William Ward — A View of the History, Literature, and Mythology of the Hindoos

William Ward

A View of the History, Literature, and Mythology of the Hindoos (1822)

MissionaryBaptist

Vol. I, Introduction

The Hindus have thirty-three millions of gods, and yet they are not satisfied. They are continually adding to the number. They deify everything — rivers, mountains, trees, animals, and even the implements of husbandry.

✦ Commentary

Ward imposes the Protestant category of "god" onto devatas, tirthas, and sacred sites that function entirely differently in Hindu practice. The number "thirty-three millions" — a mistranslation of the Vedic "thirty-three" (trayastrimshat) — became one of the most repeated missionary tropes, still used today.

Themes

IdolatrySuperstitionCaste as a Totalizing System

Discursive Strategies

Moralizing Discourse

Source Type

Published Book