Colonial Discourse and the Suffering of Indian American Children is now freely available.
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In this book, we analyze the psycho-social consequences faced by Indian American children after exposure to the school textbook discourse on Hinduism and ancient India. We demonstrate that there is an intimate connection—an almost exact correspondence—between James Mill’s colonial-racist discourse (Mill was the head of the British East India Company) and the current school textbook discourse. This racist discourse, camouflaged under the cover of political correctness, produces the same psychological impacts on Indian American children that racism typically causes: shame, inferiority, embarrassment, identity confusion, assimilation, and a phenomenon akin to racelessness, where children dissociate from the traditions and culture of their ancestors.


This book is the result of four years of rigorous research and academic peer-review, reflecting our ongoing commitment at Hindupedia to challenge the representation of Hindu Dharma within academia.

Aksapatala

From Hindupedia, the Hindu Encyclopedia

By Swami Harshananda

Aksapatala literally means ‘depository of legal documents’.

A study of the Arthaśāstra of Kauṭilya (400 B.C.-A.D. 200) reveals that the administration of a State was well-organized even from the perspective of modern standards. One of the departments described in detail is the ‘aksapatala,’ the department which preserved legal documents and records of accounts. The doors of this office building faced north or east with rooms for the clerical staff and sufficient accommodation for account of books and documents.

The adhyaksa (superintendent) of this section had to maintain strictly all accounts pertaining to taxes, dues and fines and take measures to prevent embezzlement of State funds. It was also his duty to maintain a register of the dharma (customs, usages, methods of judicial procedures) of the various jati groups, families and corporations.


References[edit]

  • The Concise Encyclopedia of Hinduism, Swami Harshananda, Ram Krishna Math, Bangalore

Contributors to this article

Krishna Maheshwari, Deval Sancheti

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