Imperial Valley press., 1918-01-22
INDIAN GIVES
SEVEN MILLIONS
TO EDUCATION
Mahara iah OF Tikari Has Given Away
All He Possesses of Lands and Per-
soual Goods for the Education of
the Women of lndia-Donor Fought
in France.

London, Jan. 22.-One of the great
est charitable gifts in the history OF
India has just been announced at
Delhi. The Maharaj kurar of Tlkari,
one of the wealthy native princes,
has executed deed of trust devot-
ing his entire personal estate to
founding an institution for the sdu-
cation. OF Indian women. The prop
erty concerned is. valued at about 81
100000. In view Of the much great
.. purchasing power of money IN In
dia. it is believed that the gift will
accomplish as much proportionately
as a gift of nearly ten times the size
in England or America.
Dependent members of the Mana
rah's family have already been pro
vided for by separate funds, and all
liabilities of the estate are duly Sc
cured. The scheme IS for strictly
"purhad" residential institution, where
the girls will be trained and educated
on the best modern principles from
the age of to IS. There will be
no question Of caste or cred.
The gift owed its inspiration large
ily to the Maharaj's wife, who has
been one of the foremost native In
dian women in the crusade for the
Improvement of the lot of Indian
women. The Maharaj himself was
one of the first native princes &c
fight in France, and has spent over
two years on the battlefield. He was
brought up by English tutors IN India
and has been a great traveller.
The Maharaj's wife, in a letter de
scribing the gift, says:
"The education of women Is a PROB
lem demanding the attention OF all
governments in every country Of the
world. In India the issue is more
vital even than in other countries.
A young man leaves his home in In
dia to be educated; he comes, perhaps,
to an English university, and at the
end of three years he returns home
10 marry an Indian girl of his own
.ccial position. During his college
davs the young man has associated
With cultivated Europeans, has learned
many of their ways, has become used
% clever, well-informed conversation
and companionship. What about his
| Indian bride? If she has been
brought up in the traditional Indian
way she will he quite uneducated ac-
cording to western standards, and
will know little of life outside her
immediate surroundings. All her days
she will have been kept in seclusion,
for the ultimate purpose Of mar
riage at he age of 13 or Ia.
"It is because | feel the position
of the Indian girls so keenly, because
! I realize the grave dangers which
their general inability to be real help
ers entails, that | am so enthusi-
astic and so anxious to do ALL can
to help.
Ny husband has executed a decd
Of trust Of his whole estate for the
founding of an institution to educate
indian and Cingalese girls, and has
made it an essential poin1 that creed
nd caste shall be no bar. We hope
to introduce into the school tnor
ough knowledge of English. A col
lege will be built, and Will include
residential quarters where the ST.
dents will live. A girl can stay Un-
til the age of 18, and this | think
very jmportan:, for the prevailing
early marrying age in India at pres
ent cernot bat prove detrimental to
the physical we'll being Of cur wo'h-
en-"
A site for the college ha3 been
gi, en- by Sir Ali Imam, oa' Of the
leading native lawyers.
DIEGO. J. |. Kinks, San Diego NJ. 1.
I,,,, Con Dia0o. C. H. Aberling,