Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-01-27
ENGLAND AND INDIA
Trouble May Follow the Present War
in South Africa.
TRIBES THAT ARE READY TO FIGHT
Population is Immense and Always
Threatened by Famine.
CONDITION OF THE PEOPLE


losing her empire in India. The terrible
famine of two years ago is about to be fol-
lowed, so the reports say, by another, and
the temper of vast masses of the people is
growing more and more hostile to English
rule. 1t is believed that there is danger
also from Russia.
During the past two generations the Rus
SLAMS have been slowly but surely working
their way down toward Hindostan. Their
military railroad, which was built from the
Caspian sea to Samarcand, now enables
them to send an army by rail to within
few hundred miles OF the boundary of
North India.
During the last famine the Russians gave
a great deal Of money to the starving Hin
docs, and the English stated at the time
that this was done with the hope of Great
Ing Russian sentiment among the East
Indian people. There Is now disaffection
and mutiny in many quarters OF Hin
dostan. The silver question and the misery
which has come from increased prices are
blamed upon England. The short crops and
the famine are charged to English rule and
there is sullen hatred against the English
everywhere. The fighting which has been
going on periodically more or less for some
years, and which promises to break out
again at any moment, Is with the wild
tribes of the Himalaya mountains, but the
disaffection exists in all parts Of the
country, without regard to caste, race or
religion, and II a combination can be eff
fected the East Indians can undoubtedly
drive the British out of the country.
Asking Too Much.
Such a combination, however, presup-
poses a union of tie different Indian relig
ious sects, and this is hardly possible. The
Mohammedans and the Hindoos hate each
other and the Hindoos themselves are di-
vided into countless casts. During my stay
in India some years ago l saw large army
Of native troops commanded by Engilsh
officers near the city Of Delhi. AS watch
ed their maneuverS asked one Of the Eng
lish colonies whether I've did not fear that
the natives might combine against the
few officials and organize mutiny like
that which brought about the horrible Sc
poy massacre. He replied:
Il think there Is no danger now. The
Sepoy massacre taught us something, and
we are now able to control our native
troops through their religious prejudices.
There is no place in the world where relig-
ion means SO much as here. The Moham-
medans and Hindoos hate each other. We
make up regiments Of both Sects. We mix
the different castles among the Hindoos
together in such a way that they won't
combine. 1 verify believe that this is our
only safety. If there were no castles in
India there would be no English here"
How England Rules India.
England's control of India is especially
interesting just now from our situation in
the Philippines. India, you know, is nearly
half as large as the United States. 1t is
almost an equlateral triangle, each side
of which is about as wide as the distance
between New York and Denver, and 1t
contains about four times as many people
as We have, or more than 2S0,0Oo,0D0. To
control this vast population there are less
than 10000 English solditrs. or about one
white soldier to every $500 natives. In
nd tn thara
tive soldiers In the English army, but these
troops are only a handful in comparison
with the vast population. About one-third
of India is governed by rajahs, each of
which has an independent army, and which
al! told have almost 100000 troops, which
could be massed against the British in case
of war. The British troops are largely
made up OF Sikkhs. These Indians are born
fighters. l saw them everywhere 1 travel
ed throughout Hisdostan
They are tall. fine-ooking, dark-skinned
men. with handsome faces, which show out
under great turbans wrapped around their
heads. The most of them have heavy black
boards. and they look much more soldierly
than the English themselves, many of
whom wear little caps as a part Of their
uniforms. The Sikkhs form a part of the
camel troops of India, and they fight on
elephants as well as on foot. They are used
by the English in all parts of India and
You find them acting as policemen in the
English sections of Hong Kong and Shang-
hal. 1t is the Sikkhs who largely protect
the little English colonies which are scat
tered over India. There are garrisons near
all of the large cities, and the English scat
ter their troops SO as to protect the chief
centerS.
The Army on the March.
-. The railroads of India have been greatly
increased within recent years. You can
now visit almost every part of the PENN
sula of Hindostan by railroad There are
more than $4,000 miles of iron track in the
country, and roads can carry troops to
Quetta, Simla and to the Khyber pass.
The elephant and camel troops are car
ried in some cases by rail, but large part
Of the travelling has to be done upon
foot The baggage is carried on all sorts
Of beasts, and camels, donkeys and bull
locks, as well as elephants, are loaded
down with military equipment. The army,
in fact makes up mighty caravan, which
laises dust that can be seen for miles
The heavy artillery is largely drawn by
Elephants, one of these beasts being able to
pull single piece of artillery and some
of them being loaded with howitzers Each
elephant has a native sitting astride his
neck, who directs him which way to go,
jabbing him now and then with a steel
prong or hook.
The wild Tribes of India.
Very little is known of the Indian tribes
which have caused the English the most
trouble. They are not unlike some of
the savageS OF our new possessions in
Asiatic waters. Some of them live in the
wilds of the Himalaya mountains, and they
form a part of the vast population of that
country of which but little is known 1
met in the Himalayas during a trip which
l made to Darjiling people who looked for
all the world like our American Indians
They had high cheek bones. copper-colored
faces and straight black hair. The girls
would have made typical Indian squaws,
and they painted their faces in much the
same way as do the Indians of the Rockies.
l saw other people who looked like the
Chinese, and here and there met with men
who were like the Thibetans. The houses
of most Of these tribes were Aot bigger
than dry goods boxes. They were made
of mud and stone and had roofs of stray
thatch. The most of the cooking Was done
out of doors, and such families as saw at
their meals were eating with their fingers.
The Hindoos themselves are Aryans. They
come Of the same race as we do. Many
of the wild tribes of India were in Hindoo-
stan before the Aryans came. They have
gotten off into the hills or in out of the
way places and have to large extent kept
themselves pure. In one Of the hill states
of India, in the northeastern part of the
country, there Is tribe known as the leaf
wearers, the women of which up to 1879
wore no clothes. Their only covering con-
sisted of an apron of leaves and girdle
Of beads. In 1871 some of these women
were clothed by the British poyerpnep,