The British Attitude Towards the Indians in the Subcontinent

A Passage to India is a most popular novel of Foster in Europe and out of Europe. In the novel he describes his personal experiences with help of a story bases on reality and observation made by him in the Subcontinent while visiting. Foster visited twice India to understand the culture of the Muslims, the Hindus and the Anglo-Indian and their manners, habits, customs and behavior in detail.

The opening is disgraceful for Dr. Aziz was insulted by Major Challender at his residence. D. Aziz was called when they were discussing friendship between the Hindus and the Anglo-Indians, is difficult in the Subcontinent but possible in England. Major Challender leaves his residence before Dr. Aziz came without any message at home.

This incident upsets Dr. Aziz and leaving this place he went mosque to get the comfort of heart. First time he met Lady Moore and Adela in the mosque and the three persons fell in friendship. Here Dr. Aziz exposes the behavior of the Anglo-Indian with the Indians in the Subcontinent and the Muslims are insulted by the British rulers in the Subcontinent knowingly.

After their duties the Anglo-Indian met in a club and discussed India and the Indians. The drama Cousin Cat was going to perform in the club and the windows were shut and the music was played and its music revealed the British are the master of Hindustan.

Mr. and Mrs. Tartan arrange the party and invited Lady Moore and Adela so that they could meet the Indians closely. Actually, its main aim was to insult the Indian ladies before Lady Moor and Adela in the club.

After inviting then in the part, all the Anglo-Indians were busy discussing their matters and Indian ladies were looking at the, silently. Besides, Fielding also arranges a party at his own residence to introduce the Indian culture to the Anglo-Indians. In the party, Fielding invited Dr. Aziz, Mrs. Moore, Adela and Prof. Godbole but the party mission failed because they could not get their mind due to British pride and prejudice that was prominent on their faces. But Fielding party failure was due to Roney, the magistrate’s dealings.

The western people saw the eastern people closely and the second chapter shows that with whom Dr. Aziz was discussing whether the friendship between the eastern and western culture is possible or not. They concluded that it is possible in Britain not in India. Because the Indians do not like British due to capturing India dishonestly they do not accept them their true rulers.

Now the third part is arranged by Dr. Aziz who invited Mrs. Moore, Adela, Prof. Godbole and Fielding at his residence. But it was badly failed and Dr. Aziz was charged of assaulting Adela in the Maraber Caves. Before going to see the Maraber Caves they have chalked out a plan to insult Dr. Aziz but Adela did not know what had happened inside the caves with her.

On the other hand Foster exposes the Indians’ attitude towards the Anglo-Indians they are since to the Anglo-Indian but the Anglo-Indians are not sincere to thee. Dr. Aziz was working sincerely under the supervision of Prof Godbole in a hospital and on the other Nawab Bahadar Ali was also kind to the Anglo-Indian that is why, he attended the Bridge Party.

It was clear that Hindus were kind and sincere to the Anglo-Indians but were against the Muslims because the Hindus considered the Muslims inferior to them. It is clear that Foster had a deep knowledge about a real nature of the Indians, the Muslims and the Anglo-Indians. Anglo-Indians’ mission was to eat, drink and be marry in the Subcontinent. Neither the Anglo-Indians were interested in literature not in public reform during their rule in the subcontinent.

A Passage to India is a bitter satire on the British Rule in India and it exposes the real nature of the British mentality.

To sum up, it is a bitter satire on the British Raj in the Subcontinent in which the Hindus were treated nicely and the Muslims were treated badly knowing just degrade the Muslims before the Hindus and the Indians. It also shows Foster’s deep knowledge of human nature especially, the Hindus’, the Muslims’ and the British’s mentality that he exposes in the novel honestly.

 

Here Lee Man says, “Foster, first, visited the Subcontinent more than once and fully understood the nature of their culture and mentality, after this he wrote his famous novel A Passage to India. There were present better chances of living together of the three nations; the British, the Hindus and the Muslims, but the Hindus’ cleverness and the British’s pride and prejudice finished the chances of living together peacefully in the Subcontinent.”