The times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1897-1901, 1900-07-22
CANNOT BE ERAD1cATED.
Castles and Customs of India VIII
Last Forever.
prom the London Express. }


Frum the London Expressly
Forty-three years ago, upon the 1otl
of the present month, the great Indiar
military centre OF Meerut saw the kind.
ling Of that terrible blaze which wa.
destined to ravage the whole OF Brit.
ish Hindoostan.
Nowadays every schoolboy knows thai
the Indian mutiny was directly the out.
come Of religious misunderstanding. Ii
| 1857 the British soldier could not under
stand why the smearing of little grease
upon his cartridges should offend the Sc
| poy. But the grease used was that Of ami.
! mails which were unclean alike to Hin
| docs and Mohammedans Thus 1t came tr
pass that this same misunderstanding
resulted in the shedding of oceans of in
nocent blood and the near loss of an en-
pire of $50, 100000 souls.
Today Tommy and his officers know bet
ter than to offend native susceptibilities.
Nevertheless, there is much In Hindoostan
that the average European finds it hard to
| understand.
| that Of caste. There are now four princi-
pal Hindoo castles; Brahmin. or priest;
Kshatriya, or soldier; vaisya, or indus
| trial, and the much despised Sudra, ger
vile caste. These four divisions are SUBJ
divided again and again into many others.
For instance, every village has its dhobi.
or washerman: kumbar, or potter;
| mali, or green grocer; sunri. or publican;
chamas, or cobhler; kahar. or ralkie
bearer, and a dozen other vigorously ex-
elusive sects. The boasted blue blood Of
our European nobility pales into insignifi-
canoe by comparison. Here In England,
for instance. every ambitious boy, how
ever humbly born, may aspire to just such
a position az his talents may at him for.
In India 1t is different. Not only does the
son never aspire to rise above the fathers
stationsin life. but. in addition, he could
not, II he chose.
Consequently the brassworking father
of a dozen sons will bring them up rs
brassworkers; the potter father. as pot
tiers, and SO on, ad ininitum. Nor must
the lower caste man in any way violate
the sancity Of his higher class brother,
for the penalties as to the publication of
the latter are many and inconvenient.
Similarly, he must marry within his own
caste, he may only eat with his own caste,
and, II Sudra, he will esteem 1t an honor
II he is allowed to imbibe the water in
which his superior Brahmin, has laved his
feet.
But what undoubtedly strikes the Brit
isher with greatest force is the fatalistic
way in which the lower class man resigns
himself without word OF grumbling to
this treatment. He il saturated with
caste. He is overwhelmed with q dis
torted sense Of its magnitude. And be-
fore its imposing juggernaut he Is merely
an ahject piece Of limp, kickless humanity.
Another curious custom IL that Of
"ruksut hal" lyon may go). In England
1t is etiquette for an afternoon caller TO,
himself take the initiative In the matter
Of his departure. Indeed, It would IS
considered the haisht Of IN breeding Il
the hostess gaze the slightest indication
Of any desire to Be relieved OF her callers
presence n mdie tho custom II reversed |
and the native win never leave The vSite
mans presence until told he mar n M
aloe and turbaA Questlnn u 3 consfsuf
source q discord. Az any schooi6oy
known. the Hindoo keeps a hls tufhaa |