Routledge Colonialism and Knowledge in Grierson's Linguistic Survey

This book provides the first detailed examination of George Abraham Grierson's Linguistic Survey of India, exploring one of South Asia's most comprehensive sources on regional languages and dialects. The work reveals how the Survey employed a composite and collaborative approach to knowledge production, challenging conventional divisions between European orientalists and colonised Indian scholars during British rule. Rather than claiming absolute authority, the Survey's strength lay in its acknowledgement of provisional findings, recognition of approximate results, and honest assessment of its own limitations and gaps. This analysis reshapes understanding of how linguistic knowledge was constructed and validated in colonial India, offering insights into the complex relationships between colonialism, scholarship, and South Asian language documentation. Routledge's publication examines these themes through rigorous academic scrutiny of historical sources and methodologies.