The Venus of Konpara
Encyclopedia
The Venus of Konpara is a novel by John Masters
which draws on an extreme version of the "Aryan Invasion Theory
" model of ancient India
n history, according to which invading Aryan
barbarians ruthlessly crushed underfoot the indigenous Dravidian peoples of the country, forcing them into the position of an oppressed underclass.
In 1973 a dramatised version of the novel was broadcast on BBC Radio, starring Liane Aukin and Ian Richardson
.
, and follows the adventures of a Rajput
prince who is heir to a fictional kingdom based in Deori
(roughly comparable to modern Chhattisgarh
). He has just returned from his education in England
. As a sign of his Anglicisation
he plans to build a dam
and a cricket pitch
on disused land in Konpara, a backward and neglected part of his realm. However, when work begins, a fragment of an ancient statue is recovered. Such is its beauty and sensuousness that it is nicknamed the "Venus of Konpara". He decides to excavate the area in search of other remains. Meanwhile, he has been seduced by a Dravidian dancing girl, who becomes his live-in lover and who seems to have a mysterious control over the local people.
The prince's uncle, however, plans to displace him as successor to the throne and works in tandem with other mysterious hidden factions to disrupt the investigations. The local British administrator assists the prince, though with some reservations. The administrator is deeply resentful of his liberated wife, an artist who works in an avant-garde
style similar to Manet
. Her creativity disturbs his rigid and sexually repressed personality.
As excavations proceed it becomes clear that there are systematic attempts to misdirect the dig, and even to threaten the lives of the central characters, who are attacked by the local Gond
tribesmen. The British administrator is drawn into the plot against the prince, and the dancing girl is abducted. All ends happily for the main characters after the administrator is killed when he pricks himself with a poisoned arrow meant for the prince. The dancing girl is rescued and marries the prince. The administrator's widow marries another character who admires her work, and she becomes a famous artist.
into India, but for portraying the Aryans in a negative manner characteristic of post-World War II
anti-Nazi sentiment and Dravidianist
ideology of the era. It turns out that the disruptions to the dig arose from an attempt by a group of Brahmin
s to conceal evidence of a terrible massacre committed by the Aryan invaders, who had built a monument to their victory and had thrown to their deaths thousands of Dravidian workers who had created it. The monument, dedicated to Indra
, is eventually uncovered, containing a large wall-carving depicting the Aryans crushing their enemies, and emphasising the racial differences between the two groups.
However, further investigation reveals that a later chamber was added in which the merging of the two peoples was celebrated. Again, in tandem with ideas of the time, Aryan culture is presented as authoritarian, while Dravidian culture is portrayed as sensuous. The dancing-girl is revealed to be a modern incarnation of the spirit of Dravidianism, whose marriage to the Indo-Aryan hero represents the reinvigoration of distinctive Indian identity.
John Masters
Lieutenant Colonel John Masters, DSO was an English officer in the British Indian Army and novelist. His works are noted for their treatment of the British Empire in India.-Life:...
which draws on an extreme version of the "Aryan Invasion Theory
Aryan invasion theory
The term Aryan invasion theory may refer to*migrational scenarios of prehistorical Indo-Aryan migrations*in 19th and early 20th century racialism:** Historical definitions of races in India** Aryan race*in late 20th century:**Out of India theory...
" model of ancient India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
n history, according to which invading Aryan
Aryan
Aryan is an English language loanword derived from Sanskrit ārya and denoting variously*In scholarly usage:**Indo-Iranian languages *in dated usage:**the Indo-European languages more generally and their speakers...
barbarians ruthlessly crushed underfoot the indigenous Dravidian peoples of the country, forcing them into the position of an oppressed underclass.
In 1973 a dramatised version of the novel was broadcast on BBC Radio, starring Liane Aukin and Ian Richardson
Ian Richardson
Ian William Richardson CBE was a Scottish actor best known for his portrayal of the Machiavellian Tory politician Francis Urquhart in the BBC's House of Cards trilogy. He was also a leading Shakespearean stage actor....
.
Plot summary
The novel is set in the late nineteenth century, during the British RajBritish Raj
British Raj was the British rule in the Indian subcontinent between 1858 and 1947; The term can also refer to the period of dominion...
, and follows the adventures of a Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
prince who is heir to a fictional kingdom based in Deori
Deori
See Deori for disambiguationDeori is a census town in Bilaspur district in the state of Chhattisgarh, India.-Geography:Deori is located at . It has an average elevation of 247 metres .-Demographics:...
(roughly comparable to modern Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh
Chhattisgarh is a state in Central India, formed when the 16 Chhattisgarhi-speaking South-Eastern districts of Madhya Pradesh gained separate statehood on 1 November 2000....
). He has just returned from his education in England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. As a sign of his Anglicisation
Anglicisation
Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...
he plans to build a dam
Dam
A dam is a barrier that impounds water or underground streams. Dams generally serve the primary purpose of retaining water, while other structures such as floodgates or levees are used to manage or prevent water flow into specific land regions. Hydropower and pumped-storage hydroelectricity are...
and a cricket pitch
Cricket pitch
In the game of cricket, the cricket pitch consists of the central strip of the cricket field between the wickets - 1 chain or 22 yards long and 10 feet wide. The surface is very flat and normally covered with extremely short grass though this grass is soon removed by wear at the ends of the...
on disused land in Konpara, a backward and neglected part of his realm. However, when work begins, a fragment of an ancient statue is recovered. Such is its beauty and sensuousness that it is nicknamed the "Venus of Konpara". He decides to excavate the area in search of other remains. Meanwhile, he has been seduced by a Dravidian dancing girl, who becomes his live-in lover and who seems to have a mysterious control over the local people.
The prince's uncle, however, plans to displace him as successor to the throne and works in tandem with other mysterious hidden factions to disrupt the investigations. The local British administrator assists the prince, though with some reservations. The administrator is deeply resentful of his liberated wife, an artist who works in an avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
style similar to Manet
Édouard Manet
Édouard Manet was a French painter. One of the first 19th-century artists to approach modern-life subjects, he was a pivotal figure in the transition from Realism to Impressionism....
. Her creativity disturbs his rigid and sexually repressed personality.
As excavations proceed it becomes clear that there are systematic attempts to misdirect the dig, and even to threaten the lives of the central characters, who are attacked by the local Gond
Gondi people
The Gondi, Goindi or Gond people are people in central India, spread over the states of Madhya Pradesh, eastern Maharashtra , Chhattisgarh, northern Andhra Pradesh, and Western Orissa. With over four million people, they are the largest tribe in Central India.The Gondi language is related to...
tribesmen. The British administrator is drawn into the plot against the prince, and the dancing girl is abducted. All ends happily for the main characters after the administrator is killed when he pricks himself with a poisoned arrow meant for the prince. The dancing girl is rescued and marries the prince. The administrator's widow marries another character who admires her work, and she becomes a famous artist.
Use of Aryan invasion theory
The novel is notable for its use of the extreme "invasionist" model of Indo-Aryan migrationIndo-Aryan migration
Models of the Indo-Aryan migration discuss scenarios of prehistoric migrations of the proto-Indo-Aryans to their historically attested areas of settlement in the northwest of the Indian subcontinent...
into India, but for portraying the Aryans in a negative manner characteristic of post-World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
anti-Nazi sentiment and Dravidianist
Dravidar Kazhagam
Dravidar Kazhagam or Dravida Kazhagam was the first fully Dravidian party in India. It was a radical party formed by E. V. Ramaswamy, also called Thanthai Periyar of erstwhile Madras Presidency...
ideology of the era. It turns out that the disruptions to the dig arose from an attempt by a group of Brahmin
Brahmin
Brahmin Brahman, Brahma and Brahmin.Brahman, Brahmin and Brahma have different meanings. Brahman refers to the Supreme Self...
s to conceal evidence of a terrible massacre committed by the Aryan invaders, who had built a monument to their victory and had thrown to their deaths thousands of Dravidian workers who had created it. The monument, dedicated to Indra
Indra
' or is the King of the demi-gods or Devas and Lord of Heaven or Svargaloka in Hindu mythology. He is also the God of War, Storms, and Rainfall.Indra is one of the chief deities in the Rigveda...
, is eventually uncovered, containing a large wall-carving depicting the Aryans crushing their enemies, and emphasising the racial differences between the two groups.
The defeated masses were small and squat, their faces somewhat exaggeratedly simian, sometimes beautiful, but always different, with their broad cheekbones and square shapes, from the tall, straight-nosed, lank-haired heroes who destroyed them and their works.
However, further investigation reveals that a later chamber was added in which the merging of the two peoples was celebrated. Again, in tandem with ideas of the time, Aryan culture is presented as authoritarian, while Dravidian culture is portrayed as sensuous. The dancing-girl is revealed to be a modern incarnation of the spirit of Dravidianism, whose marriage to the Indo-Aryan hero represents the reinvigoration of distinctive Indian identity.