The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1906-02-22
Education in the Oriental Nations


The consideration of the education
in India should be of great interest to
us since we are of the same blood as the
| Hindus. The original seat of the I'M
divided Ayran stock is fixed by scholars
to the northeast of Persia, in the
region of the Oxus and Jax-artes rivers
They left their native seat and moved
southwark in the northwestern part OF
India. 1t seems to have been about the
year 5000 b. G. according to Sanscrit
scholars BOD that they crossed the
Indus and established themselves be-
tween that river and the Jumna or
Ayran Narta, at the time peninsula of
India was occupied by native dark races
These were speedily subdued by the
fair-sknned Ayrans, who eventually
over spread the entire country
| India has been an object of desire to
other nations from very early times, as
a land to man with riches and maryels:
the treasures of nature, such as pearls,
/ perfumes, diamonds, elephants, gold,
| and treasures of wisdom in her sacred
| books.
! The Ilindus, having lost some of their
primivaI vigor through the climate, re-
| ligion, and social organization, fell an
easy prey. The Greeks, the Mo-
hammcdans, the Portuguese, and the
Dutch successfully reached out a
covetous hand after these natural and
artificial treasures. Last of all, the
English, with insatible thirst for
Empire have brought the whole
peninsula under their sway, thereby
adding population of two hundred
millions to the British dominion.
The language of the ancient Hindus
was Sanscrit. 1t is not now spoken
and is understood only by Brahmans and
by scholars who have studied it. 1t was
the opening up of this tongue to the
knowledge of the European scholars. AT
the close Of the last century, that lead
to the grouping af all Europe along witt
the Sanscrt as the lndo-Europer
(Aryam family of tongues. Though
Sanscrit has now given place to dialects
as did Latin, after the fall Of the Roman
Empire, it is still the learned language
of the Brahnans. This language is the
repository Of literature of great anti
guilty and surprising magnitude. The
Nedas, a collection of religious hymns
and heroic poems, was compiled mor'
than a thousand years before Christ
and Malabbarta is an ancient epi'
poem whose length is more than doubl
that of the Had, Aoneid and Paradise
Lost combined.
Brahmanism is Oldest and the pre-
vailing religion, and its tenets are con
tanned in the sacred books, the Vedas
Of which the oldest, the Rig-Neda,
certainly one of the most ancen
I literary documents in existence. Th
;. pure Deism of the Oldest form of thi
! religion had for it's leading doctrin
that Of an all pervading mind, fror
6 which the universe took its rise. The
came belief in the three deities, o
divers form OF the same universal deit,
viz. Brahma, or the Creator: Nishna, {
the preserver: and Sive, the Destroyc
This was further corrupted into
pantheism which sees god in ever
thing in sun, moon, stars, the Gang'
the midas, beasts and howerS. In il
o higher development, Brahmanism hole
that the human soul is of the san
- nature with the supreme being, al
that it's destiny is to be united vii
I Him. This led to the great doctrine
metcmpsychosis, or the transmigratit
of souls, which is necessary to puri
the humans souls for union with Il
divine According to this view, mar
soul in the world in united to the bot
in the state of trial which needs pray
penance, sacrifice, and publication.
j these are neglected, then the hum
. soul, after DEATH is joined to the boz
of some lower animal, and begins Ire
y course of probation. In popular PR
) tice, the greatest OF idolatry and sup'
= stition, with cowardly and selfish d
{ regard OF human life, have large
prevailed alongside of philosophit
OH al, Nnh
: mechanism was introduced by conqu
: ing armies of Islams prophets early
X the tenth century y. ID.
Buddhism arose about the year 800
: C. and derives it's name from Bud6
< ('the enlightened one, a surname
{ Gautama, the founder Hlndoo Of hi
) rank, who developed his creed in
x tired meditation, and began to tes
{ it is opposition to Brahmani
This religion recognizes no Supreme
& ing; it insists on practical morali
{ teaches the transmigration of souls ;
regards humiliation as the good ma
& final reward.
Z In India we see an essential advar
in theory, from the Chinese state
(? a dead level of equality for all be
- the Emperors. In spite of the despt
established in accordance with religi
= doctrines, and viewed by the PEG
Z at last, as natural distinctions.
very ancient book of Hindoo laws, c
= ed the Institute OF Menu, reguls
Z the class division of society. In Ia
times the minute subdivisions of C;
: have arisen, but there were, origina
Z only four: The Brahmans, the order
men devoted to religion and philoso
(the holy teachers; kshatriya's,
Z military and governing class tsoldi
and princes OF nation;) the Vaisyas,
professional men and mercantile c]
Z Farmers and traders;) the Sudras,
lower class traders, artisans and
aborers servants of three o
r classes.)
The rigid stereotyped characte
these orders caused the people OF
to be spiritual slaves. The three h
er classes all enjoy peculiar rights
privileges, though the Brat
{ possess the greatest influence, and
the repositories of learning of the W
w Deople. OF the relative position of