The Inner Conflict of Tradition: Essays in Indian Ritual, Kingship, and Society c15.s1.54

c15.s1.54

The point I want to stress is that the new dimension added as a result of Western expansion enabled Indian society seriously to attempt, however partially and ephemerally, long-standing universalistic ideals that so far had been beyond its grasp, such as Gandhi's attempt to realize the old ideal of otherworldly harmony in the modern political terms of national unity. That ideals when brought to earth from the safety of their ultramundane heaven seldom make for happy endings is, of course, all too well known. Indeed, the story given here in brief is one of intense conflict and unpleasantness. The most dramatic chapter was the break between Hindus and Muslims. Whatever recent and future research on the train of events leading up to the partition catastrophe teaches us,⁵⁷ it seems clear that the specific form of universal authority propounded by a Gandhi could not be easily accepted by conscientious Muslims, who were also forced to restate in modern terms the implications of Islam for universalist authority. Whether the break was unavoidable or merely the result of a series of quirks and accidents is hardly a valid question. But the dramatic break does show that the introduction of universalistic ideals into reality is beset with unforeseen and explosive risks. Unhappily, these seem to be the price of reaching out for new horizons.