Katherine Mayo
Encyclopedia
Katherine Mayo was an American writer notorious for her polemical book Mother India (1927), in which she attacked the Hindu
society, religion and culture of the country
.
The book created a sensation on three continents. Written against the demands for self-rule and Indian independence, Mayo pointed to the treatment of India's women, the untouchables
, the animals, the dirt and the character of its nationalistic politicians. Mayo singled out the "rampant" and fatally weakening sexuality of its males to be at the core of all problems, leading to masturbation, rape, homosexuality, prostitution and veneral diseases and, most importantly, to too early sexual intercourse and premature maternity.
Her book was burned in India along with an effigy of its author. It was criticized by Mahatma Gandhi
as a "report of a drain inspector sent out with the one purpose of opening and examining the drains of the country to be reported upon".
Hindu
Hindu refers to an identity associated with the philosophical, religious and cultural systems that are indigenous to the Indian subcontinent. As used in the Constitution of India, the word "Hindu" is also attributed to all persons professing any Indian religion...
society, religion and culture of the country
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...
.
The book created a sensation on three continents. Written against the demands for self-rule and Indian independence, Mayo pointed to the treatment of India's women, the untouchables
Dalit
Dalit is a designation for a group of people traditionally regarded as Untouchable. Dalits are a mixed population, consisting of numerous castes from all over South Asia; they speak a variety of languages and practice a multitude of religions...
, the animals, the dirt and the character of its nationalistic politicians. Mayo singled out the "rampant" and fatally weakening sexuality of its males to be at the core of all problems, leading to masturbation, rape, homosexuality, prostitution and veneral diseases and, most importantly, to too early sexual intercourse and premature maternity.
Her book was burned in India along with an effigy of its author. It was criticized by Mahatma Gandhi
Mahatma Gandhi
Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi , pronounced . 2 October 1869 – 30 January 1948) was the pre-eminent political and ideological leader of India during the Indian independence movement...
as a "report of a drain inspector sent out with the one purpose of opening and examining the drains of the country to be reported upon".
Works
- Justice to All: History of the Pennsylvania State Police (1917)
- The Standard Bearers: True Stories of Heroes of Law and Order (1918)
- That Damn Y (1920)
- Mounted Justice: True Stories of the Pennsylvania State Police (1922)
- The Isles of Fear: The Truth about the Philippines (1925)
- Mother India (1927)
- Slaves of the Gods (1929)
- Volume II (1931)
- Soldiers What Next! (1934)
- The Face of Mother India (1935)
- Selections from Mother India (1998, Mrinalini Sinha, editor)
External links
- A Biography of Mayo at pabook.libraries.psu.edu
- Mother India book download