The Fargo forum and daily republican. [volume] (Fargo, N.D.) 1894-1957, 1918-01-19
MILLIONS
GIVEN BY INDIAN
NATIVE PRINCE
Notable Donation to Char
lty Works Just Announc-
ed-To Benefit Girls
u Aaaociated Press.l

London, Jan. 19.-One of the great
eat charitable gifts In the history OF
india has just been announced at
Delhi. The Maharaj Kumar of
Tlkari, one Of the wealthy native
princes, has executed a deed of trust
devoting his entire personal estate
TO founding an institution for the
education of Indian women. The
property concerned is valued at
about 100000. In view of the much
greater purchasing power of money
IN India. ii is believed that the gift
viii accomplish as much proportion
ately as a gift of nearly ten times
the size in England or America.
Dependent members of the
Maharaj's family have already been
provided for by separate funds, and
all liabilities of the estate are duly
secured. The scheme la for a strict
~ 'purdah' residential institution,
where the girls win be trained and
educated on the best modern princi-
pies from the age Of to Is. There
VIII be no question of caste or creed.
The gift owed its inspiration large
IN to the Maharaj's wife, who has
been one of the foremost native
Indian women in the crusade for the
Improvement of the lot of Indian
women. The Maharai himself was
one Of the first native princes To
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
describing the gift, says:
The education of women is a.
problem 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 India
10 be educated he comes, perhaps 10
the English university, and at the
end of three years he returns home
10 marry an Indian girl of his own
social position. During his college
days the young man has associated
with cultivated Europeans, has learn
ed many of their ways, has become
used to clever, well-informed CONVEX
sation and companionship. What |
about this Indian bride? If she has |
been brought up in the traditional |
Indian way she will be quite unedu- |
Gated according to western stand |
ards, 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 marriage at the age Of Is or IA.
TT is because l feel the position |
of the Indian girls so keenly, because |
] realize the grave dangers which |
their general inability to be real |
helpers entails, that l am so enthusi- |
astic and so anxious to do all can
to help.
MY husband has executed a deed |
OF trust of his whole estate for the
founding of an institution to educate
Indian and Cingalese girls and has
made ii an essential point that creed
and caste shall be no bar We hope
to introduce into the school a
thorough knowledge of English A
college will be built, and will include
quarters where the stu
dents will live. A girl can stay until
the age OF is, and this ! think very
for the prevailing early
age in India at present
cannot but prove detrimental to the
physical well-being of our women"
a site for the college has been
given by Sir Ali Imam, one of tho
leading native lawyers.