Koenraad Elst facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Koenraad Elst
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Elst in Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh in 2018.
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| Born | 7 August 1959 Leuven, Belgium
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| Nationality | Belgian |
| Education | Benaras Hindu University Katholieke Universitiet Leuven |
| Occupation | Author |
Koenraad Elst (born August 7, 1959) is a Flemish author from Belgium. He is known for supporting the Hindutva idea, which is a type of Hindu nationalism. He also supports the "Out of India" theory, which suggests that Indo-European languages started in India. Most scholars do not agree with this theory. Some scholars also say that his writings show strong criticism of Islam.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Elst grew up in a Flemish Catholic family.
He studied different subjects like Indology (the study of India), Sinology (the study of China), and philosophy at the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium. When he was a student, he was involved in Flemish nationalism, which is a political movement for the Flemish people.
From 1988 to 1992, Elst studied at the Banaras Hindu University in India. In 1999, he earned his PhD (a high-level university degree) in Asian Studies from Leuven. His PhD paper was later published as a book called Decolonizing the Hindu Mind.
His Writings and Ideas
Ideas on Ancient Languages
Koenraad Elst has written two books, Update on the Aryan Invasion Debate (1999) and Asterisk in Bhāropīyasthān (2007). In these books, he discusses where the Indo-European languages came from.
Most experts believe these languages started in a region called the Kurgan culture in Central Asia. They think that people speaking an early form of these languages moved to the Indian subcontinent around 2000 BCE.
However, Elst suggests a different idea. He believes these languages actually started in India. He thinks that ancient people, whom he calls Aryans, were native to India and then spread their language to the Middle East and Europe. He argues that language information can be understood in different ways. Most language theories, he says, could also fit with the idea of languages spreading out of India.
Elst is one of the main supporters of this "Out of India" theory. However, most scholars do not accept this theory. They see it as a fringe idea, meaning it's not widely supported by the academic community.
Views on Hindutva and Other Religions
Elst has been involved with Flemish nationalist groups and has written for conservative blogs.
He is a strong supporter of Hindutva. This is a Hindu nationalist movement often linked with the political right-wing in India. Elst sees Hindutva as a way for Indians to regain their cultural identity and return to what he believes was a glorious Hindu past. He has written that ancient Hindu science was very advanced.
In one of his books, Ram Janmabhoomi vs Babri Masjid, Elst discusses the site of the Babri Masjid. He argues that it was the birthplace of the Hindu god Rama. This book was published by Voice of India, a publisher known for promoting Hindu nationalist ideas. This book was praised by L. K. Advani, a former important politician in India.
Elst has also written critically about Christianity and Islam. He believes that these "Semitic" faiths changed an earlier, more universal spiritual belief. In his book Decolonizing the Hindu Mind, he suggests that Hinduism needs to be "revived" because other beliefs, especially Islam, have weakened it in some parts of India.
He has also written about what he calls a "prohibition of criticism of Islam" in India. He claims that some historians ignore past actions against Hindu communities to fit their own political views.
Influences
Koenraad Elst's writings have been used by some controversial figures. For example, Anders Behring Breivik, a Norwegian terrorist, quoted Elst's work in his own writings. Breivik's manifesto, which outlined his extreme views, used Elst's ideas to claim that there was a movement trying to hide past wrongdoings by Islam.
See also
In Spanish: Koenraad Elst para niños
