The Heritage of India – A. L. Basham (Summary)

The Heritage of India – A. L. Basham

According to A. L. Basham’s essay “The Heritage of India” deals with innate cultural traditions of Ancient India, which remain unchanged though India had gone through many phases of historical and cultural bouts. In the Medieval times, India suffered from many social evils like sati, child marriages and the most inhuman practice of untouchablity, which were not known to Ancient India. All such evil practices in India were posing a substantial threat to its progress. Raja Ram Mohan Roy was initially sounded the theme of social reform against such social evils. He fought against ignorant and religious fanatics of that time to eradicate the inhuman practice of sati. Swami Vivekananda continued the tradition of social reform on various issues, which was initiated by Raja Ram Mohan Roy and declared that the highest form of service to Great Mother India was social service. Later on, there were many other great Indians served the nation, who believed in social service. Among those Mahatma Gandhi was the greatest of all who developed the theme of social service as a religious duty and his theme of social service was being followed by many of his successors.  

Both Indians and Europeans wrongly judged that Gandhi was the epitome of Hindu tradition. But he was greatly influenced by the Western ideas and strongly believed in the fundamentals of ancient Indian culture. He had great sympathy for underdog and his antipathy to caste though not unprecedented in ancient India.  Gandhi was greatly influenced from European 19^th century liberalism than to anything in India to uphold the issue of untouchability in terms of its eradication. He might have inspired his faith in non-violence and pacifism from ‘Sermon on the Mount’ and Tolstoy.  His championing of women’s rights is also the result of Western influence. Gandhi was always an innovator rather than a conservative.  With this background of perception Gandhi and his followers of the Indian National Congress had given new orientation and a new life to Hindu Culture, after many centuries of its stagnation.

Today, India is a composition of people who do not look back with pride on their ancient culture as well as people who are not willing to sacrifice some of its effete elements so that India may develop and progress, economically and politically. But people of India will be deeply rooted in the tradition and aware of the continuity of their culture.

It was only seven years after independence the extremes of national self-denigration and fanatical cultural chauvinism were gradually disappearing. Although the Indian culture came into the contact of many other cultures of the world somehow it was changed and influenced. Now it is well on the way to assimilating the culture of the West. Hindu civilization will remain intact and retain its continuity. Even in the modern times the Bhagawad Gita will never cease to inspire men of action and the Upanishads men of thought. The labour-saving devices of the West may not affect the Indian way life and that will continue forever.  People in India will still love the tales of the heroes of the Mahabharata and the Ramayana and the love stories of Dushyanta and Shakuntala and Pururava and Urvasi. The quite and gentle happiness pervades all-times in Indian life where oppression, disease and poverty have overclouded.

The extravagant and barbarous hecatombs of the Vedic age have been forgotten long ago however some animal sacrifices are still continuing in some sects. Widows have long ceased to be burnt on their husband’s pyres.  Girls may not be married in their childhood. Now a days Brahmans rub their shoulders with the lowest castes while travelling in buses and trains without consciousness of grave pollution. Temples are open to all by law. Disappearance of caste is slowly begun long ago. In fact the whole face of India is altering but the cultural tradition continues and it will never be lost.

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