The herald., 1894-02-13
SOMETHING ABOUT INDIA
THE SOCIAL AND DOMESTIC LIFE
OF IT'S PEOPLE.
Rev. b. Il. Nsgarkar, a Native Preacher,
Lectures Last Night on the
Subject of Hts
Country.

A fair sized audience was present in
Unity church last night to listen to the
lecture of Rev. Il. B. Nsgarkar on the
Social and Domestic Life in India, given
under the auspices of the Unity club.
Rev. Nagarkar is from Bombay, India,
and is minister in the liberal and more
advanced church OF that country. He
was delegate TO the great international
religious congress held in Chicago dur
ing the worlds fair.
He is a man of not Emphasizing per
sonality and speaks English smoothly,
with only an occasional faltering for
the proper word to convey his ideas.
His talk last night treated principally
OF the four phases OF social life in India
--exclusiveness of the race, seclusion of
the women, united family system and
caste.
The exclusivsness of the Hindoo is
due to the various political influences
under which ne has been governed; it
Is especially noticeable in his business
dealings. The saying in America
is that the way to mans
heart is by his stomach. This is
never thus regarded by the Hindoo. He
never asks you to dine with him, nor
does he ever accept your invitation.
The speech of Shylock to the Christians
in the Merchant of Venice can be applied
with some alteration to tbs Indian; II
will sup with you; l will drink with
you; will trade with you; but | will
not pray with you" With the Hindoo
it can be said to be: Il will meet with
you, l will talk with you. | will trade
with you, but l will not eat with you"
The seclusion of women is Mohsn-
medan custom, aud in the provinces
where the Juchs held power the longest
this custom ia the most deeply rooted.
1t is closely observed in Bengal and the
northwestern provinces, while in Bonn
bay aud Madras the women are allowed
more privileges. In the latter provinces
public opinion is against the custom.
Even where the women are allowed lib
critics, it is nothing to that enjoyed by
the American women.
One OF the influences OF western edu-
cation is in freeing the women OF India
from being secluded in this unjust man.
ner. The united family system consists
of the children of each generation mar
rying and dwelling under the same roof
with their parents, instead OF setting up
separate homes for themselves. as in
this country. Strife and quarrels fire.
ouently occur in these Indian house.
holds, but they ere generally quelled by
the old people.
One OF the great advantages Of this
system ia that it imbues the young chill
dren with respect and veneration for
their elders.
The castles originally consisted OF four
groups, brahmas or priests, soldiers
merchants and servants. In the course
of time, however, they multiplied.
These castles ara crystsllized so they can
not be resrranged. A man born q
brahms is always called so and is proud
OF his birth. II ne engages in the occu-
patton of q soldier he is also termed a
soldier and is always given two names,
that OF his class and that OF his occupa-
ton. The castles never intermarry and
great jealousy is felt by the lower castles
towards the higher ones because OF the
greater number of privileges the latter
enjoy.
The reason that the 265, 900, 900 people
of India have submitted to the domino
ton Of petty handful OF Britieh soldiers
is that the system OF caste has so rent
and stirred up the native inhabitants
against each other that they are hope
lessly and helplessly divided among
themselves.
While the basic principle on which
the system OF caste is founded is right,
the application and execution now ia
wrong. The speaker closed with an
imaginative trip to India. in which he
referred to many notable places and
native characteristics.