Western Sailors Eastern Seas

The mythical image of India had cast her spell on the Western man since the beginning of history. The present book is a brief account of the response of German intellectuals of India in its different phases - from its initial romantic attitude to its more mature and critical appreciation of the languages and literatures, philosophy and religion of India. The discovery of ancient wisdom by German indologists added a new dimension to disciplines of Linguistics, Religion and Mythology. The present writer also points out the subtle and significant impact of the labours of German poets and philosophers, grammarians and sociologists in understanding Indian culture on Indian intelligentsia.

About the Author:

Sisir Kumar Das (1936- ) was educated at the Universities of Calcutta and London and received doctorate degrees from both. For some time he was a post-doctoral fellow in Linguistics at Cornell University. He was a lecturer in Bengali at the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, for three years. At present he is the Reader in Bengali, University of Delhi. He is a poet, playwright and a literary critic. His Early Bengali Prose (1966) written in English is a pioneering work in the study of stylistics in this country.

Foreword

Preface

1. A Land of Desire

2. What's in the Scroll?

3. Ancient Voice : Modern Echo

4. The Vedavyasa of the Kali Yuga

5. The Goethe of India

6. Not by Love Alone

7. Conclusion

Appendix : A Chronology of Events Relevant to the Indo-German Cultural Relations

Bibliography

Index