Tempo:
— CHAP. IX
WAR WITH THE ENGLISH
295
crush the efforts of individuals; but England has carefully to watch the progress of that change in social
and religious feelings of which Sikhism is the most marked exponent. Among all ranks of men there is a spirit at work which rejects as vain the ancient forms and ideas whether of Brahmanism or Muhammadanism,! and which clings for present solace relations
rational conviction or political principle, and colonels of battalions should have very large powers. Regiments separately composed of men of one or other of the military classes might sometimes give trouble within themselves, and sometimes come into collision with other regiments; but a high warlike feeling would be engendered; and unless England chooses to identify herself with some of the inferior races, and to evoke a new spirit by becoming a religious reformer, she must keep the empire she has won by working upon the feelings she finds prevalent in the country. [The suggestion in the text has long since been dismissed as impracticable by modem military administrators. Ed.] 1 The following remark of the Hindus, regarding some of their most sacred persons, has now a wider application than smart sayings commonly possess. They describe Purs-Ram, Vyasa, Rama, and Krishna as 'Sirree, Siftee, Dana, and Deewana' or Purs-Ram as hasty," heedless; because, for the fault of one ruler, he proceeded to slay a whole generation of men; Vyasa, as wordy, or a flatterer, because he would make all to resemble gods; Rajna, alone, as wise, or politic, because all his actions denoted forethought; and Krishna, as eminently silly or trivial, because all he did was of that character. That names still revered are sometimes so treated denotes a readiness for [The most common phenomenon now apparent in change.
—
both Hindu and
Muhammadan worlds is somewhat akin to
—
that which inspired the Reformation in Europe a movemenjt on the part of certain sections of the community in favour of the removal of accretions and the reversion to the more simple, patriarchal, and puritanical regime of an earlier epoch. To such a conception is due such a movement, in the Hindu world, as that of the Arya Somaj, which has so many supportei's and so wide an influence in India to-day. This movement has for as alone sufficient for its primary object a return to the Vedas the salvation of man and to the simple existence of the earlier days. Space does not permit of a detailed examination of the whole history and progTess of the Arya Sbmaj movement and of the life and teaching of its founder Swami Dayananda For a further study of the subject the reader is Saraswati. i-ef erred to the recently published history of the Arya Somaj by L. Lajpat Rai. -Another modern development has been that of the Brahmo Somaj a body of Unitarian tendency and teaching. In the Muhammadan world the same tendency towards reform may be noticed. In modern times the most extensive reform movement within the borders of Islam has been the Senussi movement. But while this has become a distinct force among the Muhammadans of Africa it has had little or no effect upon Many intelligent Muhammadans in India have assured India. me that they consider the position of their Church in India to-day very analogous to that of the Church of England on the
—
—
—
ims-&.
WAR WITH THE ENGLISH
295
crush the efforts of individuals; but England has carefully to watch the progress of that change in social
and religious feelings of which Sikhism is the most marked exponent. Among all ranks of men there is a spirit at work which rejects as vain the ancient forms and ideas whether of Brahmanism or Muhammadanism,! and which clings for present solace relations
rational conviction or political principle, and colonels of battalions should have very large powers. Regiments separately composed of men of one or other of the military classes might sometimes give trouble within themselves, and sometimes come into collision with other regiments; but a high warlike feeling would be engendered; and unless England chooses to identify herself with some of the inferior races, and to evoke a new spirit by becoming a religious reformer, she must keep the empire she has won by working upon the feelings she finds prevalent in the country. [The suggestion in the text has long since been dismissed as impracticable by modem military administrators. Ed.] 1 The following remark of the Hindus, regarding some of their most sacred persons, has now a wider application than smart sayings commonly possess. They describe Purs-Ram, Vyasa, Rama, and Krishna as 'Sirree, Siftee, Dana, and Deewana' or Purs-Ram as hasty," heedless; because, for the fault of one ruler, he proceeded to slay a whole generation of men; Vyasa, as wordy, or a flatterer, because he would make all to resemble gods; Rajna, alone, as wise, or politic, because all his actions denoted forethought; and Krishna, as eminently silly or trivial, because all he did was of that character. That names still revered are sometimes so treated denotes a readiness for [The most common phenomenon now apparent in change.
—
both Hindu and
Muhammadan worlds is somewhat akin to
—
that which inspired the Reformation in Europe a movemenjt on the part of certain sections of the community in favour of the removal of accretions and the reversion to the more simple, patriarchal, and puritanical regime of an earlier epoch. To such a conception is due such a movement, in the Hindu world, as that of the Arya Somaj, which has so many supportei's and so wide an influence in India to-day. This movement has for as alone sufficient for its primary object a return to the Vedas the salvation of man and to the simple existence of the earlier days. Space does not permit of a detailed examination of the whole history and progTess of the Arya Sbmaj movement and of the life and teaching of its founder Swami Dayananda For a further study of the subject the reader is Saraswati. i-ef erred to the recently published history of the Arya Somaj by L. Lajpat Rai. -Another modern development has been that of the Brahmo Somaj a body of Unitarian tendency and teaching. In the Muhammadan world the same tendency towards reform may be noticed. In modern times the most extensive reform movement within the borders of Islam has been the Senussi movement. But while this has become a distinct force among the Muhammadans of Africa it has had little or no effect upon Many intelligent Muhammadans in India have assured India. me that they consider the position of their Church in India to-day very analogous to that of the Church of England on the
—
—
—
ims-&.
©
2026
Lehal.net