Richmond dispatch. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1884-1903, 1885-07-12
FROM 4 HINDOO.
An Interesting Review OF His Peoples
Wrongs and their Religion.

Wrongs and their Religion.
New orleans Times Democrat
Some few weeks ago there arrived in
our city a native of IIndoStan, who,
anxious to learn something of the
boosted liberty of this country, volun-
tarily left his native place, thus losing
his caste. and after many wanderingS
reached New Orleans.
Although highly educated in Eng
lish when in the employ of the civil
service of England in Hindostan, he
sacrificed his station and is now
working as a day-labOrer here. He is
pleasing of address, possesses remark
able conversational powers, and shows
great familiarity with the best English
authors. His name is S. q. Sattay.
The following was contributed by /
him to the Times Democrat
Perhaps most Of your readers think |
that the little mention made of India in
their school-books of geography and !
history is all that could be said or
learned of that once famous land. But
| think no foreigner could be able to
give 50 exact picture Of that country
as a native Of the soil besides, no
other country in the world has passed
so many stages of foreign rule as that
land of the AryanS. and yet, to the as
constituent of the world. India stands
to this day with all her antique
majesty as she stood when the
Great Alexander Of Greece only en-
tered the gates and returned as if
struck by thunder and lightning. The
internal social organization is so com
pact that even the sword of the Great
MogulS and their followers for period
Of 300 years was made blunt, and at
last the Great Shyajee. chieftain OF
the lIindOoS. Snatched the blunt sword
from the Mahommedan EmpcrorS Of
Delhi and once more proclaimed lndla
as Hlndostan, the land Of the Hin
docs. The empire of Ghengis Khan
had long drawn attention Of the Euro
pean nations to the rich plains south Of
the llimalayas. and the Dutch, the
Portuguese. and the French in success
sion acquired some possessions here
and there on the coast of the
Indian ocean. But the arrival Of the
ayaricious English only two centuries
ago not only stopped the prospects Of
other nations, but has squeezed the
very essence Of that country-a coun-
lot l,I. /
activity, sparkling with all kinds Of
precious stones and metals. overlooking
with produce and supplying Egypt.
Arabia. and Persia with their wants,
whose ivory, saudal-wood, and ebony
articles of handicraft had surprised the
courts of European monarchs, is at this
DAY looking aghast like a man sinking
in consumption. Readers, you can
form no idea how the British Govern
ment has been working the ruin of
that land internally as well as eXter-
nally. English politicians and Chris
tan missionaries give you bright Sto-
yes of the brightest possession Of
England. but to India and her people
the English are the darkest rulers she
has ever had. Since the advent Of
those all-absorbing grOcerS, the great
organization of our nationality has
been so much disturbed that the caste
system, which was the very strength
of the nindoos before, has now be-
come the weak side. under present
chaos brought on by British rule.
know that very few Americans have
sufficient knowledge Of the institutions
Of the llindOO caste system, AMI
therefore shall try to give some particu.
lars here. Sanscrit hooks give four
distinct combinations Of the whole man
kind mot Of Hlndoos alone; The
Brahmha, Khatriya. Eayishaya, and
Shoodra. in order. The ingredients of
the first combination being Of a superior
nature, the Brahmins were naturally IN
clined to read and understand the word
Of God, called the Yedas, and thus be-
came the priests and guides of the lower
orders. The KhatriyaS were made Of
harder stuff, and were consequently the
warrior classes. The other two classes
were sub-dvided into several orders,
and each order was peculiarly adapted
to some particular profession. Thus
from ages to ages the several classes
in India followed the same pro-
fessions. The father used to teach
his son the particular profession,
and the son was always wiser than the
father. In short, our merchants, car
penters, BARRIERS, tail0rs, goldsmlthS,
blacksmiths, and all sorts of smiths,
even the washermen and shoemakers,
have all been in their own hereditary
professions, and if airy one should
change his trade for that of the other
he was considered to be an outcast by
his castemen. lntermarriages were
prohibited by strict rules, and if any
man or a woman should be found ille-
gally attached to each other they
were despised and hated as fall
en- persons. In this manner, from
the highest priesthood to the low
est shoemaking, caste system had
its full sway, and there were few
cases Of exceptional geniuses born in
the lower orders, or dull heads among
the higher classes. The breed was kept
up, and the fruit was always true to
the seed. The Hindoo philosophy Of
TRANSPORTATION of soul is in keeping
with the caste system, and it accounts
for the various combinations Of the hu-
man body. God created them, and man
had to keep them up, in obedience to
His rules set down in Vedas. Ment that
transgresSed those rules were consider
! Il =, Nl.nnhac oy tho fallan and