The Emergence of the Indian Scientific Community

Abstract

The growth of science organized in terms of specialist groups or small communities sharing a set of 'social' and 'cognitive' values to explore and advance systematic knowledge is a recent historical development.2 The centrality of science in the transformation of modern societies was, to a large extent, the result of what Ben-David (1971) refers to as the growth of professionalization associated with the emergence of effective scientific communities. Even though science appeared in its institutionalized form from as early as the late 16th and 17th centuries, the transformative role of science did not come about until the emergence of professionalized communities in 19th century Europe and 20th century North America. When we speak of a scientific community, the size of professional grouping becomes more meaningful in terms of what Whitley (1976) defines as disciplines, specialities and research areas, which may hold together between three or four to a few dozen scientists. The drive towards professionalization and the emergence of scientific communities in 19th century Europe shows that these developments have come about in a somewhat 'organic' mould catalyzed by the prevailing political structures. Even though the Euro-centred investigation of Ben-David and others offers little insight into the understanding of non-Western cultures such as India, the social context mapped by them is not without relevance in so far as the development of institutional factors are concerned. Despite the implantation of modern science from about the 18th century onwards, colonial structures separated institutionalization from professionalization. So far, some sociologists in India have mapped the growth of modern science but have not paid adequate attention to the emergence of an Indian scientific community.3 Did the advent of modern science in India entail the advent of professionalization and the formation of specialist groups? What was the social character of science under colonialism? What were the social identities