Page:The Renaissance In India.djvu/55

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THE RENAISSANCE IN INDIA

first the central idea still remained very plainly of the modern type and betrayed everywhere the western inspiration, but it drew to itself willingly the ancient ideas and it coloured itself more and more with their essential spirit ; and latterly this suf-fusing element has overflooded, has tended more and more to take up and subdue the original motives until the thought and spirit, turn and tinge are now character-istically Indian. The work of Bunkim Chandra Chatterji and Tagore, the two minds of the most distinctive and original genius in our recent literature illustrate the stages of this transition.

Side by side with this movement and more characteristic and powerful there has been flowing an opposite current. This first started on its way by an integral re-action, a vindication and reacceptance of everything Indian as it stood and because it was Indian. We have still waves of this impulse and many of its influences continuing among us ; for its

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