Vivekananda also tried to transform Hinduism into muscular Hinduism on the model of muscular Christianity. He held physical weakness responsible for the miseries of India and asked Indian men to build ‘muscles of iron and nerves of steel’ and then turn to religion. He even advised men to follow a non-vegetarian diet to build physical strength. The Western impact was quite visible in the outlook of reformist socio-religious movements also. These movements originated in urban areas and did not have much influence on rural areas. Revivalists or reformists could not capture the imagination of the rural population because none of them had evolved from indigenous traditions and appeared to them as alien as Christianity. Gandhi’s religious ideas developed in this context.
[iii]Lajpat Rai, Young India, 4th reprint, Lahore: Servants of the People Society, 1927, p. 46.
[iv]James Mill, History of British India, vol. 2, London: Baldwin, Cradock & Joy, 1826, p. 457 (emphasis added).
[v]Allen Greenberger, The British Image of India: A Study in the Literature of Imperialism 1880-1960, London: Oxford University Press, 1969, pp. 11–12.