The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1871-07-27
EGYPT AND INDIA. =
From the Golden Age .
BY e. G. HOLLAND.


point out with certainty the primary seat
of civilization from which all nations
have drawn, and difficult to settle the
rival claims to the greatest antiquity
made by the oldest nations, it is evident
that Egypt and India drank from SINH
lar fountains, and that the priority and
greater originality of India as respects
Egypt cannot be successfully questioned,
Neither Chaidea, Iran, or Egypt can
offer as strong claims as India to having
been the primary teacher of the nations,
though Persia, whose literature was never
so mastery as that of the Aryan race,
would stand next to it, if not with it, in
the honors due to years.
That Egypt, whose genius was able to
modify all she derived from India or
elsewhere, and to put her own stamp of
originality upon it, was derived from
India, probably to as wide an extent, so
far as its civilization is concerned, rs the
old thirteen States Of our own country
were from Great Britain, is a position
which grows stronger with each step of
historical inquiry. The fact that Mr..
Bruce, the English traveller, found at
Masuah near Meroe, in Southern Nubia,
whence the Egyptians say their remotest
ancestors came, prevalence OF Sanscrlt
words spoken by the people, points
strongly in this direction, as we'll as the
notable tradition of India, recorded IN
the Puranas, that two emigrations from
her people had been made into Egypt.
Long before the river Nile was called
-N5gas, it was designated by Sanscrit
name signifying dark blue, the same
name which was anciently given to the
Indus; and that the persons of the
Egyptians were quite similar to the Hin
docs, may still be seen by the paintings
of each on the walls In Blumenbachs
collection of skulls from various races
and nations, the great naturalist observed
that the Egyptian and Hindoo skull bore
a more striking resemblance TO each
other than any two in his collection.
In both Egypt and India, the heredl-
tary Priesthood formed the highest caste,
had exclusive possession Of the Sacred
Books, and of all the learning in the
land were in fact the only judges, ply
sicians, and astronomers. In both coun
tries this caste had hieratic language,
used for sacred purposes, and different
from the vernacular In each country
rulers, and afterwards kings were chosen
from the warrior caste, whom the priests,
however, continued to regulate and con
troll. In neither country was there
female priesthood, and in each the priests
were accustomed to marry The Brah
minis and the priests of Egypt owned a
good deal of property, in the form of
land; the priests of Egypt owned one
third Of all the land, which in both
countries was exempt from taxation
Government, being more of a science,
than is obedience to the religious impulse,
it is natural that the primitive ages Of
the greatest nations should have been
governed directly by the official repre-
sentatives of the religious element; the
greater complication of secular law and
order, as the nation grew older, naturally
called for princes, who took great bur-
den from off the shoulders of the priests.
The architecture of tue Egyptians bore
a striking resemblance to the way in
which public and private buildings were
erected in India; even the Pyramid, so
common In Egypt, was, In truncated
form, the main entrance to the temples
of India. The religious temples OF each
country had a sanctuary, held to be the
most sacred, into which none but priests
could enter but in each country these
temples had outer courts for the people.
The same animals were deemed sacred
in Egypt and in India; in each it was
believed that the gods breathed ether,
finer element, above the common air.
The transmigration of souls into animals
was taught in both countries, and in each
the priesthood taught that there were
ascending spheres Of existence above the
earth, and to the more intelligent they
communicated the idea that all souls
emanated from the One Unseen Univer,
sal Source-"the One Uriverial Soul
in successive gradations.
The noble groop Of civilizations
planted about the Mediterranean were
primarily formed by emigrations of Jews,
Romans, Greek; and it is by no means
probable that the Egyptians were an ex-
ception 10 the others. So
The geographical position of Egypt,
as nearer to the definite and practical
genius of Europe, its direct intercourse
with the Mediterranean natlonalities,
gave to its culture find opportunity for
practical development and for the di
rect instruction of the Mediterranean ma
tionalities, Egypt enjoyed an opportunity
which massive India in her vastness and
distance, could not command. Egypt,
in my opinion, was not only q derivation
chiefly from India, but it ismore strongly
still an original notifications OF the
Aryan cdltus, which, in many. ifnE5rtapt
things, itexcels. Egypt was. the great
mediator between Asia and Europe, the
East and West, the place where the best
Asiatic culture became SO modified and
orpanized that it could exert its power