Prodosh Aich - Truths

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As already said, the Schlegelshad to sublet furnished rooms. Thus, something like a “flat sharing community” emerged. And Alexander Hamiltonwas there. This is just imponderability of life! We know, again from a letter of Friedrichto his brother August Wilhelmdated November 26, 1803:

“I live now quite pleasantly here – as pleasant as it can be abroad. Since several months Hamilton lives with me, who was my teacher for Sanskrit; also Hagemann, a young Hanoverian, who is not only proficient in Greek and Arabic, but also knows a lot of and very thoroughly Persian, is our house mate. In addition there are three young men from Cologne taking private lessons from me. Thus I have a pleasant society in the house.”

The three inhabitants from Cologne were: Sulpizand Melchior Boisseréeas well as Johann Baptist Bertram. “From the Schlegel–circle” there is also a mention in the autobiography of Sulpiz Boisserée:

“The house community at Schlegel’s included, beside the great expert of Sanskrit, A. Hamilton, a small German colony; to which belonged the ten years old son of Mrs. Schlegel, Phillip Veit, a young philologist Hagemann from Hanover who studied Sanskrit too, we three friends from Cologne and Mrs. von Hastfer from Berlin who had come to Paris with Mrs. von Genlis and was editing the French Miscellanea for Cotta in Tuebingen. Usually only Hagemann and Mrs. von Hastfer joined us at the table.”

Friedrich von Schlegelwas learning Persian from Antoine Léonard de Chèzy. Louis Mathieu Langlèsbrings Alexander Hamiltonand the Schlegels together. Alexander Hamiltonstarts living with the Schlegels. Helmine von Hastferlives there also. Soon she was to marry Antoine Léonard de Chézy. Friedrich von Schlegellearns Sanskrit from Alexander Hamiltonfrom May to November 1803. The Schlegels leave Paris at the end of April 1804. Friedrich von Schlegelpublishes the book: On the language and the wisdom of the Indians, Heidelberg 1808. Our impression is, he would have written this book even if he had not met Alexander Hamilton. This book will remain his only contribution to “Indology”. However a significant one. Alexander Hamiltonbecame famous because of this book. His brother August Wilhelm(1767–1845) was also inspired by it.

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And: Those who actually had spread Sanskrit in Europe, Antoine Léonard de Chézyand Franz Boppclaimed to have mastered the Sanskrit language without ever listening to the original soundof the language, without ever seeing the original gestures of the people while reciting the texts. On top of it, they also said that they taught the Sanskrit language themselves – who knows how. These two persons, who are known to have spread a language namedSanskrit, could at best learn the alphabets and composition of the letters in words and only on papers in writing. They did not care nor had any opportunity to be in India. The only person who got an opportunity to listen to the sound of Sanskrit, under the assumption Alexander Hamiltoncould pronounce the words in “Sanskrit”, was Friedrich von Schlegel, he writes a book in 1808 and then exits from the scene. He does not teach anybody “Sanskrit”.

These “scholars” want us to believe that they just turned to Sanskrit texts and could read and understand. The characters were still unknown to them. These “scholars” must have been suffering from dementia or even worse. They did not remember their laborious efforts of learning their own vernacular.

But, as we mentioned earlier, the first four Sanskrit grammar guides in English were available in Paris: by missionary William Carey(1804), by Henry Thomas Colebrooke(1805), by Charles Wilkins(1808) and by senior merchant H. P. Forster(1810). Now we know how a language calledSanskrit, is brought to and spread in Europe. Is it still the original Sanskrit and not a kind of “Pidgin Sanskrit”? We must admit that we are extremely confused. “Pidgin Sanskrit” would mean just badly articulated Sanskrit. We understand that it was much worse.

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Now we come down from Alexander Hamiltion, Friedrich von Schlegel, Antoine Léonard de Chézy, Franz Bopp, August Wilhelm von Schlegel, Hermann Brockhausto Friedrich Maximilian Müller. None of them had learnt the Sanskrit language. We come down to those wonder-some years from 1803 to 1844. How much “Sanskrit” Friedrich Maximilian Müllercould have learnt from Hermann Brockhausat Leipzig? He attended courses only up to the end of the summer term, i.e., till July 1843.

The alphabets of the language calledSanskrit, some Texts in Sanskrit original, their translated versions Persian, Arabic and English, a few rudimentary grammar books were available in Germany. Nothing more. For Friedrich Maximilian Müllerit was less. He did not have access to the English language. He might have read Friedrich von Schlegel’s book: On the language and the wisdom of the Indians, Heidelberg 1808. He did not mention to have read this book.

Friedrich Maximilian Mülleris done at Leipzig University. He goes to Berlin: “My wish to go to Berlin arose partly from a desire to hear Bopp, but yet more from a desire to make the acquaintances of Schelling.” Franz Boppis considered to be the pope of Sanskrit in Europe.

In this chapter we have documented our firstrun to ascertain how much of “Sanskrit” was available in Germany that could be learnt at most by Friedrich Maximilian Müller. We shall have to continue our search to find out how, when, by whom the Sanskrit language is brought to Europe and which Sanskrit language does actually arrive to Europe in our later chapters in due course.

Looking a little ahead, we have also dealt with “scholars” of our time who wanted us to believe that Alexander Hamiltonbrings Sanskrit from India to Paris in 1803. We know by now whatever these “scholars” wanted us to believe on, about and of the Sanskrit language does not corresponds to facts. These are just myths. No, it is worse. These are just deliberate lies.

As logical continuation of our search, we shall have to accompany Friedrich Maximilian Müllerto Berlin in his quest to learn the Sanskrit language. We must ascertain here that he does not acquire any of the qualifications at Leipzig University that will justify his deliberations in his book published in 1859: A HISTORY OF ANCIENT SANSKRIT LITERATURE SO FAR AS IT ILLUSTRATES THE PRIMITIVE RELIGION OF THE BRAHMINS.

We can wait and watch where and how Friedrich Maximilian Mülleracquires those qualifications.

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