Debates were made possible through print and
they also spilled into the realm of native intellectuals and theologians.
Rammohun positioned himself against many of the existing well known pandits who
were associated with British establishments. Many Indian pandits, attached with the Baptist Mission Press, also printed
books in Bengali that were of a
fictional nature. For example, Batris Simhasan was published by
Mrityunjar Tarkalankar in 1802. But more importantly, Rammohun was involved in
theological debate with Mrityunjay Vidyalankar, who was also the head pandit of the government college at
Calcutta around 1817. Mrityunjay’s Vedanta Chandrika (translated into
English as An Apology for the Present System of Hindu Worship) was
critiqued by Rammohun in A Second Defense of the Monotheistical System of
the Veds (Bhattacharyer Sahit Vichar). In this realm of print,
Rammohun engaged in debate with certain brands of Christianity and Hinduism.
There was a blurry line between enemies and friends.
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