The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-17 00:00:00

PROFESSOR MONIER WILLIAMS ON
INDIA.

The Boden Professor of Sanskrit delivered a
lecture on India last week before the University of
Oxford, and said that, having just returned from his
third Indian journey, he felt humbled by a sense
of the little he had learned, compared to what he
had still to learn, of that wonderful land, which was
a semi-continent containing one-sixth of the human
race. Perhaps the point that had impressed
him most forcibly was that India was a land of
surprises, contradictions, and anomalies, which
over-precise, over-logical, and self opinionated
persons had better not select as the sphere of their
life's work. Tho political economist must expect to
see his cherished dogmas brushed away; the philolo-
gist his linguistic rules disregarded; and the student
of religions his book-evolved theories upset by actual
experience in India. Then that most unchangeable of
countries had during the last hundred years under-
gone more changes than any other. In the middle of
the last century six foreign invasions occurred. Vast
districts -were depopulated, innumerable homesteads
ravaged; Thugs and robbers made all travelling un-
safe, widow-burning, infanticide, and human sacri-
fices were common; no man's life and property
could be called his own; the whole country was
hastening to anarchy, chaos, and ruin. What a
change had our rule effected, and what vast improve-
ments had the lecturer himself witnessed! Order for
chaos, good government for anarchy, justice for
oppression, a watchful police for plunderers and
murderers, a well organised army for unruly bands
of soldiers, peace and security for war and rapine,
well drained land for feverish swamps, cultivated
fields for wild jungle, comfortable cottages foi.
lairs of wild beasts, engineering works of
greater magnitude than can be seen in any
other part of the world, 10,000 miles of railway
connecting every province; districts once shut up
within themselves and hostile to each other brought
into connexion; tramways running in large towns;
post-offices and telegraphs in nearly every village;
caste---the bane of progress—giving way before facili-
ties of communication; laborious trigonometrical,
topographical, industrial, and archwological surveys
extended to every district; trade and commerce
developing; old industries reviving, new ones being
introduced (as proved by the recent Calcutta Inter-
national Exhibition) ; continually increasing planta-
tions of tea, tobacco, indigo, alid chincona ; new jute
factories, cotton mills, paper mills being erected, new
coal mines being exploited; new hospitals, sana-
toriums, orphanages, and admirably-arranged gaols;
education everywhere gaining ground and a new
departure being inaugurated by the recent Educational
CoMmission, which had just published its exhaustive
report ; a fourth university just added to the three
already existing , women admitted to the university
examinations, and at Calcutta even to degrees; new
colleges and schools (like the Muir and Mayo
colleges) being established; European literature and
philosophies more and more appreciated; a free Press
giving birth to an increasing „progeny of ably-con-
ducted newspapers, magazines, and native books;
municipal institutions and self-government gradually
advancing; the whole tone of native thought and feel-
ing being elevated and Christianized, if not converted
to Christian dogma. And were no reflex benefits con-
ferred on us? One of the chief was the invaluable
training-ground afforded by India for developing the
administrative ability and energy of the young men
we sent there. Groat. Britain might well be proud
of the work done by her sons, often in an exhausting
climate and under many difficulties and drawbacks.
But she ought to be grateful for the advantages she
gained. And was there no reverse side to the picture?
It was to be regretted that the old social gulf between
the rulers and the ruled remained still unbridged.
Yet native caste prejudices were greatly to
blame, and the Professor had lately found
examples of his fellow-countrymen, high in office,
living on terms of the greatest personal friendship
with the Indian community around them. Undoubtedly
there was a great increase of cordial co-operation
between Englishmen and Indians in every depart-
ment of work. The Professor deplored the yawning
gulf still existing between the educated natives and
the mass of the people, and between the educated hus-
band and his ignorant wife. He lamented other evils.
The killing of cows and oxen caused great offence.
They were sacred animals and essential for agricul-
ture. More encouragement should be given in 'Uni-
versity examinations to proficiency in the vernaculars;
the degrees of Pundit and Maulvi should be given for
proficiency in Sanskrit and Arabic; the out-still sys-
tem was increasing drunkenness while it increased
the revenue. More might be done to deter the
people from ruining themselves by borrowing from
usurers at rates of interest varying from 12 to 75 per
cent., and by squandering large sums on marriages,
caste festivals, and funerals. Mr. Leslie Saunders
had called a meeting:of the most influential inhabi-
tants of his district, and persuasled them to combine
together /or the creation of a strong public
opinion opposed to such pernicious customs. Why
were rich native minors so often committed to
the tutelage of plausible Baboos, who demoralized
them instead of really educating them! Why
were the native States allowed to maintain
useless armies which drained the resources
of India when their military ardour would be quite as
well satisfied by making them furnish contingents to
serve with our army outside their own territories?
The professor then adverted to the new route likely
to be soon opened to India, which, he predicted, would
lead to a great development of intercourse between
Europe and our eastern possessions. Mr. Cust had
lately travelled by this route, so far as it was com-
pleted, and had published a map, a rough copy of
which was exhibited in the lecture room. A railway
ticket might be taken from London to Odessa; thence
the traveller was transported by fine Russian steamers
in two days to Batoum, at the other end of the
Black Sea. There comfortable Russian railway
carriages were in readiness to take him in 36 hours to
Baku, on the Caspian. The traject in fine steamers to
Michaelovsk, on the other side, took one day. At
Michaelovsk was the terminus of the new Central
Asian railway, which the Russians had completed
some months ago for 144 miles, as far as Kizil Arvat.
They were pushing it on to Herat by Merv, lately occu-
pied, and Sarakhs, just ceded by Persia. We on our
side, as announced in the Times of April 28, were push-
ing on our line to Quetta. We should be compelled,
though against our will, to carry on our railway
through Candahar and meet the Russians at Herat,
English influence ought to dominate in Afghanistan;
but the Professor had been cured of Russophobia by
his repeated travels, and hoped we should meet the
Russians at Herat as friends. There was room for
both. The Russian Empire was being impelled
towards Herat, notwithstanding the disclaimers of its
Government, by the same law of self-preservation and
the same necessity of progress which was impelling
the British Empire, against the wishes of its Govern-
ment, towards the sera, goal. It was only a question
of a few years. If we remain friends with Russia,
the journey from Calais to the Indian frontier would
soon be accomplished in nine days. Professor Monier
Williams concluded by stating that his main object
in visiting India a third time was to endeavour to
induce the Supreme Government to found six scholar-
ships for natives of India to be attached to the Indian
Institute. He was.happy to say that the Viceroy and
his council had assented to the proposal, which was
enthusiastically supported by the educated classes in
India, and now only awaited the sanction of the
Home Government.