The Indianapolis times. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1922-1965, 1927-11-19

to become a great executive, a wise
judge and a tolerant ruler.
While Catholics were numbering
Protestants in France Q572). and
Protestants (under Good Queen
Bess) were numbering Catholics in
England, and Philip II was burning
Jews in Spain, and Bruno and Cali
leo were suffering in Rome, Akbar
invited to conference the repre-
sentatives of all religions, pledged
them to peace, issued edicts of tole-
ration for every faith and every
philosophy and, as evidence of his
impartiality, married wives from
the Brahman, Buddhist, Mohamme-
dan and Christian faiths.
Finally he invented religion of
his own, and every morning offered
public worship to the sun.
Being a good king, Akbar was de-
posed by his warlike son. Selim Je-
hanghir. Then followed Shah Je-
han, who murdered all his brothers
to insure his peace of mind.
= However, he had neglected to kill
his sons, who imprisoned him and
then fought among themselves until
the strongest, Au-rang-zeb, had
butchered the others and inaugu-
rated his long reign Of rapine and
war (1658-170D.
So much for those who love to
read of kings.
RI ND now new invaders came
IA down upon this peaceful peo-
L. pie, no longer across the
mountains, but over the sea. In
1892 Columbus sailed from Palos,
seeking not Indians but India.
In 1897 Vasco da Cana, after a
voyage of eleven months from Lis
bon, anchored off Calicut. He was
we'll received by the Hindu rajah of
Malabar, who gave him courteous
letter to the king of Portugal:
"Vasco de Cana, nobleman of
your household, has visited my
kingdom and has given us great
pleasure. In my kingdom there is
abundance of cinnamon, cloves, pep
per and precious stones. What I
seek from your country is gold, sill
yer. coral and scarlet"
His Christian majesty answered
by claiming India as Portuguese ter
ritory, for reasons which the Hindu
king could not understand.
In explanation Portugal sent a
fleet, with instructions to wage war
and spread Christianity. In 1902
and 1909 the Portuguese bombarded
Calicut, and in 1860 they introduced
the inquisition into India.
FIN 1903 the Dutch came and
Strove with the Portuguese
4 for a chance to trade with
the Indies.
All through the seventeenth
century the Dutch drove out the
Portuguese, and all through the
eighteenth century the, English
drove out the Dutch. Many battles
were fought among them, savage or
deals Of blood to decide which of
them should civilize and tax the
HinduS.
In 1746 French vultures saw the
prey and swooped down upon
Madras; for fifteen years the Eng
fish MADE war against them, finally
starving them into brotherhood at
Pondicherry.
Meanwhile the HinduS, taking
advantage of the diScord among
the thieves that were dividing her
drove the English from
Calcutta and imprisoned so many
of them in one small room (the
BLACK Hole Of Calcutta") that all
out twenty-three out Of hundred
and forty-six died overnight.
A treaty Of peace was signed, but
Give violated it, and by genius
and treachery and superior killing
Called "victories") established the
empire Of Britain in India.
The HinduS were fined $11, TOO, 900
for their unreasonable resistance; of
this Give and the British governor
commended themselves with a quarter
of a million each.
This is the worst of the story;
and one must admit that any other
modern Power would have behaved
as ruthlesSly, and that most Of
the mischief was done by a private
corporation-the East India Com
pany.
In 1857, after the Great Mutiny,
the British government took India
from the company, annexed most Of
the Hindu states, collected taxes in
its turn adding 100000. 900 for the
mutiny) and gradually passed from
brutality to civilization.
(Copyright. 1927. BY Will Durant)
ITO Be COntined