The Olneyville times. (Olneyville [Providence, R.I.]) 1887-1917, 1894-05-25
THE INDIAN EMPIRE.
INTERESTING COMMENTS BY AN OBJ
SERVING TRAVELLER.
The Past and Future of q Great Country
and Remarkable People-Made Poor by
the spoliation of Foreigners - English
Language Coming Into General Use.


and Remarkable People-Made Poor by
the Spoliation of Foreigners - English
Language Coming Into General Use.
We have travelled more than $500
miles in India, have seen its grandest
scenery, its largest and most interest
ing cities, its most fertile and some Of
its desert regions. We have found in
Delhi, Agra, Benares, Ambur and All
madabad the best examples Of Hindoo
and Mohammedan architecture. Of
course there is much we have not seen.
The Dravidical temples Of the south Of
India, remarkable for their size and
elaborate decorations, best illustrated at
Tanjore and Madura, we can only judge
by small specimens seen at Madras and
Pondicherry. The wonderful cave tenn
piles at Ellora, Ajunta and many other
places we have got fair conception Of
from that of Elephanta. One could
spend years exploring India without ex-
hausting its layers Of civilization. We
have endeavored to intelligently study,
BY observation and reading en- route,
the ethnology, sociology and theology
Of the country. We have missed no op-
portunity to talk with British officials
and educated natives. We have looked
into the work Of the missionaries and
come to the conclusion that they are do
ing great deal of good, though not ex-
actly in the way it is popularly under
stood at home. / think [ may say that
our travels in India have materially
broadened our views of Asiatic history.
Especially have we been impressed with
the spectacle of an empire Of 240,0 ,000,-
900 people of different races and reli-
gions, governed by handful of Euro
peans, and in the main we'll governed,
with large measure of liberty, as per-
feet protection of life and property as is
provided in the most civilized countries
of Europe and increasing means Of ed
ucation. The universities and colleges
scattered over India are turning out an
nually thousands of educated natives.
1t is curious fact that the Indian who
speaks English speaks it without accent
and rather better than the average of
English or Americans. Nearly all of the
schools above the primary grade teach
English, and in the majority of them it
is the medium of education. More than
half of the native newspapers and peri
odicals, which are numerous and we'll
conducted, are printed in English.
do not think it wild prediction
that English will be essentially the lam
guage of India hundred years hence
1t is curious to contemplate what will
be the political result of the education
of the Indian people. Will they be con-
tent, especially those of the Aryan race,
capable of high development, with the
shadow of government which is some
times driven to its wits ends with its
own domestic problems, in a group of
little islands 5, 900 miles away? For the
present / can scarcely conceive Of a
greater calamity for India than the fail
ure of Great Britain to hold and govern
the country. 1t would be the signal for
anarchy, which would entail the destruc-
tion Of the people and seriously obstruct
the onward march of human progress.
India is a poor country. Its fabulous
wealth has been carried off by conquer
ors or gathered into colossal fortunes
by the few rich. The great body of the
people are miserably poor. They barely
keep body and soul together and do not
store up any vital force to resist disease.
The failure Of one crop entails wide
spread distress The failure of two in
succession means famine for millions
The government is doing something to
improve the conditions. in the last five
years canals have been built, increasing
the area under irrigation about % per
cent How much advantage the tiller of
the soil gets from these improvements !
do not know. The government costs too
much, and the people are taxed to the
limit of endurance. The British India
civil service is called the best in the
world. 1t is undoubtedly the most ex-
pensive. 1t costs ell, ,0O0, 600 1885,,
900, ,000) year. The civil servant
serves in various capacities, from a
clerk to a lieutenant governor, for %
years, four of which are given for holi
days, and retires with minimum pen
sion of 91 900 per annum, The cost of all
this comes out of the Indian people, and
their superstitions and customs rob them
of part Of what is left.
There are grave problems in India
and more to come, and to solve them