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One more clip from the @bharatvaarta interview. I noted how there was a relationship between the intellectual study of Sanskrit texts translated by the orientalists and the missionary reports that circulated in American newspapers. What was the nature of this connection?
Enter the “declension theory,” which formed the basic cognitive model for understanding the “Hindoo” and his religion.
Early scholars (this is true of a Joseph Priestley in particular) were genuinely surprised at the philosophical and scientific sophistication of ancient Sanskrit texts, but they also saw the modern Hindoo as degraded, steeped in idolatry and superstition.
The declension theory filled the gap. On this account, the ancient Hindoo had something approximating “true religion” (I.e. Protestant monotheism).
But as time went on, the Hindoo was led astray, succumbing to heathenism and superstition.
India’s current state as described by Claudius Buchanan and other missionaries was then directly connected to this religious degradation.
This narrative accomplished a dual purpose: in India, it justified the colonial project and the attendant christianization of India. And for American audiences, it helped inculcate a fear of “Hindoo” influence, which tapped into preexisting fear of Catholicism.
