Changes

{{Style P-Title|Letter III}}

{{Style P-Title|Letter III}}

The same evening, in Elphinstone's Theatre, there was given an extraordinary performance in honour of “the American Mission,” as we are styled here. Native actors represented in Gujarati the ancient fairy drama ''Sita-Rama'', that has been adapted from the ''Ramayana'', the celebrated epic by Valmiki. This drama is composed of 14 acts and no end of tableaux, in addition to transformation scenes. All the female parts, as usual, were acted by young boys, and the actors, according to the historical and national customs, were bare-footed and half-naked. Still, the richness of the costumes, the stage adornments and transformations, were truly wonderful. For instance, even on the stages of large metropolitan theaters, it would have been difficult to give a better representation of the army of Rama's allies, who are nothing more than troops of monkeys under the leadership of Hanuman – the soldier, statesman, dramatist, poet, god, who is so celebrated in history (that of India s.v.p.<ref>“If you please” (Fr. “s’il voul plais” or just “s.v.p.”). – Ed.</ref>). The oldest and best of all Sanskrit dramas, Hanuman-Natak (''natak'' means drama), is ascribed to this talented ''forefather'' of ours.

The same evening, in Elphinstone's Theatre, there was given an extraordinary performance in honour of “the American Mission,” as we are styled here. Native actors represented in Gujarati<ref></ref> the ancient fairy drama ''Sita-Rama'', that has been adapted from the ''Ramayana'', the celebrated epic by Valmiki. This drama is composed of 14 acts and no end of tableaux, in addition to transformation scenes. All the female parts, as usual, were acted by young boys, and the actors, according to the historical and national customs, were bare-footed and half-naked. Still, the richness of the costumes, the stage adornments and transformations, were truly wonderful. For instance, even on the stages of large metropolitan theaters, it would have been difficult to give a better representation of the army of Rama's allies, who are nothing more than troops of monkeys under the leadership of Hanuman – the soldier, statesman, dramatist, poet, god, who is so celebrated in history (that of India s.v.p.<ref>“If you please” (Fr. “s’il voul plais” or just “s.v.p.”). – Ed.</ref>). The oldest and best of all Sanskrit dramas, Hanuman-Natak (''natak'' means drama), is ascribed to this talented ''forefather'' of ours.

Alas! gone is the glorious time when, proud of our ''white'' skin (which after all may be nothing more than the result of a ''fading'', under the influences of our northern sky), we looked down upon Hindus and other “niggers” with a feeling of contempt well suited to our own magnificence. No doubt Sir William Jones's soft heart ached, when translating from the Sanskrit such humiliating sentences as the following: “Hanuman is said to be our forefather.” Rama, being a hero and a demi-god, was well entitled to unite all the bachelors of his useful monkey army to the daughters of the Lanka (Ceylon) giants, the Rakshasas<ref>Originally “bakshazasas” (бакшазасы), could be a mistype. – Ed.</ref>, and to present these Dravidian beauties with the dowry of all Western lands. After the most pompous marriage ceremonies, the monkey soldiers made a bridge, with the help of their own tails, and safely landed with their spouses in Europe, where they lived very happily and had a numerous progeny. This progeny are we, Europeans. Dravidian words found in some European languages, in Basque for instance, greatly rejoice the hearts of the Brahmins, who would gladly promote the philologists to the rank of gods for this important discovery, which confirms so gloriously their ancient legend. But it was Darwin who crowned the edifice of proof with the authority of Western education and Western scientific literature. The Indians became still more convinced that we are the veritable descendants of Hanuman, and that, if one only took the trouble to examine carefully, our tails might easily be discovered. Our narrow breeches and long skirts only add to the evidence, however uncomplimentary the idea may be to us. Still, if you consider seriously, what are we to say when Science, in the person of Darwin, concedes this hypothesis to the wisdom of ancient Aryans. We must perforce submit. And, really, it is better to have for a forefather Hanuman, the poet, the hero, the god, than any other monkey, even though it be a tailless one.  

Alas! gone is the glorious time when, proud of our ''white'' skin (which after all may be nothing more than the result of a ''fading'', under the influences of our northern sky), we looked down upon Hindus and other “niggers” with a feeling of contempt well suited to our own magnificence. No doubt Sir William Jones's soft heart ached, when translating from the Sanskrit such humiliating sentences as the following: “Hanuman is said to be our forefather.” Rama, being a hero and a demi-god, was well entitled to unite all the bachelors of his useful monkey army to the daughters of the Lanka (Ceylon) giants, the Rakshasas<ref>Originally “bakshazasas” (бакшазасы), could be a mistype. – Ed.</ref>, and to present these Dravidian beauties with the dowry of all Western lands. After the most pompous marriage ceremonies, the monkey soldiers made a bridge, with the help of their own tails, and safely landed with their spouses in Europe, where they lived very happily and had a numerous progeny. This progeny are we, Europeans. Dravidian words found in some European languages, in Basque for instance, greatly rejoice the hearts of the Brahmins, who would gladly promote the philologists to the rank of gods for this important discovery, which confirms so gloriously their ancient legend. But it was Darwin who crowned the edifice of proof with the authority of Western education and Western scientific literature. The Indians became still more convinced that we are the veritable descendants of Hanuman, and that, if one only took the trouble to examine carefully, our tails might easily be discovered. Our narrow breeches and long skirts only add to the evidence, however uncomplimentary the idea may be to us. Still, if you consider seriously, what are we to say when Science, in the person of Darwin, concedes this hypothesis to the wisdom of ancient Aryans. We must perforce submit. And, really, it is better to have for a forefather Hanuman, the poet, the hero, the god, than any other monkey, even though it be a tailless one.