Rocky Ford enterprise., 1894-01-11
/ THE LIGHT IN INDIA.
peLIvERANcE FOR INFANT
WIVES AND WIDOWS.
European Ideas Permeatinx the Iron
hound Castles OF Brahminlsm-Ths
Grsat Work of Pundlta Rsmabai
Among Her Country women.

"The unchanging East" will soon
be a misnomer. 1t Is indeed already
such. Tho East is now changing,
and will presently be wholly trans
formed. India no longer lies slum-
boring in the lethargy that comes
from ages OF superstition and worn
out civilization. Its politics, indus
tries, society, religion, all show the
workings OF q vigorous European
leaven, English education, English
methods of thought and action. Eng
lish inventions and English ideas in
general are steadily and not slowly
extending their sway throughout the
whole empire and effecting what
Hindoos themselves declare to be q
renaissance OF Indian civilization. o
renewal OF that earlier and better
social order that prevailed in the
golden era OF their history, before
the Mohammedan conquest crushed
out their vital forces and made them
the inert and impuissant people they
have since been.
Perhaps the most significant char
acteristic OF Indian civilization. since
the Mohammedan conquest. has
been the degradation OF women, es-
pecially in the form Of child mar
riages and enforced widowhood.
These conditions did not prevail In
the former ages. In the centuries OF
Sanskrit light and leading the women
OF India wore free. They were edu-
Gated equally with the men, and par
ticipated as openly in social doinRs.
But after the conquest all this was
changed. In order to protect them
from invaders, the Hlndoos began
shutting their women up closely In
their homes. This, Of course, de-
prived the women OF all facilities for
education. Next, the custom arose
OF marrying the girls in early child
hood, even in infancy; and finally 1t
was decreed that woman or girl,
becoming q widow, should not be al
lowed to remarry, but must for the
rest Of her life be practically the
slave OF her husbands or her own
family.
1t is against this child marriage
and compulsory widowhood system
that the strongest efforts for reform
have been directed, both by English
missionaries and by native Hindoos
who have caught tho spirit Of Euro
pean civilization. The work OF the
Pundita Ramabai, who recently Wis
tied the United States. is still fresh
in mind. As this campaign has been
directed against the very center and
citadel of Hindoo conservatism, and
especially against the great Brahmin
caste itself, Its success has until
lately been much doubted. Now.
however, it is seen that decided
progress is being made, and that
this .peouliar institution" is doomed
and is rapidly passing away.
The difficulty Of converting a
Brahmin to Christianity, or even to
European social ideas, is still enor-
nous "Our fathers worshiped and
believed thus" they say; land 1t Is
impossible that they were wrong.
Had they been wrong they must
have found it out If we believe you,
we must disbelieve them. How can
we do soP" Moreover, the doctrine
OF caste is so ingrained into them
that they unhesitatingly prefer to
be wrong with their own people
than to be right with others II
their ancestors are in hell, they wish
to go there too, rather than suffer
the contamination Of mingling in
heaven with people Of other castles.
..How many Brahmins have you bap-
tized" veteran missionary was
asked. Ten" was his reply. "And
how long have you been at work
among themp" Thirty years!"
While, however, the Brahmins,
and, in slightly less degree, the
Rajput and Kayastha castles. hold out
like veritable Bourbons against re-
form, in the other castles and tribes
sweeping changes are taking place.
1t was. indeed, high time, unless the
Hindoos were to become extinct For
their numbers were steadily decreas-
ing, while the Mohammedans were
increasing at q startling rate As an
example. In Bengal itself, in 1872,
the Hindoos outnumbered the Mo.
hammedans by 800, 900; while to-day,
according to the census just taken.
the Mohammedans outnumber the
Hindoos by 1900. 900. There is NO
question but that this is due chiefly
to the Hindoo system Of enforced
widowhood. The Hindoos themselves
realize it, and accordingly are now.
for the most practical Of reasons.
abandoning that system.
Pundita Ramabai is high-caste
woman, and her work is among the
high caste widows. She does NOT
aim SO much at their remarriage as
their emancipation from family
thralldom and their education.
When she began her work, four years
ago, it was freely prophesied that
she would fail; high-caste widows
would not come to her school. and II
they did. family influence would soon
draw them away again. As mat
ter of fact, her school. the Sharads
Sadan at Bombay, was opened ir
1889. with just one pupil-a girl ol
tA-who had already been a widow
six years! Since then dozens oi
others have entered the school, and
It now has high reputation ali
over India
1t is still opposed by the Brahmins,
and then some OF the inmates leave
and return to their former hopeless
life, like one girl of IS, who sale
that the "spirit of her husband, dis
pleased at her attending school, had
come to her and compelled her tt
leave.n Among the first TWENTY-FIVE