The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Atlanta, Ga.) 1907-1917, 1912-09-05
M0l1anmedanism In India

caste. islam rejects caste, being
hostile to it on principle, for the
equality Of all men before Allah is
one OF it's great doctrines. But in
India, Moslem society is divided
into castles to almost as great an ex-
tent as the Hindus. Many of them
cannot be distinguished from the
Hlndus by their daily life.
The Moslem conqueror was never
able to completely dominate the peo-
pie OF India as he has the people in
other parts of the world. Here.
there was compromise and Indian
Mohammedanism has been greatly
influenced by Hinduism, especially
IN South India and in Bengal. This
influence is shown ia their dress, re-
hgious beliefs. practices and super
stitions and in architecture, social
customs and ceremonies as well.
The Moslems of Bengal have been
described by a MOsiem as ga sect
which observe none of the ceremo-
MES of its faith, which is ignorant
OF the simplest formalities of it's
creed, which worships at the shrine
OF rival religion and tenaciously
adhereS to practices which were de-
nounced as the foulest denominations
by its founder"
The seclusion of women in India
is said, by the Hindus, to be due 10
the necessity they were under to
protect their women from the Mos
lens whom they were rulers of the
land. However this may be, in these
days it is sign of respectability for
the women of a house to live in
pardah or nthe zenana both among
Moslems and Hindus and many of
the women are proud of the fact that
they can SO live. Aga Khan says
The first and greatest of the bar
Tiers to progress in the Moslem
world is the seelusion of women
which results in keeping half the
community in ignorance and degra-
dation and thus binders the progress
of the whole
The last census, that of 1911.
gives the number of Moslems in In
dia as sixty-six million, six hundred
and twenty-three thousand, four
hundred and twelve, the largest
number living in any one country
and more than the combined pOpu-
lation of Egypt, Persia, Morocco, AL
giers, arabia, Tunis, Afghanistan,
Tripoli and Turkey. About one-third
OF these, or twenty-six million in
round numbers, are found in Bengal.
Over half the population of the Pan
jab, or about fifteen million, and
three-fourths of the people of Kash-
mir are Moslem. They are largely
an unban people. Two hundred
thousand are found in Bombay and,
they are numerous in other large
cities. They are mostly of the ortho-
dox or Sunni sect; only about five
million are Shiahs. AS a people,
they have given little attention to
education. In 1901, ninety-six per
cent We're illiterate and only about
one woman in every three hundred
could read.
Aligarh College, founded in 1878
by Sir Sayid Ahmad Khan, has had
considerable influence in awakening
interest in education and those of
the present generation are begin
ming to realize the need Of education.
Aga Khan, the President of the All
India Moslem League, which was or
ganized in 1906 to secure for Mos
lens their rightful share Of influence
in the government, says 'All the
needs Of the Moslems can be
summed up in the one word 'Educa-
ton The Amir of Afghanistan,
who is regarded with great respect by
tn Indian Moslems, said in an adj