The Maharaj Libel Case: The Truth of a British Missionary Plot Against Hindus by Dhawal Patel-Part 2

The libel case was brought in response to an article by Karsandas Mulji, the editor of the Bombay-based Gujarati newspaper Satya Prakash (“Light of Truth”). Titled, “The Primitive Religion of the Hindus and the Present Heterodox Opinions”, the article made a forceful case against the sect known as Vallabha Sampradaya (or Pushti Marg) – devoted to Krishna was a “new” and “heretical” religion – particularly as it had arisen within the period of the Kaliyug. Mulji argued that Hinduism must be singular, and that the idea of multiple religions branching off from that originary source was “a deceitful proposition”.

Mulji also alleged that the leaders of this sect – the Maharajas – were immoral and “lost in a sea of licentiousness” and named one of the Maharajas – Jadunathji Maharaj.
Gujarati Newspaper - Satya Prakash by Karsandas Mulji

On 14th May 1861, Jadunathji Maharaj filed a plaint in the Supreme Court of Bombay, claiming that the article in Satya Prakash was libelous, and asking for damages in the region of 50,000 rupees. The case came to trial early in 1862, and lasted for three months. The case was presided over by British Judges - Sir Matthew Richard Sausse, the first chief justice of the High Court of Bombay and Judge Joseph Arnould, and both the Maharaj and Mulji were represented by English counsel. The proceedings were reported on by the Bombay Gazette and The Times of India.

The Maharaj’s case was that he was a valid religious authority and guru within his tradition; that his religious views were not heterodox within his religion, and that he was not guilty of “improper conduct.” The Defendants countered with the plea that the Maharaj was not a valid preceptor and Sri Vallabhacharya – being of modern date – “15th century of the Christian era” – was “altogether repugnant to and at variance with the religious doctrines and practices of the ancient Hindu religion”. The defence further averred that the religious books of Sri Vallabhacharya contained many passages of “indecent and immoral character” in which “adultery and fornication are encouraged and commended”, summing up with the assertion that the “supposed libel” of the the original newspaper article and its statements were true in substance and effect.

To read the entire article on this please refer to this page -
https://www.pushtipedia.com/wiki/Maha...

To read the review of Maharaj movie, please go to below page -
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1V...



𝗞𝗡𝗢𝗪 𝗔𝗕𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗛𝗢𝗦𝗧:
🙋‍♂️ Meet Dhawal Patel, who is deeply committed to his spiritual journey as a practitioner of Hindū Sanātana Dharma, particularly the Puṣṭimārga or Vallabha Sampradāya. Under the guidance of Goswami Shyam Manoharji (Parla), For over two decades, Dhawal has been a dedicated Puṣṭimārgiya Vaishnava follower, actively engaging in discourse and scholarly pursuits. As an author, Dhawal has penned the acclaimed book "Doctrines of Pushtibhaktimarga: A True Representation of the Views of Sri Vallabhāchārya,". He has also contributed to international religious forums, including the Parliament of the World's Religions, where he delivered enlightening talks on topics such as "Vedic Monistic Polytheism and its Role in World Peace, Conservation, and Interfaith Tolerance." He has authored 50+ papers & articles on Pushtimarga.

Dhawal is the founder of pushtisahitya.org and pushtipedia.com, pioneering platforms dedicated to archiving and sharing Puṣṭimārgiya scriptures and knowledge.

Dhawal Patel's intellectual pursuits encompasses the study of Indian Philosophies, including Jainism, Buddhism, and Vedantic philosophies proposed by eminent figures such as Vallabhacharya, Shankaracharya, Ramanujacharya, Nimbarkacharya, Vigyan Bhikshu, Purva Mimamsakas, Samkhya, Yoga Systems, and other darshans.

A Sanskritist, Dhawal has pursued studies in Paninian Sanskrit under the tutelage of traditional Vedic teachers. His interests extend to metaphysics, hermeneutics, epistemology, and exploring the interconnections between modern science and Vedic metaphysics. He is an author of “Purusha-suktam: A Vallabh Vedant perspective" that brings out the parallelism between Modern science and Vedic metaphysics.
Read his bio: https://dhawalpatel.org/Dhawal_Patel_...

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