San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1892-01-19
THE BRAHMANs OF INDIA.
Once Highly Priced, They Now
Work Hard for a Living.


in India is the marvellous progress
Christianity h as made and the rapi-
dI ty and length of the strides 1t is
now making. 1t is impossible to
understand the progress of Christi
anity in India by studying the mis-
sionsry reports Of the various societies
or by looking over the census returns
of the Government. One must be
here on the ground, go in and out
among the people, compare the hab-
Its aud customs of today with those
of fifty years ago. One must take
account the present state of Hindoo-
SIN, in the upper classes, with what
IT was fifty or 100 years ago
Let me then begin with the altered
faith of Hindoolsm under the infiu.
ence of Christianity. One hundred
years ago Hindooism was solid. There
were practically no schisms in its
vast body. The schools of the Brsh-
mans were crowded.; the temples
were f1vurislling; the rites and .cere
monies of their grossly adolatroas
system were pracLiced universally,
by the great as well as the small, the
rich rs we'll as the poor The Braham
reigned supreme everywhere;the spir-
itual lords of al the people. Widows
were being burnt in the name of Hin
do oism aud the rite was considered
on the most sacred and most pleas
ing to the gods.
Religious suicide in q dozen forms
encouraged and practiced. All over
India men were burying themselves
alive drowning themselves in the
sacred rivers, starving themselves to
death, and In many other ways offer
ing themselves in religious self sacri-
flee. Child murder was the common
practice all over India, especially
the murder of girl babies. The rites
of Jagganath were in tuil force, and
though not as commonly as is popu
larry supposed, yet it was true that
religious devotees did cast themsel-
yes under the wheels of the cruel car,
and they were encouraged and APP
plauded for il. This has ceased out
of the land. The cruel rites of the
ascetics were everywhere practiced.
Men were found hanging head
downward from the limbs OF trees,
lying in beds of iron spikes, tortur-
ing and Iacerstipg themselves In a
hundred ways, all in the name of the
gods, with the encouragement of the
priests and i'm entire harmony with
the universal faith of the Hindoo. The
Thug practiced his profession under
the patronage of the gods, and the
thief caste was recognized as really
as any other caste. Prostitution on
the part of women WAS entered upon
as an honorable profession, and o wo-
man go giving herself up to that trade
no more lost her social position or
standing than would woman in our
country for adopting the prac tice Of
medicine as q business.
The cast retrictions of India today
are no more what they were fifty
years ago than the relation of the
English aristocracy is the same to
the commons today as it was in the
days of the Norman supremacy.
Fifty years ago or q little earlier the
gates of the cities and towns were
closed at in the evening, aud not
opened again till 8 the next morning,
and the low-caste people excluded lest
the shadow Of some iOw.caste man
under slant rays of the sun should
SO defile him. To day the low caste
Joy, even tDo sun Vi tnO SWccp0i
1.-THE very lowest of the low castes)
and the son of the Brahman sit to.
gether in the same school room, en-
gage with each other In the common
sports of the school or college. 1850
The railway trains are crowded
with thousands of men of all castles
and no caste, and no thought is
taken of II; whereas at the time of
the introduction Of the railway sys
tenn into India separate carriages had
to be provided for the different castles.
A hundred years ago the Brahman
was the protected and privileged
caste; he did no work, followed no
occupation except to receive the gifts
and offerings of the people. He was
not only q favored man and entirely
supported by the people, but he was
god and must need be worshipped.
Even fifty years ago 1t was common
thing for men of other castles to por-
trate themselves on the ground aud
openly worship Brahman. Now
Sir Brahman has ceased both TO be q
god and q supported man, except in
the comparatively few cases W here he
is still the guru, or household teacher
or priest actually serving in 3
temple.
Brahmans today have to work for
their living like other people. and are
by hundreds and thousands perform
ing the smallest offices In the employ
of the government and private busi-
ness establishments on salaries rang.
ing from So to SIS o month, and count
themselves happy If they secure such
positions. Moreover they have to
compete for their bread with the boys
and men OF the lower and even the
lowest castles who come up from
school and college as we'll as they
and demand employment. It is true