Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-08
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
IV-Causes of the Unrest
By Frederic j. HaSkin

NALCUTTA, India - The primary
cause of the unrest in India is ed
". ucation. The British rule brought
with 1t the English language and
western science. The Hindus and
Mohammedans of India have learned
to speak. English, have learned the
story of the European struggle for free
government, have learned the lesson OF
sacrifice and the truth that the, source
of all power lies with the people. All
of the unrest in India has found It's
origin among those educated Indians
who habitually and constantly speak,
read, write and think in English.
The, secondary cause of the unrest IS
the new sense of power which was the
portion of every Asiatic country in the
fruits of Japan's victory over Russia.
Japan adopted western ways and
western methods less than fifty years
ago: India has been studying with the
Occident for more than century. The
Indians have seen that 1t Is possible
for an Asiatic nation to hold its own
in battle against power of Europe,
both on land and sea. The theory that
the Orient is in perpetual bondage to
Europe has been smashed
Another contributing cause of the
unrest Is the American occupation OF
the Philippines. Fifty-one years ago
England promised the Indians share
in their government. That promise is
| only now about to be fulfilled in part
| a concession coming on the heels of a
period of unrest and disturbances. The
| United States promised the Filipinos
| ultimate self-government, and actually
| granted them an elective Legislative
| assembly before the first ten years OF
occupation was ended. The Indian
| patriotic speakers and writer's nave
made much of this fact.
These are the chief underlying causes
of the unrest. The direct causes, of
| course, were the specific complaints
made against the British government,
both of things done and things Ieft
undone. The chief of these specinc
complaints is that the government has
utterly disregarded the opinion OF the
| Indian public.
The administration of Lord CurZon,
remarkable for its strenuosity, brought
this issue to a head when 1t was de-
cided to divide Bengal into two prov
| inces, despite the protests of the Ben
galese, expressed in every possible
manner. Lord Curzon worshiped ef-
| fciency. He cut Gordian knots OF red
| tape which had fettered the indian ad-
ministration since the era of goose-quill
pens and London company rule. he
found Englishmen quicker to take hold
of radical reforms and more apt TO
/
interest of efficiency, native ofncers
were ousted. He told eminent Indians
who came to see him that he believed
that benevolent despotism was the
best government for India, that one
man rule was the secret of efhciency'
and acted upon that principle.
He planned several great reforms
which would have been of immense
profit to the agricultural population,
| but few of them advanced beyond the
paper stage. Not being willing TO
| divide the honors of ruling with the
chief of the army, and being utterly
unwilling to listen to advice from
native leaders. Lord Curzon alienated
both Englishmen and educated natives.
He left India amid the rejoicings OF
| both classes, and the poor peasant
whom he honestly endeavored to help
doesn't know his name.
Lord Curzon held the famous Durbar
| at Delhi to celebrate the accession OF
| Edward VII to the royal and Imperial
throne, spending lakhs and lakhs OF
rupees on a magnificent spectacle at
| the very time thousands and thousands
| of people were starving to death in the
famine stricken districts. He organized
great systems of famine relief, but ne
would not consent to listen to the peti-
tions which asked him to relieve the
Indian agriculturist from the burden OF
rigid and onerous taxation.
| The question of taxation Is the prime
factor in the present agitation for home
rule. When the Indians are given
voice in their government they VIII re-
form the land tax system. In broad
sense all the southern half OF India is
divided into small land holdings upon
which the farmer pays taxes directly
| TO the government. In the northern
portion of India the taxes are paid by
| landlords, who in turn collect from
their tenants.
The principle of taxation isathat the
government shall take half of what IS
| left of the product of the soil after the
expense of cultivation has been PAID
whether collected from landlord or
farmer, this system of taking so per
cent of the net produce Of the land is
adhered to. In the ancient Indian days
the tax was collected in produce. But
now. of course, it is taken in money.
| A calculation is made and the estimated
Weld of the land is put down in book
! to stand as the measure OF taxation
for a term Of say, thirty years. If the
crop is an entire failure the taxes must
be paid Just the same. In some In
stances in the last few years there
| have been remittances of taxation in
famine districts, but as a general thing
this high tax is collected with rigorous
exactitude.
only in the province of Bengal are