Dissemination of Knowledge on India in the Scholarly Space of Inter-War Lithuania

Next to popular literature and journalism, science was also a significant space that ensured the dissemination of knowledge about India or even its construction in the inter-war period. In Lithuania, this role of spreading the knowledge about Indian culture and history was mainly performed by the scientists of the University of Lithuania, founded in Kaunas in 1922. Based on archival documents and texts written by scientists in inter-war period, knowledge about India was an integrated part of various studies at the University of Lithuania, both in explaining phenomena important to various disciplines, and in delving into the specifics of this Eastern land. This article analyzes the subjects taught in the faculties of humanities, natural-mathematical and social sciences, which revealed different aspects of the dissemination of knowledge about India. While researching humanities, it was discovered that scientists paid the most attention to the knowledge of ancient Indian culture and the Sanskrit language while comparing it with Lithuanian. In the natural and mathematical sciences, the flora and fauna of India were explored, and the influence of the geographical aspects of the land on man was examined. Finally, in the Faculty of Law, scholars delved into the social situation of Indians, not avoiding criticizing the British colonial legal system, imperialism and human exploitation.