Europeans, Anglo-Indians, Eurasians
All people of foreign blood from western lands, and the descendants
of these, however remote or however little the trace of Western blood
they have, are in India technically called “Europeans.” Before the law
they have the rights of a trial by jury, and in the school laws they
are classed as “Europeans.” But it is far more accurate to divide this
class into three divisions--the pure “Europeans,” the “Anglo-Indians,”
and the “Eurasians.” By this division the Europeans are people born and
reared in Europe, or America, who are now found in Southern Asia. The
Anglo-Indians are those people of mixed European blood who have been
born and reared in India. The Eurasian, as the name implies, is a man
who has both European and Asiatic blood. For the purposes of comparison
these may be named in two classes, the Western born and bred man, the
European, as distinguished from Eastern born relatives, Anglo-Indians
and Eurasians. I want it made very clear that in discussing the
characteristics and relations of these several peoples, that I am
not drawing invidious comparisons. I have no sympathy whatever with
asperities heaped upon men because of their race; neither do I
patronize any man because of his race. I long ago concluded that
character is not a matter of race; that lovable or royal manhood is
not a question of ancestry or position, but that nearly all essential
differences in men are due to environment and to personal conduct, for
which each man is responsible. But comparisons not invidious must be
made to bring out the various features of social and business life that
enter into the complex racial intermingling of Southern Asia. At best
this complexity of life can be but partially understood by readers in
America, who have never seen anything quite like it.
The characteristics of Europeans and Americans are well known in the
Western world. My subject calls for only those characteristics which
they hold in common, and these features of character as modified by
residence in the tropics and under the social conditions of Asia.
These characteristics are contrasted in a decided way, as compared
with any and all Asiatic trained men of any race or racial mixture.
These elements of character are most noticeable in the energy that
takes them to the tropics, their capacity to organize business or
government, and maintain a modern and systematic organization of
the highest efficiency, and that peculiar capacity for just and
progressive governmental domination. This energy and this capacity
for organization, which of course involves the power to work out
painstaking details, are characteristic of the Northern civilization,
and never found in the same degree, as far as I know, among any
peoples that have been bred in the tropics. It is a matter of great
importance in working out the simplest framework of a theory of racial
influence in the world to recognize the fact that all real pioneering,
all colossal accomplishments in all lands in modern times, have been
made by men bred in the colder countries of the temperate zone. These
are the men who forge the world forward in their own native climes, and
in the frigid zone, and also in the scorching tropics. The tropical
world presents no people who hold their own with these exotics, even
under their native skies. It is this quality of the European that makes
him the dominating man in India. He creates and fosters government and
business enterprises on a large scale. As a man, the European is a
mightier personal force than Asia can produce.
That this energy is largely a result of climate and social environment
is very plain when we compare the Western man with the characteristics
of the descendants of Europeans who have had only an Indian upbringing.
And in all comparisons I will class the Anglo-Indian and the Eurasian
together, for so they belong. They both follow the same habits of life,
so far as style of living is concerned, similar to that of the European
resident in India. In these respects they have much in common with all
Europeans. They are all classed together as compared with the native.
But here the similarity between the imported man and his Indian-bred
relative comes to an abrupt end. The driving and conquering energy of
the Western man is wanting in his relative of even one generation
of Asiatic breeding. It is clear that this difference, which all
observing men recognize, is purely due to environment of climate and
social customs. They are as bright in mind as the Western men. They
are excellent students to a certain point. They are specially facile
letter-writers. But the line of occupations which their Asiatic life
and conditions fit them for, is very limited indeed. The limitations
of their lives are many. The most depressing of all their conditions
grows out of the fact that they from infancy are dependent for the
greater part of all life’s duties on the native servant. The baby is
nursed by a native _ayah_; his clothes are kept in order for him by a
servant. He is fed, clothed, and cared for by half a dozen menials. His
boots are blacked for him; his books carried to school; his umbrella
held over his head; his pony is groomed, saddled, and led while he
rides, by a servant whom he is accustomed to command in everything. He
is helped and coddled out of all independence and self-helpfulness. In
all this he is not to be blamed, but pitied. In this he does as all
his relatives and neighbors do. His household and business methods,
all that he sees, is being done this way. Not one man of European
descent in India lives entirely by his own efforts, as is common in
Western countries. His dependence on menials is therefore a necessity
of respectable life, as he sees it. He is not to be blamed, for he sees
nothing better around him. But this admission does not require that
we approve the social conditions that unman him and rob him of much
energy and resourcefulness in the matter of self-help. It is a fact
that he develops a softness of character in matters of personal habit,
and lacks in the energy which is required only by long and sustained
self-dependent work. For this reason all the hardier traits of manhood
are feebly developed, or lacking. You do not find these men entering
callings where hard service is required. They do not make either
soldiers or sailors. Some of them become engineers, but they are only
found in places where the work is largely done by native helpers, and
even here few of them compete with the Scotch or German engineer.
But the difference wrought by social conditions is seen more in matters
of disposition than elsewhere. No race of the human family can boast
of good dispositions. However, we do find that Indian-born men are
unduly sensitive. They are usually easily “offended,” even to pouting.
They are sensitive of their “status,” whatever their positions may
be. A multiplied illustration of this supersensitiveness is found in
the recklessness with which men will resign from any and every post
when, for some reason or without reason, their feelings are hurt.
They will often go from comfort to beggary just because they may be
displeased with their treatment. And that which seems almost a paradox,
compared with the preceding fact, is that they will stand almost any
amount of outright snubbing from people whom they respect for some
pretentious assumption of superiority. I have been puzzled many times
to understand how it was when I went to a disgruntled man with soft
speech to pacify him, if for reason or without it he was disaffected,
to find that he would take my approach to him as a sign of weakness,
and be confirmed in his unlovely manners. But I have seen the same man
benefited by the sharpest rebuke which gave him no quarter at all.
But while the Anglo-Indians have all the disposition in common with
the Eurasian, they are distinguished in common speech in a way that
often causes much pain to high-minded Eurasians. They are called
“Half-castes” and “Niggers.” They are scorned for being born of
questionable parentage. This is by no means true of the most of these
unfortunate people, as an increasing proportion of them are born in
wedlock, and often are the children of cultured and orderly homes,
the equal of any on earth. But when true as a fact, it does not
affect their character or real moral worth. But there is a sting, the
more painful for its injustice, on the innocent child born of mixed
parentage, when born out of wedlock, which in the cruelty of social
speech attaches more shame to the innocent child than guilt to the
heartless father. I have been led to believe that this injustice
accounts for much of the supersensitiveness in the whole Eurasian
community. Then they labor under the disadvantage often of having a
very dark skin. It is a curious law of nature that the Eurasian child
often has a darker skin than even his Asiatic parent. In a country
where shades of color, light or dark, are measured by a supersensitive
scale, and social recognition is to some extent based upon this absurd
measurement, it will be seen that the Eurasian, especially if very
dark, is overmuch pained that he has not a white skin, and he feels
the fling of the term “Nigger,” often on the lips of those whose only
whiteness is in their skins.
One more characteristic of the Asiatic-bred men of European descent
may be given. They do not take kindly to burdensome responsibilities,
even after Indian pattern, especially for their own kindred and race.
In a country where there are more charitable institutions in proportion
to the population than in any other in the world, and perhaps greater
need of such institutions, yet it remains a painful fact that, with
a few exceptions--so exceptional as to make the real nobility of the
mind of the few more striking--there is a very small part of the
money necessary for their support given by the Anglo-Indians, or
Eurasians. The greatest amount of money to keep these institutions
going is given by men foreign to the country. But another like fact
of note is this, that there is not one such institution, so far as I
can learn, the burdensome responsibility of which is actually carried
by an Indian-bred man, or company of men. There are many working
faithfully in subordinate capacities. But when it comes to organizing
and maintaining such an institution, and bearing its burdens through
crises, the Indian-bred men have not been found under the load. The
suggestiveness of these facts is a commentary on either the lack of
real charity, or lack of energy to bear responsible burdens. Having
been in this sort of work in various capacities for all the time I have
been in the mission field, I feel it is due to the institutions of
this kind, and the workers who bear the burdens of the same, to point
out this failure of this branch of the Indian peoples to measure up
to a manifest duty, and to say further, that I believe this shrinking
from personal responsibility to be a direct result of training from
childhood, which teaches them to avoid unpleasant tasks and drop them
upon others. They would order a servant to do the work if it could be
done that way; but if not, then the Western man or woman must do it, or
it goes undone.
One more characteristic must be mentioned. It can not be denied that
the lack of manly independence in a majority of Indian-bred men leads
them to be forever asking somebody to do something for them. Many of
them will appeal to ministers especially, and all charitably-disposed
people, to get them into positions for which they are often wholly
unqualified. They will ask you to aid them with money; borrow or beg
without any sensibility of its unmanliness whatever. It takes a very
large part of every minister’s time to respond to these incessant calls
for “help.”
It would take reams of paper to write all the supplications, petitions,
and applications for positions, when the applicants for aid should
present themselves in person and ask for posts, conscious of their
own ability to sustain themselves. A Scotchman in Rangoon, whom I
knew, and a man with most kindly heart, in a position where he was
often besieged for employment, grew so tired of this unmanly method
of applying for employment, that he became annoyed every time he saw
a man with one of those letters of recommendation coming to him. He
warned me repeatedly that, as a minister, I ought not to write these
letters of recommendation to business men, and in later years I ceased
to do so. One constant form of this appeal for some special favor has
been repeatedly to approach the Indian Government to retain certain
positions for the special benefit of this community. The Anglo-Indian
and Eurasian associations have repeatedly memorialized the viceroy
to order these favors. Lord Curzon, the present viceroy, gave their
memorials special attention, and as a result he delivered a reply of
the most searching kind, and urged the people of this community to
carve out something worthy themselves, instead of being continually
memorializing for special favors, and refused to aid in the special
class regulations. The delegation retired, “thanking his excellency for
his sarcastic remarks.” Yet I fear it will take more sarcasm before the
right mettle is put into this people, as a class.
Now while I have written these facts as I see them, I wish to avoid
absolutely a mistake commonly made. While we point out these weaknesses
in a community, we must not stop there, as the manner of some is. There
are those who would not allow themselves to speak of the real worthy
ones among these peoples as heartily as they would of the deficiencies
of others. I want to be fair and to lean in statement where my
sympathies have always been, with the better and noble characteristics
of these unfortunate people, as I have known and valued them, and
recognize the possibility of toning up the moral fiber, if they are
taken in hand as boys and girls before being confirmed in the weakening
customs of the country.
The youth, both boys and girls, of these families have many among them
who will take a fine education. They do excellent work in school. Some
take a university course. A greater number ought to do so. They make
very good clerks where nothing but writing is to be done. This has been
the chief employment of the men hitherto. They are very fair teachers.
A few have been employed in our mission, who for painstaking care and
faithfulness can not be excelled. Some of them have been inspired
to be and do all that is worthy and noble. There are missionaries
from among these peoples whose ministry has been blessed of God,
and greatly edified the Church. It is a fact, however, that for the
last dozen years there has been almost a dearth of such applicants
for admission to our ranks. It is also true that the falling off in
these applications corresponds nearly with the time that those who
were in our Indian Conferences were advanced to the full status of
American-trained missionaries. Let this be pondered and remedied. Some
of the young people have done nobly. A few have honored themselves
and the Church by an education in America, and returned to devoted
service for their own people. But happily we have an illustrious soul
of this community, recently translated, whose going has made earth
poorer, except in hallowed memories of her sainted life, and heaven
richer. When we meet one such soul as the sainted Phœbe Rowe, we lift
up our hearts with thanks to Him who has made the Christ-life so real
in flesh that we could look upon. Phœbe Rowe was a Eurasian. She had
all the Indian conditions, but from very early life she was a devoted
Christian. In riper years she developed Christian graces to the highest
possibility. After a notable service in many capacities, she closed
her career by a long term of service as an evangelist to the poor
native Church of India. Her life and labors have been recorded, and are
the property of the Church. I only write to say of her that she was
the most perfect fruit of our Indian Mission. Bishop Thoburn, in his
address before the Central Conference in 1900, spoke of her departure,
and said, “Phœbe Rowe, the most peerless saint I have ever known.” One
such saint is a prophecy of all possible good among these people.
The climate and social conditions do affect Europeans also. This is
manifest in very many ways. From having servants to do the necessary
work for them, they easily drift into the habit of leaning back in an
easy-chair, and calling “boy” for everything they want, from a drink of
water to a toothpick. I saw an extreme case. A young Scotchman, just
out of the office in the evening, went to the Royal Lakes and called
for his boat. His servant dutifully brought it to the low platform;
waiting the pleasure of his master. The young man turned him slowly
round and sat down in the boat, but left his legs stretched on the
platform. The servant went out and lifted one leg in, and the other leg
likewise. When the whole man was in he pushed the boat off the shore,
and the master took lazily to the oars!
The habit of being waited upon in everything tends to develop the
domineering habit among almost all people. Little children often fairly
drive the servants about as they assert their pettishness. Grown-up
people often act as spoiled children in the same way. A young man who
comes from Europe from conditions where he had to do every kind of work
himself, soon learns to order his servants around with more pomp than
any born lord. The tendency of this kind trends also to extravagance in
living. It is so common for men getting a good salary to live beyond
their means. It is a common thing when an officer on good salary dies,
for his friends to take up a public subscription for his widow, who
will often be found to be without support of any kind.
In these respects, the climate and the environment are seductive. The
sterling simplicity that makes Westerners great is easily frittered
away in the East. Men go in for display. They keep what they call
“establishments.” They are much given to drink. Too often they debauch.
It is certain that a young man runs far more risk in this tropical
climate of making moral shipwreck than in Europe or America. Take away
his moral props with which he is surrounded at home, and he quickly
forms alliances to his own heart. Concubinage is very common. At
first the youth is ashamed of this relation, but later he is likely
to flaunt this sin in the face of all men. He sometimes acts as if he
were perfectly reckless of moral consequences. The good name he brought
to the country and his own loved ones at home are forgotten. It is a
common saying, “He left his morals at the Suez Canal.”
But while this is true as a tendency, it is the joy of the writer to
emphasize the fact that not a few men, young men, come from Europe to
the tropics and keep themselves pure and noble in the midst of all
that is seductive in climate or society. I have known a goodly number
of such, and count them among the most genuinely noble men that I have
met. There are men of many years in the country whose moral worth
has grown with a steady growth as the years have gone forward, and
have made themselves a name that is a rebuke to every dishonorable or
unclean life, and a tower of strength for themselves, and a mighty
bulwark against popular evils that degrade their fellow-countrymen.
These men, with their time, business sense, and their money, are always
actively on the side of right and righteousness. No people have had
more such friendships in India than the Methodist missionaries. I have
been specially honored with a wide acquaintance with such noble men.