Americus times-recorder. [volume] (Americus, Ga.) 1891-current, 1905-10-01
ANIMALS AS DESPOTS
TYRANNY OF THE PAMPERED SACRED
BEASTS OF~ASlA.


Vfcttmizes the Boar Man..
Readers of Kipling's Kim" which
gives a better picture of Indian life
than anything else in print, may recall
how the hero first begged on behalf of
the Tibetan yogi. The bazaar woman
to whom he gave the begging bowl
cried:
"'That bowl, indeed! That cow bel
lied basket! Thou hast as much grace
as the holy bull of Shiv. He has taken
the best of basket of onions already
this morn, and, foosooth, 1 must fill thy
bowl. He comes here again.
''The huge, mouse colored Brahmanee
bull of the ward was shouldering his
way through the many colored crowd,
a stolen plantain hanging out of his
mouth. He headed straight for the
shop, well knowing his privileges as
sacred beast, lowered his head, and
pulled heavily along the line of bas-
kets ere making his choice. Up flew
Kims hard little heel and caught him
ON his moist blue nose. He snOrted in
dignantly and walked away across the
tram rails, his hump quivering with in
dignation.
See. I have saved more than the
bowl will cost thrice over. Now, moth
er, a little rice and some dried fish
atop-yes, and some vegetable curry
"a growl came out of the back of the
shop, where a man lay.
HE drove away the bull said the
woman in an undertone. 1t is good to
give to the poor
kim looked at the load lovingly.
THAT is good. When 1 am in the
bazaar the bull shall not come to this
house He is a bold beggarman.'
Indeed, he is, and he is only one of
many The people of India, like those
Of other Asiatic countries, are the
slaves of their sacred animals. There
is no tyranny more outrageous than
that of the animal despots of Asia.
An English globe trotter of my ac-
quaintance was being shown the sights
of Benares, the most sacred city in all
India, some years ago. As he passed
through one Of the narrow, crowded
white Ordinance bull stalking along
as if the whole city belonged TO him,
brushing people aside right and left,
and pushing his nose unhindered into
the baskets Of grain, rice and country
produce which were displayed outside
the little native shops.
1t was exactly the kind of scene de
scribed so well in Kim"
The bull and the Englishman met in
the narrow pathway" sidewalk" it
would be called here, but in India side
walk and road are usually indistin-
guishable Neither would give way,
for both belonged to an obstinate, self
assertive race. The bull tried to push
past. The Englishman hit him a smart
rap on the nose
Get up, you brute!' he cried with
an enforcing oath.
In a moment the bazaar was in an
uproar. The natives, who, a moment
before, had cringed servilely to the
sahib, now crowded around him, with
the passion of murder in their hearts.
They pelted him with dirt and stones,
called him all manner of vile names
(mOre numerous, surely, in India than
anywhere else on earth) and threatened
most plainly to kill him. Was he not
an infdel dog who had struck the
sacred bull? Death by torture was
surely too good for him. He would
bring a curse on the city. The famine
and the plague would come. Their
wives would be childless.
So the talk ran eXcitedly from man
to man. The tumult grew. The angry
mob increased to thousands. Had it
not been for the Opportune arrival of
a police patrol of stalwart Sikhs-
regally scornful of Hindoo gods, and
ever on the watch for such incidents
as this-the globe trotter would GER
tainly have paid with his life for his
ignorance of Hindoo ideas as to the
sacredness of sacred animals.
Such riots as this are common
enough in India during the winter
tourist season, and it is indeed mar
velous that many Americans and Eng
lishmen are not slain. The trouble oc
ours especially in Benares, the most
fanatical city in the empire, and pos
sibly in the whole world. The HindoC
Mecca, as 1t has been called, Is the
headquarters of Brahmanism and the
chief stronghold of the animal worship
which distinguishes that cult. There
are sacred animals all over India, but
nowhere else are there so many OF
them as In Benares, and nowhere else
are they held In so much reverence and
allowed SO much license.
Anglo-Indians are often contemptu
Gus of natives and native superstitions
but no Angio-Indian would care tt
strike a sacred bull in Benares. Kin
did it in Lahore. In Benares it would
be exceedingly unwise. even to swear
at the holy beast In the presence O.
natives who might understand tn,
oaths.
1.-THE bulls are especially sacred,
wrote Professor James Relation in
letter to the author of this article, aft
er he had just returned from tour o
India, in which he secured some ex
tremely interesting photographs of va
rious sacred animals. They line tn
sidewalks of the city, enter sweetmea
and grocery stores and help themselve
to the choicest articles without hin
drance. They enjoy the freedom o
every city. If bullock chooses to Ii
down in a narrow lane where he fill
the entire space, no pious Hindoo vii
pass that way while the sacred beas
is taking his rest.
"The indulgence extended to thes
zebu bovines is wonderful They ente
the most sacred precincts of the TEN
pies. They are so pampered wit
dainties and luxuries that they becon,
burdened with fat"
Although the Ordinance bull is thC
most sacred animal iii India, he ha:
many competitors. There are more
gods than worshipers in India. Beast
worship seems to be natural to the
LIinlac. l. =. L.