Chapter I: Preface

To the people of the West, the inhabitants of India are the least understood and the most easily misunderstood of all men.

It is partly because they are antipodal to the West--the farthest removed in thought and life. They are also the most secretive, and find perennial delight in concealment and evasion.

According to Hindu teaching, the Supreme Spirit forever sports in illusion. It continuously manifests itself through unreal and false forms, which delude and lead astray ignorant man. In harmony with this philosophy of the Divine--and may it not be as a result of it?--the people of India too often delight in unreal and deceptive exhibitions of themselves. At any rate, it is exceedingly difficult for a man of the West, especially he of the Anglo-Saxon type, to apprehend the full significance and the correct drift of life and thought of this land.

It is amusing, when not discouraging, to witness travellers, who have rushed through India in a winter tour, publish volumes of their misconceptions and ill-digested theories about the people with an oracular emphasis which is equalled only by their ignorance.

The author of this book makes no claim to a right to speak _ex cathedra_ upon this subject. Nevertheless, thirty years of matured experience in this land, living in constant touch with the people and studying with eagerness their life and thought, gives him an humble claim to speak once more upon the subject.

Even now, however, his pride of knowledge is chastened by the oft-recurring surprises which the Oriental nature and life still bring to him. And he does not cease to pray, with a western saint, who, at the end of a half century of work for the people of India, daily cried out,--

"O Lord, help me to know these people and to come into intimate relations of life with them!"

If, in these pages, he can help others of the West to come face to face with the immense and intricate problems which confront all who desire to know, to help, and to bless India, and shall enable them to understand better the conditions and characteristics of life in the Land of the Vedas, he will feel amply repaid for his labours.

I express my deep gratitude to the Rev. J. L. Barton, D.D., for his kind encouragement in the publishing of this book; and also to the Rev. W. W. Wallace, M.A., for his generous aid in the proof-reading.

J. P. JONES.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER

I. INDIA'S UNREST

i. Extent of the Movement

ii. Causes of Unrest

iii. Conditions of Unrest

iv. Results

v. How shall the Unrest be Removed

II. THE HOME OF MANY FAITHS

Hinduism--Madura and Benares

Demonolatry--Madura

Christianity--Travancore and Cochin

Judaism--Cochin

Parseeism--Bombay

Jainism--Bombay

Mohammedanism--Agra and Delhi

Buddhism--Delhi, Sarnath

Sikhism--Amritsar

III. BURMA, THE BEAUTIFUL

The Extent of the British Empire

Burma's Triple Produce

The Land of Pagodas

Mandalay

A Land where Woman is Honoured

A Land where Caste is Unknown

The American Baptist Mission

The Karens and their Conversion

Ko San Ye

IV. THE HINDU CASTE SYSTEM

What is Caste

i. Origin of Caste

(_a_) Religious Theory

(_b_) Tribal Theory

(_c_) Social Theory

(_d_) Occupational Theory

(_e_) Crossing Theory

ii. Characteristics of Caste

Intermarriage

Inter-dining

Contact

Occupation

iii. Penalties of Caste

Boycott

Caste Servants Interdicted

Domestic Isolation

Prayaschitta. (Travelling)

V. THE HINDU CASTE SYSTEM (_Continued_)

iv. Occasions of Punishment

Change of Faith

Marrying a Widow

Beef-eating

Officiating as Priest to Outcasts

Marrying outside of One's Caste

v. The Results of the Caste System

Possibilities of Good

It arrays Caste against Caste

It narrows the Sympathies

It degrades Manual Labour

It opposes Commerce

A Foe to Nationality

A Foe to Individualism

It is Unethical

vi. The Dominance of Caste

Seen even among Christians

Roman Catholicism and Protestantism

Signs of its Decadence

Opposed by Western Progress

Government Opposition

Christianity its Foe

VI. THE BHAGAVAD GITA--THE HINDU BIBLE

i. What is this Song

ii. What are its Purposes and Contents

1. Its Teaching concerning God

Incarnation

2. The Doctrine of the Living Soul

3. The Doctrine of Liberation

(1) Through Knowledge

(2) Through Asceticism

(3) Through Works

Caste

Detachment

Bhakti

(4) Altruism.

4. The Doctrine of Salvation

Reincarnation

iii. Conclusion

VII. POPULAR HINDUISM

i. The Higher Faith

The Evolution of Faith

ii. Popular Hinduism

1. Caste

2. Polytheism

3. Idolatry

4. Devil-worship

5. Fetichism

6. Immorality

7. Treatment of Woman

8. The Hindu Ascetic

9. Hindu Pessimism

10. Astrology

VIII. HINDU RELIGIOUS IDEALS

i. The Ideal of God

ii. Ideal of Incarnation

iii. Ideals of Life

Asceticism

Ceremonialism

Quietism

iv. Ultimate Salvation

Transmigration

Absorption

IX. THE HOME LIFE OF HINDUS

The Home Sanctuary

The Building of the House

The Joint Family System

Priest and Astrologer

Place of Woman in the Home

The Devotion of Woman

The Influence of Woman

Marriage in the Home

The Hindu Widow

Mother-in-law and Daughter-in-law

Love of Jewellery

Clothing and Cuisine

Sickness and Death

Funeral Obsequies

Shradda

X. KALI YUGA--INDIA'S PESSIMISM

i. The Astounding Length of the Chronological System

History and Legend in India

ii. The Cyclic Character of Hindu Chronology

No Progress in Time

The Source of Pessimism

iii. The Moral Characteristics of the Time System

Every Yuga has its Own Character

The Evil Character of Kali

_Cui Bono_

Astrology

Lucky Days

XI. ISLAM IN INDIA

i. The History of Islam in India

ii. The Present Condition of this Faith in India

Ill-adapted to India

Its Conception of Deity

Intolerance and Tolerance

Contact with Hinduism

Compromise

Islam's Attempt at Reform

Islam's Redeeming Qualities

Muslim Sects

iii. The Mohammedan Population

iv. Christian Effort for the Mussulman

XII. THE CHRIST AND THE BUDDHA

i. The Conditions of their Lives

ii. The Common Principles which controlled Them

Sincerity

Ethics

Universal Charity

iii. The Teachings which differentiate Them

1. Teaching concerning God

2. Their Conceptions of Human Life

3. Their Ideals of Life

Character and Wisdom

Final Consummation

XIII. MODERN RELIGIOUS MOVEMENT

Hindu Reformers

i. Hindu Sects

ii. Modern Movements

Ram Mohan Roy

Brahmo Somaj

Chunder Sen

Athi Somaj

Sadharna Somaj

New Dispensation

iii. Progress of the Movement

Weak in Numbers

Indian Spirit

Christian Basis

"The Oriental Christ"

Chunder Sen's Words.

Other Testimony

The New Dispensation

iv. The Arya Somaj

Its Progress

Its Principles

Its Antagonism to Christianity

v. The Theosophical Society

Its Reactionary Spirit

Mrs. Besant

The "Masters"

XIV. THE PROGRESS OF CHRISTIANITY IN INDIA

i. Early History of Christianity

Converts

The Character of the Christian Community

Influence of Christianity

"Swadesha"

Protestant Effort

ii. Ultimate Triumph of Christianity

Not the Western Type

The Kingdom of God

iii. A Conquest of the Spirit

1. Conquest of Principles

2. Conquest of the Christ Ideal

3. Conquest of the Incarnation of Christ

4. Conquest of the Cross of Christ

5. Conquest of the Christian Conception of Sin

INDEX

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LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS

A HOLY MAN OF INDIA _Frontispiece_

THE GOLDEN LILY TANK IN THE MADURA TEMPLE

TAJ MAHAL, AGRA

MARBLE SCREEN IN TAJ MAHAL

SHAH JEHAN'S FORT, AGRA

AKBAR'S TOMB

KUTAB-MINAR, DELHI

CASHMERE GATE, DELHI

SCHWEY DAGON PAGODA, RANGOON

THEEBAW'S PALACE, MANDALAY

JUNGLE PEOPLE OF INDIA

A DRAVIDIAN SHRINE, SOUTH INDIA

TWO HINDU IDOLS, SOUTH INDIA

HUMAYAN'S TOMB, DELHI

THE GREATEST IMAGE OF BUDDHA

A CHRISTIAN VILLAGE SCHOOL IN SOUTH INDIA

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INDIA: ITS LIFE AND THOUGHT