Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1899-08-17
Will INDIA TURN MussuLMAN?

A telegram from India. published on !
Monday last, records q most characteristic |
ana suggestive piece Of news. The rclgi- |
Gus riots which have recently distracted
Tincvely-thc southcrnmost district Of
Madras so well known to the missionary
word-havc ended IN wholesale CONVEX
sion not to Christianity, but to Moham-
medWlism. The riots are said TO have
arisen in this way. The Shanars JAR
ticuary low caste. almost outside thei
area of Hinduism, and very numerous ini
Tinnevclly, and Of late years, being indus
trious and cntcrprisinE, have been exec ed
ingly prosperous. AS is usual with man
Kind under such circumstances, they have
hecomc socially ambitious, and besides
building themselves amazingly nice houses
they have sought promotion as a caste.
pretending to be Khsctrcyos, or members
of the warrior caste, the second in Iliudo-
ism, and therefore entitled TO admttatce
to the temples of the Maravars q most
respectable caste of the same district. The
claim We take IT, was put forward In an
insolent manner, with threats of using
force, or even with forciblc entry to the
temples. This was moro than the Mar
avars could stand for though such pro-
motions are not unknown in Hindoism,
they are usually pressed quietly. with
heavy fees to BrahmiuS and production
of old records manufactured for the oc-
casion. The Maravars therefore rose ian
70
in ovcry Indian district are always ready
for row, and set themselves to beat and
plumber the Shanars. They wrecked their
houses, stole their Jewels logged their
WOMEN and tore jewels out of their cars,
and generally conducted themselves like
soldiers in city taken by storm. The
Shanars while defending themselves with
some courage, appealed to the British Of
ficials for protection and ought. of course,
to have received 1T, but were foiled by one
of the weaknesses Of British adminlstra-
ton. Tho officials, naturally enough. in
quired of the local native authorities as
to the merits Of the case, and the local
authorities sympathizing entirely with
the Shanars to be dogs Of a particularly
impudent kind, lied artistically. and ste
ceedcd in cohcealing the danger Of the
situation. The British officials therefore
did nothing, the riots grew worse and
worse, and the Shanars beaten. nuulcr-
ed, and outraged. at last sought relief by
embracing Mohammedanlsm in great
numbers. Six hundred in one village were
converted in a day. other villages follow
ed and by the latest accounts the process
was still going on 50 rapidly that the
next magistrate may find all Shanare in
stead Of low-caste 1Iiudoos, firm believers
in Islam. That, of course, is for them a
final relief from oppression and from dan
ger, They ceasc to claim entrance into
the temples, and the Maravars cease to
claim any right of quarrel with them; it
,.a,I ~ -, - ii.i'"o9" 'i"' an
fass ,ta,,, i We wi .4V9c VINO Iro-
,,idod tLn, , Iau ,ie.oi' to'oI"ol' pro,
," 'I III iieoe, w. d" ~ Ia" '''ia
NJ casta ,'' liCeo WI ny p.'t o't9ch
his own religious circle. but he has no
ft,s,ia,,'. ''ii ,,tiigi ,,"'""'"S OF
toal,s - %" 'roii, '"Vlc' ~ "'-
On Shanors "r5i.lS u" ~ Jus 'a''lhS
,,,dn,, ., ii',u , WIN I'M
49,. ,,rIa1 ,t,,.'5..,'" on" I"l'!llN y" H"IH-
from ,htr,r - w. 10y IN
cbanor a,i, p'''E lo'd"' tue
90 ~, 49,, a. nv I'''o tnV IC"oNsulp
..oo,.o.,i - ~. ~. "''u Hlo1O uIllleu y. me
o,,I,, ,,o, f'ti' 81 '3i i,oi a ''p" "lIcH Z! II
b,,. $500, ..''.9 w "ci'H" us converts