THE POPULATION AND PEOPLE OF INDIA
"Ladies and gentlemen, I am happy to appear before you, and to look you all
in the face," his lordship began as the applause subsided. "The task befaw
me is to put a gallon of fluid into a pint pot. It cawn't be done. I shall
not attempt to do what is quite impossible. I can only put in what the
vessel will hold. I cawn't say all there is to be said about the people of
India in an hour, or even two or three hours."
The noble gentleman was an easy, pleasant, and fluent speaker, evidently
quite accustomed to addressing public assemblies; but he had certain
peculiarities of speech, a very few of them, which sounded just a little
odd to the Americans, as doubtless some of their pronunciation did to the
Britons. But there is hardly a perceptible difference in the pronunciation
of highly trained speakers of one nation and the other. It is not necessary
to indicate any farther the slightly peculiar speech of the accomplished
gentleman.
"I can only select from the mass of material before me what I think will be
most interesting and useful to you; for I have been warned that I must not
talk all day," continued the viscount.
"We leave that to your lordship's own judgment," added Captain Ringgold.
"I will be merciful, Mr. Commander: as merciful as possible. Next to China,
India is the most populous country on the globe; and without Nepaul, it
numbered, in 1891, 287,223,917, or more than one-seventh of the people on
the face of the earth; and the increase in the last decade was almost
28,000,000,--enough to populate about a dozen of your larger States.
"In spite of its vast population, India cannot be said to be a very densely
peopled region; 184 to the square mile for the whole country. The mountain
territory is quite thinly settled. All the native states have but 108 to
the square mile, though the plains of the Ganges show about 400. About
Benares and Patna the average is about double these figures. I was looking
at the 'Year-Book' in your library, and I saw that the average in the
States, including Alaska, is about 18 to the square mile; but the nine
States in the north-east have 107.
"The little bit of a State of Rhode Island leads in the density of its
population, with 318, while Massachusetts comes next with 278. New Jersey
has 193, Connecticut, 154; the big States of New York and Pennsylvania have
respectively 126 and 117. In the United Kingdom the average in England is
541; in Scotland, 135; in Wales, 206; and in Ireland, 144. The density of
India, therefore, is quite respectable by comparison.
"By the census of 1891, India has seventy-five towns with over 50,000
inhabitants, and twenty-eight with over 100,000; but unlike three cities of
the States, it has not one with over a million, though Calcutta and Bombay
are likely to reach that distinction in another decade. You have not a
monopoly of the fast-growing cities in the States."
"We have found out that Berlin has increased faster than Chicago," said
Uncle Moses with a chuckle; "and Glasgow has got ahead of Liverpool."
"Quite true, Mr. Scarburn; but the States have not all the fast-growing
cities of the world, wonderful as the increase has been in some of them.
Europe, Asia, and Australia are alive. The nearest approaches to a million
in India are Calcutta, 861,764, and Bombay, 821,764; but I dare say you are
all quite tired of statistics by this time."
"Not at all, Lord Tremlyn; as you present them they are quite interesting."
said Mrs. Belgrave.
"Thank you, madam," replied the speaker, bowing low, with his hand on his
heart. "Now I am going to speak of the people as other than mere numbers;
and if I wished to entangle you inextricably, I should go back about 4,000
years, and tell you about the people down to the present time. I spare you
the infliction in full. Four groups of languages are spoken among the
natives, and from these the original races that spoke them are traced out.
"I mention one as a specimen, the Kolarian language, spoken by those who
first settled in the hilly regions of the central part. The others are the
Aryan, Dravidian, and Tibeto-Burman, all of which you will find in
'Chambers's' in your library.
"The word Hindu is generally used in a very broad sense to cover all the
native population of Hindustan or India; but it is really applicable to a
religion, and belongs only to those of the Hindu, or the faith of the
Brahmins; but, like most others, it consists of a great number of sects. Of
this belief there are about 200,000,000 people. They are divided into four
grand classes, called castes. The Portuguese called them _casta_ in
their own language, from which the present name comes. I call them grand
classes, or castes, because they are divided into many sub-classes.
"When the Aryans, who came from Europe, and Asia farther north than India,
obtained a foothold here, and established themselves, they looked down upon
other people in the land, and called themselves the twice-born, or born
again, as some modern sects have it. They claimed to have experienced a
second, or religious, birth, indicated by a certain cord with which they
were invested at a particular age. The natives of the soil and all other
outsiders were the once-born.
"In the lapse of time the twice-born were divided into three classes, the
Brahmins being the priestly class, the Kshatriyas the ruling military, and
the Vaisyas the agricultural classes. These were of the upper grade; and
all the once-born were called Sudras. These four classes are the origin of
caste, though the divisions have been greatly changed. The Vedas are the
four oldest sacred books of the Hindus, otherwise the Hindu Scriptures.
"Derived from their holy books is the allegorical idea that the Brahmin, or
priest, was the mouth of the original man; the warrior his arms; the
agriculturist his thighs; while the Sudra, or common people, sprang out of
his feet. The duties and relations of the four castes are defined and
stated in the laws of Manu."
"We have not been introduced to him," suggested Mrs. Woolridge.
"He is regarded as the author of the most noted law-book among the Hindus;
but there is so much that is mythical and contradictory said of him, that I
will say nothing more about him; but he is authority among the Brahmins. In
modern caste the Brahmin is the minister of religion; he alone mediates
between God and man, makes sacrifices, and teaches the sacred Veda. His
life is portioned off into periods of special duty. As a student he learns
the Veda; then he gets married, becomes a householder, and must every day
perform the appointed sacrifice. Some of them live in the woods, as
hermits, or live like monks, till they are said to be absorbed into Brahma.
"The soldier's sphere is in connection with the State, to support the
Brahmin, and execute the laws he makes or interprets. The third class
cultivate the soil as proprietors, and engage in trade and commerce. The
Sudra is the servant of all the others. Resulting from the intermarriage of
members of different castes there are various mixed classes. The lowest is
the child of a Brahmin mother and a Sudra father, though in Southern India
the Pariah is still lower.
"Of the vast population of India, three-fourths are Hindus in religion. The
Buddhists are mostly in Burma, and there are over 57,000,000 Mohammedans.
The number of Christians by the last census was 2,284,380; and I am sorry
there are no more of them. The Sikhs and the Jains are Indian sects which
flourish in certain localities; as there are nearly two millions of the
former in the Punjab, and over half a million of the latter in Bombay, and
approaching that number in Rajputana, with comparatively few elsewhere. The
Parsees, or Parsis, who were driven from Persia by the Mohammedans, number
76,774 in Bombay,--not the city, but the presidency.
"In the small state of Travancore, where my friend Sir Modava was born,
there are said to be four hundred and twenty different castes. The
distinction is sometimes the result of occupation, branch of trade, or some
accidental circumstance. Let me read a short extract from a book from your
library:--
"'Among the lowest classes caste has degenerated into a fastidious
tenacity of the rights and privileges of station. For example, the man
who sweeps will not take an empty cup from your hand; your groom will
not mow a little grass; a coolie will carry any load, however offensive,
on his head, but even in a matter of life and death would refuse to
carry a man, for that is the business of another caste.
"'When an English servant pleads that such a thing is not his place, his
excuse is analogous to that of the Hindu servant when he pleads his
caste. When an Englishman of birth or profession, which is held to
confer gentility, refuses to associate with a tradesman or mechanic; or
when members of a secret society exclude all others from their meetings;
or when any other social distinction arises, it would present itself to
the mind of the Hindu as a regulation of caste.'
"It is a barrier to the progress of Christianity in many ways. It is
generally thought that a Christian convert cannot be restored to his
caste if he should backslide; and the superstition of the low-class
natives is a rhinoceros shield, which it is still difficult to
penetrate; but in the end the Cross will come off conqueror, as it
always has and always will.
"Caste does not now compel a native to pursue his father's calling,
except, perhaps, in the case of Brahmins. For that matter, Brahmins
serve in the army, and even act as cooks and in similar occupations. Men
of all castes have risen to exalted positions, just as poor men, with
none of the advantages of high birth, have in England. The loss of caste
has been regarded by the ignorant native here as the most terrible thing
that could possibly happen to him; but it is not so in practice, for it
has been accomplished by giving a very indifferent supper.
"When an outcast enters another caste, he is well and heartily received
as a convert. As you proceed through India you will learn more about
this stumbling-block of superstition and ignorance.
"The 57,000,000 Mohammedans, of whom 23,658,000 are in Bengal, and over
6,000,000 in Bombay, are either descendants of emigrating Asiatics, or
Hindus converted to that faith. Their religion is a mixture of the
doctrines of the Prophet and local idolatry; for they have been somewhat
infected by the prevailing worship of the natives. The Parsees are an
educated mercantile class, the great body of them being found in Bombay.
They are fire-worshippers; and their creed is that of Zoroaster, who
flourished not less than 800 years before Christ. The Zend-Avesta is the
sacred book of the sect, containing their religion and their philosophy.
The Caliph Omar conquered the Persians, and established Mohammedanism
there, persecuting all who would not believe. The obstinate Parsees fled
to India."
"The Parsees of the present day are their descendants, and still cling
to their ancient faith. Like all sects, they are fully tolerated by the
British government, and are considered one of the most respectable and
thriving classes of the community. They are largely merchants and
land-owners, and bear the highest reputation for honesty, industry, and
as peaceful citizens. They are quite prepossessing, and many of their
ladies are remarkably beautiful, though I have seen a fairer American
than any one of them.
"Some of them have studied law in England, and all are forward to avail
themselves of the advantages of education. A merchant-prince of this
sect was noted as a philanthropist; and for the vast sums of money he
gave for benevolent institutions, the Queen knighted him, as she did Sir
Modava for his public service. This gentleman is Sir Jamsetjee Jejeebhoy
He died in 1859."
"Parsees do not eat anything cooked by a person of another religion, and
reject beef and pork, especially hams. They are not permitted to marry
outside of their own sect. Their dead are not buried or cremated, but
are committed to what is called the Tower of Silence. The bodies are
exposed on an iron grating, where the carniverous birds of the air can
get to them until the flesh has all disappeared. Then the sun-dried
bones fall through into a receptacle, from which they are removed to a
cavern in the earth."
"How horrid!" exclaimed the ladies with one voice.
"The Parsee does not think so; and perhaps he has the same view you have of
our manner of disposing of the dead. In spite of the awe and respect with
which the Parsees regard fire, they are about the only eastern people who
do not smoke. But I think you need a rest by this time, and I will retire
for a little while."
The company applauded as usual, and then began to pace the promenade deck.