Los Angeles herald., 1909-07-16
THE EMPIRE OF INDIA
XIII-MANY GODS AND MANY CREEDS
By Frederic j. Haskin

...o.4or 30 ,axv doctrines and new teach
ING Is concerned. Therefore tney nave
failed to take advantage or the educa-
tlonal opportunities offered py tne brl.-
ish government, and nave Peeh Jul
distanced by the high-caste Hindus.
a great Moslem college at Aligarh
represents the most progressive party
In modern Islam, and draws sludents
even from -Mohammedan EUROPE. 1t
has welcomed western science, and is
endeayoring to bring Islam into toucn
with modern learning. But the ruined
ostronnmica1 q observatories of the Mos
lem capitals of the north of India, the
magnificent monuments of the Moguls.
and the we'll nigh deserted mosques or
the large cities testify to the decay OF
Islam. Yet the British government,
under the Indian reform scheme, recog-
nizes the Importance OF the honaIh-
medan community and PROVIDES Tor
minoritv representation for them in the
imperial council. :.
The Jains represent an early revolt
| against the priestcraft OF the Hindus'
The religion dates from the sixth CEN
tury before Christ, and Is coeVal with
Buddhism. The Jains were great tenn
pie builders in the old days, and some
of their monuments rank with the best
of Hindu architecture. 1t is confined
to narrow limits now, and is followed
only by some extremely fanatic holy
men who go about entirely naked, ex-
cept for a cloth over their mouths to
keep them from inadvertently swallow
ing an insect and thereby destroying
life. The Jains carry the respect for
life to the extreme, and the holy men
are covered with sacred vermin, and
carry brush with which to push the
sacred worms off the path on which
they walk.
yfff1o1 ND
| lax moral standards, Jainism is pro-
| fessed by many well-to-do middle class
| Hindus, who have money but cannot
attain the social atmosphere or the
higher caste Hindus. Their reverence
for animal life has been hindrance In
the last few years to the sanitary work.
| In western cities, where the health de-
nartment was doing everything possi-
| bile to destroy the rats and stamp out
| bubonic plague. the Jains were estab-
| fishing rat hospitals to protect the
| pests. In one such institution over 5000
rats we're found.
The Sikh religion was founded about
the time of the discovery of America
| by Nanak, a prophet, who designed his
religion as a unification Of the elemental
truths of Hinduism and Mohammedan-
| ism. The result was not only a new
| religion, but new nation. The skins
ate meat, abandoned the habit of inter
marrying in close circles, and soon de-
veloped a sturdy breed OF people which
came very near making itself the mas
| ter of all India. On account OF their
! loyalty to the English during the mu-
| tiny, although they had been conquered
| but a few years before, they have been
rewarded by brevet appointment as the
police force of the British dominions OF
| the East. They may be seen all over
| India and the East, wearing proud
| ~ fha nPtfV nf-
fender. Their religion is practically
| the worship of the holy books of their
| founder. In theory they believe In lone
God, condemn idolatry, have no caste
system, and prohibit the use of tobacco
and the cutting of hair or beard. In
practice most of them adopt caste.
claiming rank with the Brahmans. and
consider themselves a sect OF the
Hindus.
The Animists are the aboriginal in
habitants of India, who have lived In
the tungles and wild places in the heart
/ of the country for 5000 years without
being swallowed up in the general Hin
du system. Their religion is primitive.
i It conceives Of man as passing through
/ life surrounded by a ghostly company
1 of powers, elements and shapeless
/ phantoms OF which no image can be
made and no definite idea can be
/ 1OrTneO. II is III Tedllly HOlAiiS hiVl
than a demonology, and it's worship
is the Precipitation of evil spirits by
1 offerings of bloody sacrifices, by max
1 ing hideous noises and performing wild
dances. Temples and priests have lit7
tie share in their devotions. The ChrisA
/ tian missionaries have made more head
way among these people than any 9TH
ers in India
Hinduism, of course, is the dominant
religion of the country. and 1t has col
ored and influenced all other faiths.
Il The horrors of the Hindu practice have
been ameliorated by British rule; Wild
ows are no longer permitted to burn
1 themselves alive on their husbands
pyres, mothers no longer throw their
baby girls in the Ganges to feed the
sacred crocodiles, and fanatics have no
opportunity to sacrifice themselves un-
der the wheels of the car of Jugger-
naut But for all that. and despite the
beautiful Theistic philosophy OF the
Brahmo Samaj and educated Hindus,
the Hindu religion as practiced among
the millions has no moral excuse for
being. no redeeming feature-it is un-
4 speakably vile.
Tomorr0w-The Empire Of India. XIV
Tyranny of the Caste System.
oro oil oP ona foifb What will ha tha