Ideas of India Archive
NB: This is a magnificient contribution to Indian historiography. Rahul Sagar and his collaborators deserve the thanks of the Indian public and indeed of all those interested in an honest exploration of the past. DS
Starting in the early
nineteenth century, ambitious Indians began flocking to newly-founded schools
and colleges offering instruction in modern languages and sciences. Among the
habits they acquired was reverence for contemporary British periodicals such as Athenaeum, The Quarterly Review, The
Saturday Review, The Contemporary Review, The
Fortnightly Review, The National Review, Blackwood’s
Edinburgh Magazine, and Nineteenth Century. Not unreasonably,
they came to view these periodicals as exemplars of public debate and
deliberation.
As the century
progressed, these increasingly urbane Indians ached to discuss
subjects
closer to home. They answered this need by founding local counterparts to these British periodicals. A vibrant public sphere now took shape as legions of newly-minted graduates contributed and subscribed to these English-language periodicals.
The most notable of these periodicals included Bengal Magazine, Haris Chandra’s Magazine, Mookerjee’s Magazine, The Indian Magazine, Allahabad Review, The Madras Review, The Dawn, and The Quarterly Journal of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha. At the end of the century came that magnificent trio - The Hindustan Review, The Indian Review, and The Modern Review - that dominated public life for half a century. In their wake followed dozens of periodicals such as East and West, Triveni, and Welfare, whose influence far outstripped their circulation.
closer to home. They answered this need by founding local counterparts to these British periodicals. A vibrant public sphere now took shape as legions of newly-minted graduates contributed and subscribed to these English-language periodicals.
The most notable of these periodicals included Bengal Magazine, Haris Chandra’s Magazine, Mookerjee’s Magazine, The Indian Magazine, Allahabad Review, The Madras Review, The Dawn, and The Quarterly Journal of the Poona Sarvajanik Sabha. At the end of the century came that magnificent trio - The Hindustan Review, The Indian Review, and The Modern Review - that dominated public life for half a century. In their wake followed dozens of periodicals such as East and West, Triveni, and Welfare, whose influence far outstripped their circulation.
It is impossible to
overestimate the importance of these periodicals. Transported around the
country by rail, they attracted and cultivated a wide readership. By compelling
writers and readers to think more broadly, they midwived modern India. This was
not all. As these periodicals were typically published on a monthly basis, they
devoted themselves not to reporting news, which would be stale by the time the
periodical reached the subscriber, but to essays on the leading questions of
the day. In so doing, they compelled statesmen and representatives to
contend with ideas and arguments. Finally, by allowing diverse view-points
to be developed and debated, they not only reflected but also stimulated
India’s distinctive pluralism. No one who reads these periodicals can fail to
see that there have always been multiple, often conflicting, ideas of
India.
After 1947, these
periodicals underwent mass extinction. Readers, having become citizens, now
hungered for the news of the day. This demand was better met by radio and
newspapers whose proprietors had the financial and technological means to reach
vast audiences daily.
That these periodicals passed away should not be regretted, for they were fitted to a particular age. What is lamentable, however, is that they have been all but forgotten.
That these periodicals passed away should not be regretted, for they were fitted to a particular age. What is lamentable, however, is that they have been all but forgotten.
Ramachandra Guha and Pratap Bhanu Mehta aside,
practically no public intellectual references them today. The otherwise
sophisticated Indian reader does not even know of their existence, much less
their contents, which continue to be valuable and relevant.
Browse the gallery
below to learn more about these periodicals. To search their indexes, proceed
to the following section or click
here
