The Leavenworth weekly times. [volume] (Leavenworth, Kan.) 1870-1880, 1879-05-08
GRANT IN INDIA.

GRANT IN INDIA.
Camel Ridinsin IIindostan-
Night among the Ruins Of the Palace
OF Akbar.
Letter TO the New York Herald
1t was arranged that on our way to Agra
We should visit the famous ruins OF Futteh-
poor Sikra. In the days of great Moham-
medan rulers there was none so great as
Akbsr. One of the trials to which this
rich country-unfortunat India-has been
sub ected is that with every age there comes
a new conqueror, tide of new invaders
The law OF conquest that the North should
invade the South, that the sons Of the snow
| should overmaster the children Of the sun,
| that the men of the mountain should put
their feet on the men OF the valley, has had
no better illustration than in the checkered
destiny OF Hindostan. Ii was a part of
the marvellous career of Islam that its
soldiers should come with fire and sword
into these plains of Northern India. In
1865, about the time when the Spaniard
| was carrying the Cross into America,
making his way into Mexico and the
Uuited States, and roofing out the glorious
| remnants of Arabian civilization in And
dalusia Mohammedan prince fought the
battle of Listns. The Hindoos, under
their Rajah, gathered a mighty army in
which there were 10000 elephants and 600
cannon. But all this power was unayailing
|, and the fate OF the battle was that lO0,-
600 Hindoos should be destroyed that the
Rajah should be beheaded and his head
kept for years as a trophy. Out of this
arose other wears, which it were uDproft-
able to dwell upon, and with them the
foundation of the power of Akbar, who is
called by the historians "the pride of thu
Mogul dynasty" the greatest of the Moham-
medan rulers OF India. He was a soldier
and prince. Early in life he was among
the most devout of Moslems, but as years
grew, and with years reason, ambition and
military success, he craved religious
renown. and throwing aside his veneratiop
for the Prophet, announced that there was
no god but God and that Akbar was His
caliph. The proclamation Of dogmas like
this and the dogma OF Papal infallibility
is privilege OF supre me power. lpresume
that Akbar's heterodoxy was really a stroke
of high statesmanship. He was in
Hindostan. He was a sovereign. Among
his subjects were millions of Hindoos
Tie Hindoos were attached to their
faith with devotion which we might envy
in our cold, questioning age, and would
have died for it with patience which no
modern martyrs could surpass. To have |
carried out the Prophets mandate and slain |
his infidel subjects would have been to
destroy a docile and ingenious people, |
willing to work, carry burdens and pay
taxes. As a consequence Akbar threw |
aside the severe forms of Islam, gave the |
Hindoos protection asked them to share
honors and power, and consolidated an
empire. He married Hindoo princess |
and tried as far as was possible to make |
himself one with the people whom he had |
conquered, and over whom he hoped his |
children would reign.
THE wHIM OF A HERMIT.
Akbar was inclined to found the city |
and build the palace of Futtehpoor Sikra |
by the advice OF a holy hermit. Akbar |
had had children who were taken from |
him, to his own grief and the peril of his |
dynasty. On his return from a campaign |
he was told by the hermit that if he would |
take up his residence on the top OF a certain |
rock, where the air was good and where |
the hermit could have his eye upon him |
while praying, son would come. This |
came to pass and the son was born, who |
was to be the Emperor Jehan Geer, or |
the Conquerer of the World, to have hard |
time OF it in many ways and die victim |
to his own follies and sin So overioyed |
was Akbar at the coming Of the Conquerer |
Of the World, that he built city, a palace |
and a mosque on the site Of the rock where |
the hermit lived. What remains of that |
undertaking is known as Futtehpoor Sikra. |
AN INDIAN NOON.
After leaving Bhurtpoor our road was
through a series Of villages and over a
rolling plain. The sun beat fiercely upon
our carriage, and we found what refuge we
could under the leather curtain. Natives
in various processes of squalor came hurry
ing after our carriages. In the mud huts
We saw weavers at work women grinding
corn tired laborers sleeping in the shade.
There is bit of poetry in a drama called
The Toy Cart" written by the Rsjah Sud-
the guide books, 30 vivid that am tempted
to copy it as a native writer's picture Of an
Indian noon.
The cattle doing in the shade
Let fall the unchanged fodder from
their mouths;
The lively ape with slow and languid pace
Creeps to the pool to siske his parthing
thirst
In its now tepid waters, not a creature
Is seen upon the public road, nor braves
solitary passenger the sun;
Among the sedgy shade, and even here
The parrot from his why bower com plains |
And calls for water TO allay his thirst.
We drove on until We came to the first |
stage. The Maharajah had sent a guard |
with us-soldiers in heavy gilded uniforms |
with fierce, eager, truculent eyes-to keep |
the robbers away. When We came to the |
fret stage there were camels in waiting, and /
We had our fret experience Of camels in /
India. Two camels were hi.ched to each
one of the carrisges and we drove off with
a camel and pair. The road was hilly, and /
the camels are supposed to have more en-
durance than horses Each camel carries
q driver, and there is third person who
beats them with goad or stick. The gait
of the camel at first is q pleasant sensation
and the pace is good one. But in time
it becomes wearisome, the constant bobb-
ing up and down of the carriage under the
uncou;h, shambling gait of the beasts firing
you. The General got off in good style
and made his way to the ruins without an
adventure. The carriage in which Mr..
Borie, the Colonel, DR.. Heating and / were
riding was not 20 fortunate. Our animals
seemed to have scrples of conscience about
Ginning the hill and insisted upon stopping.
No Involvement could move them. The
driver pronged the m with his goad. called
them names, sdjured them by all the gods
in the Hindoo mythology to make their
Futtehpoor Sikra. There they stood.
Perhaps under q severe pressure OF the
goad they would move q few PAGES and
stop again. The camel is an imperturb-
able beast. He makes no display, shows
no violent critical temper, does not jump
or prance or resent the goading or the bad
language. He moves his head to one side
or the other. gives you an affectionaie, i'm
ploripg look. a. though appealing to your
sympathies, but does not move. He has |
gone beyond reason. He throws himself
npon our generosity, but will not move. |
mere We were in India, On lonely high
way, the sun going down. Here the sun
falls like . drop curtain at the play.
TrS~r> n M t~sH0hf In an inaxa1t The