WESTERNIZATION

Different people defined the term westernization in different ways. Srinivas used this term for all those changes that affected all Indians during British rule (after establishment of Pax Britannica) and which accelerated later. Thus it refers to “the change brought about in Indian society and culture as a result of over 150 years of British rule, the term subsuming changes occurring at different levels…technology, institutions, knowledge, and values.” Westernization changed the society and culture of India significantly. It produced:

• Humanitarianism

• Secularism

• Equalitarianism

• Rationality

• Attack on untouchability

Rationality and humanitarianism may be called the hallmark of Westernization. Srinivas recognizes the importance of local culture in determining the nature of Weternization. For many people it produced “cultural schizophrenia” (in a non-pathological sense) which means that people who became Westernized in some domains of life (mostly in office) maintain their tradition in other domains (for example at home). It must be noted that there were different Western influences on different people of India because different people in India came in contact of different types of British people: administrators, army men, traders, and Christian missionaries. Srinivas also showed that the movement from tradition to Westernization was not linear: Westernization also produced revivalism, nationalism, communalism, casteism (vertical and horizontal solidarity), heightened linguistic consciousness, regionalism and passionate xenophobia (among Muslims). In some contexts Westernization led to the rejection of traditions while in others, it led to mixing or combination of traditions and Western influences.