Purun Bhagat
How does the text, “The Miracle of Purun Bhagat reflect colonialist and post-colonialist ideas? Which of these is more dominant?
Kipling’s tale reflects the values of both the colonising British and the indigenous Indian population but the climax reinforces the colonialist values as being the more significant.
In the opening comments we are introduced to the unparalleled achievements of Sir Purun Dass, an Indian who, in his public and private life, appears as the perfect example of all that is best in the imported European values. Surprisingly, these values appear to be rejected by the author as Dass is transformed into Purun Bhagat, a wandering hermit who loses nearly all contact with humanity, in order to commune with nature and achieve his religious goals. While Kipling never directly applauds this decision, the language he uses to describe Purun’s actions is affirmative and his descriptions of Purun’s journey are romanticised and highly appealing to the audience. However, we see the return of the original colonialist values as Purun chooses to return from his self-imposed exile and as ‘Sir Purun Dass’ saves a nearby community from certain death.
The key aspect lies in the choice that Purun makes at the conclusion of his life. He initially considers the path of least resistance – the choice of death in the landslide; however, he overrules this desire and takes on again the qualities that made him Sir Purun Dass and thereby asserts the values of the ruling European class.
When we are introduced to Dass, the values are: ▪ Educated “helped by a good English education” – “nobel prize” ▪ Status “his name stood Sir Purun Dass, KCIE ▪ English administration “he would endow scholarships” “railways and telegraphs” ▪ Public speaking “made a speech few Englishmen could have bettered” ▪ Sports, medicine
In Dass, we see an Indian who has become, ‘more English than the English’. The author notes that
Kipling’s tale reflects the values of both the colonising British and the indigenous Indian population but the climax reinforces the colonialist values as being the more significant.
In the opening comments we are introduced to the unparalleled achievements of Sir Purun Dass, an Indian who, in his public and private life, appears as the perfect example of all that is best in the imported European values. Surprisingly, these values appear to be rejected by the author as Dass is transformed into Purun Bhagat, a wandering hermit who loses nearly all contact with humanity, in order to commune with nature and achieve his religious goals. While Kipling never directly applauds this decision, the language he uses to describe Purun’s actions is affirmative and his descriptions of Purun’s journey are romanticised and highly appealing to the audience. However, we see the return of the original colonialist values as Purun chooses to return from his self-imposed exile and as ‘Sir Purun Dass’ saves a nearby community from certain death.
The key aspect lies in the choice that Purun makes at the conclusion of his life. He initially considers the path of least resistance – the choice of death in the landslide; however, he overrules this desire and takes on again the qualities that made him Sir Purun Dass and thereby asserts the values of the ruling European class.
When we are introduced to Dass, the values are: ▪ Educated “helped by a good English education” – “nobel prize” ▪ Status “his name stood Sir Purun Dass, KCIE ▪ English administration “he would endow scholarships” “railways and telegraphs” ▪ Public speaking “made a speech few Englishmen could have bettered” ▪ Sports, medicine
In Dass, we see an Indian who has become, ‘more English than the English’. The author notes that