After amnesia : tradition and change in Indian literary criticism 9788125004202, 8125004203

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G.N. Dcvy (b. 1950) was educated at the Shivaji University, Kolhapur, and the University of l«ds, U.K. He was a - ........ wealth Acadmlic Staff Fellow at the University ofl«ds, a T.H.B. Symons Fellow at I .ccds and Coleraine and a Fulbright Exchange Fellow at Yale University. At present he holds a Jawaharlal Nehru Fellowship

(1994 96). Dr. Dcvy has co-edited an an ~., of theoretical Indian criticism, Critical · ~t ( Sterling, 1987), and has published a volume of critical mays, In Tongue: Essays on Indian English Literature (Peter I ang, 1993, Maanillan India, 1994). His edited volume Indian Liter;uy Criticism: Theory and Interpretations is due to be published by Orient Long,11an. Dr. Dcvy is Professor of English at the Maharaja ·Sayajirao University of Baroda.

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Tra ition an Cane in In ian Litera Criticism •

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Oll1ENT LONGMAN LIMfl"ED

~••OJ!ia 3-6-272 Himayatnagar, Hyderabad SOO 029 Otl#rOffias Kamani Marg, Ballard ~ Bombay 400 038 17 Cluaarmjan Avenue, ulcutta 700 072 160 Anna Salai, Madru 600 002 1/24 &af Ali R.oad, New Delhi 110 002 80/1 Mahatma Gandhi R.oad, Bangalore 560 001 365 Shahid Nagar, Bhubancshwar 75 l 007 41/316 'Gour Mohan', Ambady Lane, Cluttoor R.oad, Cochin 682 011 S.C. Goswami R.oad, Panhaz.ar. Guwahati 781 001 3-6-272 Himayatnagar, Hyderabad SOO 029 28/31, 15 Ashok Marg, Lucknow 226 001 City Ccnne Ashok, Govind Mitta R.oad, Pama 800 004

C Orient Longman Limited 1992

This edition publimcd in 1995

ISBN 81 250 OilO 3 Pi.otutyp:sct by The Ty~tte1s, Bombay 400 023 Printed in India at R.am Graphics, Bombay 400 022

Published by Orient Longman Limited, Kamani Marg.. Ballafff Estat'C, Bombay 400 038 •

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lltln and his wife came along, bringing a m,i-,A with them. They pl11ckcd at-the stting and began to sing a song. As they began to sing, the Mahitml sang one nt,11, his wife sang another nt,11, and they played the · --t in a third

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•·· And the Gosivi said, "Die, you miserable

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And they kept s~cnt. . Then the Gosivi left.

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The · f,orn the original Marithf text is by Anne Feldhaus (The o."'6 ofGoll• B.Mhipfir, 1984). I have taken the libaty to reinstate md ntf• in the place of 'a stringed · nur. r and 'song' ustd by_her. 1

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On the Occasion of the Paperback Edition ix Adtno•letlgtmmts xi A Note on TrM1Sliter11tion MUl DllteS xii

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Introd11clion

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Tradition and A,,,oesia

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The Crisis in Literary Criticism Tradition Modem Indian Intellectuals and Wcstcm Thought Modem India and the Sanskrit Tradition The Colonial Impact Bhiisii Literatures and the Modem Attitude • Cultural Amnesia

A Never-e11ding Transition Cultural Archaeology A Ncvf;r-cnding Transition The Miir911 and ,the Deli . . Dcvotionalism and Discourse Colonial Structure: The City and the Cantonment The Duality. of Law •

Mtcr A,,,o~ia The Tripartite Relation

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Contmts

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Nativism E.

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Function of Criticism Notes lmll References 130 Index 143

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On the Occasion of the Paperback Edition •

'Ibis essay has attract.~ a great.deal of attention and, I think, has had a better reception marf·-it deserved. Ever since its publication in August 1992, it is being discussed in newspaper articles, ·reviews, literary periodicals and seminars. A large number of critics, friends and readers have written to me giving their responses and suggestions. I am fully aware of the inadequacies and gaps in the argwncnt presented in this csuy. It will take another cuay of a similar length and scale to deal with the ~:.-r ts arising out of the comments received. It is not poaiblc to incorporate in the pre.sent version a 'defence' of Alter Amnesia without losing the concentration of the argument presented in it. Therefore, no major changes have been made in the previous version while preparing· it for re-publication. However, I have made some minor corrections pertaining to dates, references, etc. I wish to thank Dr. M.S. Patil, who has translated the essay into Marathi, for pointing out several inaccuracies and errors. 'Ibis essay was given the Sahitya Akademi Award for 1993. I thank the Akademi for the award without forgetting, however, that every award docs not neccs.urily indicate ~xcellence. Baroda 12 Septen1ber 1994

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An. initi~ ou~e of m. C$Say. w~ di~•sscd with.~ late Prof~r Surcsh Joshi, a few months before his clc:atb .in Septcmbcr . 1986. Th~ -fi~ . dnift ..was: p('Cf',rt:d ......... · my .t cnUfC · as a 0:>IJUOOnweaJ~ J\cadcmi