The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-05-07

Of the common lot Of humanity and not
merely for the salvation OF the individual
through a seif-centred control. The Mo-
hammedan invasions Of the eleventh and
the following centuries were attended by
bloodshed and prosecutions on a large
scale. and they carried the hrc and u
sword OF fanaticism through tho entire
north Of india. Brahmanisn,. more plant,
bent to the storm and survived to place
Itself at the service OF the conauerors
Buddhism could neither compromise nor
resist. The Buddhist priests were slaugh.
tered or scattered abroad. and the vast
literary treasures were stored In the
Buddhist viharas and monasteries
From this account we derive tina.
the Indian temperament Is by nature
speculative and theoretic. but 1t ca,i
not stand up with such speculations
against the tragedies Of force anu
violence.
Again In a chapter on the position
OF Women In India the author com
mends to all iNnovators the words vi
Lord Bacon: ut were good that men
In their Innovations would follow the
examples of time itself. which indeed
innovateth greatly. but quietly and
by degrees scarce to be perceived"
Indeed. making large allowances for
the indigenous differences of Western
and Eastern civilizations. we find
many analOgies. For example in tie
early epic and dramatic poetry of In
dia. women stand out wildly in free
and unfettered action. They choose
their " lovers;' they place the gar
lands on the victors' necks: they are
free m But the wave Of Mo-
hammedan invasion had a deepfelt
influence on the position Of women IL
India. The widespread system Of pu-
lygamy introduced led to a custom If
the seclusion OF women among tho
Hindus.
Under British rule In India man.
problems respecting women have pre-
sented themselves. Such reforms rs
have been carried out have been in
accordance with the general consen-
sus Of educated opinion. The suicide
OF widows on their husbands dealt,
has been prohibited by law. hui, 1t
would be futile to assert that II car
be widely averted. The general ideal
OF woman prevailing in India to-day
seems to be that Of the early am,
m!d-Nictorian era In England. -!
course emphasized by conditions and
environments. The problem Of eN-
lstence for woman was Target, solved
by Brahmanism. which asserts that
she has no "individualit" apart; from
her husband and the best woman /.
she who looks upon her husband a.
? god.
The education OF ome in the
Western ems Of the word. hardly car
he said to come within the contempla-
ton NJ an orthodox Hindu family. u
is based entirely upon patriarCha'
ideas. Tho author is convinced thu,
no secular system " Western educ
ton can solve the problem of women
In India. II would result only in un.
rest and in implanting in the coming
generation u defiance OF all authorit,
d!v!n" or temporal In THIS position
tho author agrees with the late i'r,c,
Collier. who. in his West in the East
points out that should England grant
women political freedom they would
involve themselves in difficulties viii
India. considering the attitude Of the
East toward The general i'm
preston Of Mr.. Frazer Is that tho So.
cinl power and indircc, influence o.
UomeD are reduced wherever indus.
trial modes of thought penetrate, AN
hat another generation of educated
mothers will entirely loosen the hold
Of the mothers over the sons. This
may seem n strange conclusion. hut Il
is he one that comments itself to tho
author.
On the whole this volume. while II
quotes literally from many Learned
sources. is more valuable as giving th'
data for conclusions than ak arriv.na
AT valuable conclusions Of lie own
The author warns the West against
desiring India to abandon the best -,
its own beliefs and traditions. The
study OF the history of thought IL
India in the past and of the changes
taking place in the present is OF Vita
interest TO those who desire to SIT
the wheat from the char and come tC
a conclusion as IL the hest course tc
be pursued in the future, Indian
Thought" while 1t gives a reliable out.
line Of Indian thought. does not, noi
could Il he expected to, lead the way
into the future.