New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-05-18
THE INDIAN MUSSULMANS.

II has been cOniectured that secret lntelli-
gence from India may possibly have something
Ia do with Mr.. GladstOne's strange course re-
rarding the Afghan frontier dispute with Rus
sia and that in fact the Premier may have
been informed that the Ameer cannot guarantee
safe passage for British army through his
territory 1t is also possible that Lord Dul-
fern may have information concerning the atll-
tude of the ManOmetan hill tribes on the
northwest frontier, of a discouraglng charac-
ter The MahOmetan question III indla mas
long been an embarrassing one. lhe followers
of Islam are naturally matters Of EnBiish rule'
and their religion enjoins upon them resistance
10 the Intidel 1t is true that in India the
Mohametan doctors have several times lsSueu
fdtlcaS. or DEGREES, declaring that rebellion
against the Queen WAS not incumbent upon inc
faithful. and that India Is not To be reSardeu as
"enemy's country under the canon Law. Ana
the majority of the Indian Mussulmans prop
Ably accept this view for the present, thOuSh IL
is certain that if the British prestige should DC
destroyed, and a possibility Of successful re-
belIlon arise, few of them could DO trusted To
remain loyal. But there Is another MussuIman
element which yields submission 10 no tdtUds'
born though secret war against the English
rule. THIS is the sect of the WAhabls, the
Puritans of Islam. For forty years this sect
maintained III India great conspiracy, deeply
ramiied, covering in TACT the whole country,
aud having for its object the furnishing OF
money and men to a colony in the hills ON the
Puniab frontier, which colony was engag eel M
proselytizing the hill tribes, and stirring the III
40 to raid upon the Inidels. THIS conspiracy
was ca RED on under the very noses of tue Eng
lish. Emissares trayerseI the country cOntinu-
ally. preaching the Jihdd, or holy war. The
MussuInans of all India were Systematically
taxed to support the movements aud they were
also compelled TO feed ii with recruits.
The SUPPRESSION of the Muliny did not ex-
tinguish this conspiracy, aud finally. after 1t had
necessitated some twenty expeditions against
the frontier raiders,-ln one OF the last OF which
"A British force OF ten thousand picked troops
WAS held in The Ambeyla Pass for weeks, and
after losing ten per cent OF its strength only
escaped at last through discOrd among the
mountain chieftains,-it was found neces
sary 10 seize the directors OF the move
nent in India, and number OF State
Trials disclosed the magnitude OF the
danger. Even then the evil was but tenn
purarlly suppressed. the rebel colony OF
SltIaua was more than once broken up, but
after time it reappeared, and the icrce ianatl
clsm of the WahaOi preachers and leaders has
kept the northwest frontier in ali lnhanmable
state to this day. When the last INVASION OF
Afghanistan was contemplated these mountain
fanatics and their Indian correspondents caused
serious apprehensiOns. Ii is known that ;hcy
can if 81 disposed fearfully embarrass any
military operation, in that region. They have
not been tanned, nor can they be, though they
can sometimes be bri6ed. They comprise some
OF the most desperate lighters III India, aud they
occupy IA county IN which civilized military
tactics are impractlcable. And behind them,
though not at present acting with them. are nifty
millions OF Indian Mussulmans who ha 10
hereditary wrongs 10 ayenge, and whose
practical exclusion from any honorable career III
the country where their ancestors held sway has
engendered q sullen hostility To the British
Government capable OF flaming out should op-
pOrtuuity arise.
Some Of these wrongs, as those arising out of
the Permanent Settlement are undoubtedly
genuine, and the decay OF the Indian Mussul-
mans, however caused, has sOured them. Tnus
hey constitute an nhammable element, and the
frontier tribes are still more dangerous Failure
10 placate these latter OF information To the
effect that they meditated rising in the rear vl
any English force sent into Aighanlstan, might
well give pause to the home Government and
might even compel 1t 10 accept a truce from St.
Petersburg involving apparent humiliation.