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The Cercle Littéraire (Literary Circle), initially known as the Cercle Franco-parsi (Franco-Parsee Circle),was inaugurated in November 1886. The name was altered so as not to arouse the British authorities' suspicions. Donations from wealthy members of the Parsee community, Dinshaw Petit in particular, enabled the establishment of a thriving centre for promotion and dissemination of French culture. Its creation was a direct consequence of the inclusion of French among second languages in university examinations:"Before 1886, the University of Bombay did not recognise French as one of the second languages for higher education examinations. It was only included in the programme of subjects required for entrance examinations and matriculation. This fact in itself, as well as the increasingly important relations between India and Europe since the early '70s, the major influx of Indian students wishing to continue their studies for administrative positions and the liberal professions, and the ever growing number of ladies and gentlemen who had undertaken the study of French, opened students' eyes, and the eyes of their parents and tutors, to the huge advantage of studying the French language as a tool for cultural fulfilment and professional success."[1]
Also, according to James Darmesteter, "Although the French language struggled to make its way into universities and official education, it permeated private society with no trouble at all. A few young French language enthusiasts got together and created a French club and French library."
In his book Letters on India: at the Afghan border, Darmesteter writes,
"22 November: By happy coincidence, I have arrived just in time to attend a much anticipated French celebration, all the more precious as French initiative counts for nothing here and France's genius is here for everyone. This evening, they are opening the Cercle Littéraire, founded by Parsee students for the study of French language and literature. The story is well worth telling.
Three years ago, two young Parsee girls, Mihirbai and Ratnabai, daughters of the lawyer Ardéchir, presented themselves and asked to be questioned on French. Their request was refused and they were told, Take one of the six classical languages: Latin, Greek, Sanskrit; Hebrew or Persian. Their father sent a petition to the University Senate demanding that French be introduced as seventh classical language. His petition was rejected; a second petition, supported by a clear shift in opinion among the Parsees and energetically defended in the Senate by a Spaniard, Professor Pedrazza, the true creator of the French movement."
In the 1890s, the library contained 1,836 books on a wide variety of subjects, attesting to an "erudite eclecticism". In 1891, it had almost 200 members. Alongside the few French people in Bombay, there were a number of Europeans (English and Portuguese), as well as Hindus, Jews and Muslims. However, half the members came from the Parsee community.
In India Today, Albert Métin gives his impressions:
"We had been told, not without reason, that we would find many of them to have affinities with France: at the hotel, on the train, in the street, Parsees asked us about France with evident curiosity, testifying to a marked interest in our country (…). We were taken to the Parsee Club where there were more than twenty gentlemen speaking French and we spent the happiest of all our evenings in Bombay there, the only one without etiquette or formal dress. We were taken to the Parsee Literary Circle, the only institution anywhere in Bombay that features in the directory of the French Alliance for the propagation of our language."
In 1902, the Cercle Littéraire distinguished itself by its response to the attempt to exclude French from university programmes (see the article on the French in India).
Published in january 2023
1]NOTI S.J.S., DAVAR J.E., 1902: A Letter From The Bombay Cercle Littéraire Français, Dinshaw Petit Library. On the subject of the exclusion of the French language from the University course as recommended by the Indian Universities commission, p. 3, 20 October 1902, Mumbai, 10 p.
2]Berthet, Samuel. India-France (1870-1962): Cultural Issues. Pondicherry: French Institute of Pondicherry, 2019. Web
