Many European colonizers believed that the idea of freedom was unfamiliar to Ind
ID: 1136939 • Letter: M
Question
Many European colonizers believed that the idea of freedom was unfamiliar to Indian societies, despite them seeing Indians as a symbolism of it. The word, "freedom," was not in the Indian language dictionaries of the French and English. As a result, Europeans viewed Indians as savages or barbarous. This is because they were seen as people not respecting authority, or living the lifestyle under traditional government. Europeans believed that they were too free, and lived by their own rules. According to one religious missionary, he stated: "They are born, live, and die in a liberty without restraint." Europeans believed that Indians lacked discipline and control, (page 12). This caused conflict as Indians had their own view on what freedom was. They disliked the idea of being slaves to Europeans, (page 13). Europeans believed that freedom included embracing the Christian life, and not indulge in sin. Europeans established churches to ensure what beliefs and forms of religious worship were tolerable. They followed the New Testament saying: "Where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty." From the Europeans' perspective, once one welcomed the teachings of Christ, and became servants of God, they were truly free (page 13.) It was also commonly believed that both freedom and liberty meant being obedient, in other words, "submissive" to the law African slaves had rights such as owning property and getting married to free people. Despite this, they still had to buy their freedom.Explanation / Answer
The Indian society is built on different cultural values and beliefs compared to European societies. The Indian society has its own rules and values and people firmly believe in these values and follow the rules that help to protect these values. Christianity is not the main religion in the indian society even though a small minority exists . The country has been influenced by various religions such as Islam, Hindusim , Christianity etc and the society today is a confluence of different religious ideas and beliefs.
From a European perspective, the society may appear to be chaotic, unorganized and people living by their own rules and not respecting authority . This perception is not true because people are governed by values more than rules and it is these values that keeps the society moving forward and also helps in keeping the social structure intact.
Related Questions
drjack9650@gmail.com
Navigate
Integrity-first tutoring: explanations and feedback only — we do not complete graded work. Learn more.