The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1885-06-27
SOCIAL REFORM IN INDIA.
[Times.Democrat.l

/ TRACTS from tne lnula press, tell OF
a very remarkable social advance
effected under British rule in Hin
dostan. This is especially notice
able in regard to the condition of
woman in India to-day compared
with her situation at the beginning
of this century. 1t was only in
1881 that the practice of burning
widows was abolished by the gov
ernment; and up to that time, as
Max Muller observes, "women
were burnt wholesale, even in the
immediate neighborhood of Cal
cutta.n During 1923, in the Ben
gal Presidency alone, 575 widows
were burnt; in the very limits of
Calcutta Court of Circuit $40 were
burnt. Numbers of these were
beautiful young girls under twenty;
and yet the first effort to secure
the abolition of the hideous Gus
tom was made, not by a European,
but an enlightened Hindoo, RAM
mohun Roy. He held with good
reason, that the practice of suttee
was not ordained by the great
teachers of Hindoo religion, and
not justified by the ancient Sans.
crit texts. In the controversies
which he provoked he invariably
came out conqueror; but contro-
versy alone cannot suffice to ex-
terminate a national curse, or to
uproot an ancient superstition.
Therefore it was that he establish.
ed, about 1918, the Society OF
Believers in the Supreme" or
Brahma.Somaj. Immediately the
orthodox Brahminical party found.
ed an opposition society, called
the "Society of the Law" or Dhar.
ma-Somaj'; and this society at once
petitioned the English Govern.
ment against the abolition of suit
tee
One would have thought that
such a question could not long be
discussed in vain before enlighteD.
ed English rulers,-that the cause
of humanity would only have had
to plead once in order to triumph,
But such was not the case. Gov.
ernments act upon policy; and the
abolition of suttee involved some
social problems of the gravest
character. 1t was only in 1881,
when Rammohun Roy himself
went TO London, that the govern
ment finally rejected the prayers
of the Orthodox party, and deci
ded to abolish the abominable and
montrous custom of burning wO
men alive.
The new decree did not, howev
er, do so much for woman in India
as had been expected. While the
practice of widow-burning was in
deed put an end to, the unfortu
nate young woman who lost hel
husband was not protected against
the cruelties of prejudice and su
perstition. Her very existence
was considered an indecent fact
she was treated with contempt
deprived of whatever property
she possessed, condemned to per
form menial labor, aud often driv
en- to commit suicide. Gradually
this state of affairs ameliorated
but the idea of a widow remarry
ing was still considered shocking
in the extreme. The next reform
to be attempted was to make sec
ond marriages popular and a new
society was founded for that pur
pose which has already accom-
plished much good. Itpublishes
periodical devoted to its object
and this paper entitled the Socia
Reformer is full of matT imonial ad
vertisements of a very sincere ant
decorous description. We cit'
some examples:
A Awidow ofa Bengali, Brahmin caste
thirteen years of age lost her husband
six months after marriage. Her fathe
wishes to give her In marriage to Ben
gall Brahmin of high clans
A Bengalilady. of Brahmin caste. VIII
became widow when she was elevei
years Of age, and who possesses a fai
complexion and long, beautiful hair. an,
whose moral character is most uuexcep
tionable, Is prepared to marry gentle
man OF her own caste according to ortho
dox rites.
; The guardians of khatri (caste) la,
of kapur clan, aged seventeen, who |
the scion of highly respectable family
and is receiving education in Engls
and Persian are willing to encourage tn
system of widow marriage by marry
ing him with widow Of the same caste
Required, match for Bengali widow
of Vaidya caste, aged fourteen who ha
been married at her eleventh, and los
her husband at her thirteenth. She is Q
wheat complexion, of good features
and can read and write Bengali tolerabl
well, knows the alphabet OF English an
is very intelligent; can knit eomforter'
stockings, &C., pretty well, and is yer
willing to work. The candidate mus
be member of the Vaidya caste, and {
respectable family. He must be we
educated and of good moral character.
Required, an educated widow, thirtee
to fifteen years of age. She should b
of good shape, feature, complexion, ten
per and health, and not suffering fror