Something literary for this Sunday: ----- Harshawardhan_Bosham Nimkhedkar Nagpur, India Quoting from http://theorangeandwhite.blogspot.com/2008/04/light-of-asia.html Saturday, April 5, 2008 The Light of Asia - Arnold's Vision India possesses historical records dating as far back as fourteen centuries before the Christian era. Little is known of the history of its original inhabitants, though it is believed they are, to some degree, represented by various tribes. At some point in recent centuries, Hindu has poured and gradually "dislodged the possessor of the soil." Additionally, the English took control of India before Arnold wrote his poem The Light of India, but Indian mutiny reached the news of England July of 1857. Shortly after, however, the mutiny was quelled. In spite of this, Arnold had his own vision of India. Arnold wanted to convey, "to communicate to his countrymen in England, in the language native to them, the vision he had seen of India, of her glory that was bygone--bygone only to reemerge in brighter hues." Arnold's compassion for India is not only telling of his fondness of the country, but also the influence its history of Buddhism had on him (that is, if we're to analyze the meaning of his poem). Arnold writes, "Buddha will go again to help the World." "Yea! spake He, "now I go to help the World." This last of many times; for birth and death End hence for me and those who learn my Law I will go down among the Sakyas, Under the southward snows of Himalay, Where pious people live an d a just King." Perhaps the impiousness Arnold seems to be referring to is the the British stronghold in India. The Indian Mutiny sealed the fate of the East India Company. The overarching extension of the British Empire in India had suggested its desire to bring the Indian administration directly under the crown. The government of India was transferred to the crown and the East India Company later ceased to exist. Arnold seemed to have wanted a different India than that of his time. [snip] ==================