Indology in National Socialist Germany

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Moritz Epple
• Subject Area: History of Science
• Term: from 2018 to 2021
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 406234174

The main objective of this research project is to provide an in-depth analysis of how the field of Indology interacted with political institutions in National Socialist Germany. In particular, we propose to analyse the ways in which certain scholars of this field in National used their specialised knowledge of India in the service of the regime’s cultural politics, in exchange for resources and academic status. Given the obvious relevance of the ideology of ‘Aryan culture’ such a study is of significant historical interest. --The project will focus on four institutions which employed Indologists in such capacities: 1. Indischer Ausschuss or India Institute (part of the Deutsche Akademie). 2. Deutsches Auslandswissenschaftliches Institut (DAWI) and Auslandswissenschaftliche Fakultät (AF), both affiliated to the University of Berlin. 3. Sonderreferat Indien (SRI), primarily its military unit, the Indian Legion (Tiger Legion). 4. Arbeitsgemeinschaft Indien (also known as the Indien Institut) at the University of Tübingen. -- Following the approaches proposed by Mehrtens, Ash and others, the project will investigate the ways in which scholars of Indology engaged in these four institutions, developed collaborative relationships with different centres of power in the Third Reich. Particularly relevant in this context is the question as to what extent the scholars mobilised themselves to participate in the Third Reich’s research policy. -- Relevant centres of power that interacted with these institutes and the scholars of Indology were the Reichssicherheitshauptamt and the Ahnenerbe of the SS, the External Affairs Ministry and the Amt Rosenberg. Our project will also look at the exchange of different kinds of capital and resources between the academics and the non-academic functionaries, the ‘managers’ who represented the interests of the state in the four aforementioned institutions, and who acted as ‘communicative bridges’ in the complex networks of the institutes and the power centres. --A further objective of the project is to review the position of India as the ideological battle­ground between British imperialism and expansionist ambitions of Nazi Germany. The latter made propaganda overtures to India by claiming to support its anti-colonial movement and stressing on the so-called common ‘Aryan heritage’ of India and Germany. A review of the substantial role played by Indologists in this propaganda venture is long overdue. --India at present is experiencing a resurgence of Hindu political nationalism, in which admiration for Vedic Aryan discourse as well as for certain tenets of Nazi ideology play a significant role. These are legacies of the historical confluence of German Indology, Nazi cultural politics and Indian nationalism. By critically examining the nature of this conflation, our project can also provide a new perspective on the history of the transnational relationship between Germany and India.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professor Dr. Eliahu Franco