INDIA AND THE
INDIANS
BY EDWARD F. ELWIN
OF THE SOCIETY OF ST JOHN THE EVANGELIST, COWLEY
AUTHOR OF "INDIAN JOTTINGS," "THIRTY-FOUR YEARS IN POONA CITY,"
"STORIES OF INDIAN BOYS," ETC.
WITH ILLUSTRATIONS
LONDON
JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET, W.
1913
PREFACE
India is really waking up, but she is doing so in her own Indian way.For some years past it has been one of my daily duties to arouse anIndian boy, and I know exactly how an Indian wakes. It is a leisurelyprocess. He slowly stretches his legs and rubs his eyes, and it is atleast ten minutes before he can be said to be really wide awake. Andevery morning I have to say exactly the same thing: "Now remember,Felix, to say your prayers; then go and wash your hands and face, andthen feed the pony." And if on any particular morning I were to leavethis reminder unsaid, and Felix left any, or all of these duties,undone, and I were to ask him the reason, he would reply, "You did nottell me."
With India waking up, there never was a time when she stands more inneed of some kindly person at her side to tell her what to do. Sheneeds to be taught to say her prayers, because with the old religiongone and the True Faith dimly understood, India would be in theappalling[vi] condition of a great country without a religion. We need totell her to wash her hands and face, because there are certainelementary matters of sanitation which must be attended to if India isever to become a wholesome and prosperous country. And we have got toteach her how to work, because India wide awake, but idle, mighteasily become a source of great mischief.
Every Englishman who takes pleasure in the sense of Empire ought torealise that it brings with it great responsibilities, and thereforethat every Englishman has a measure of responsibility towards India.We must be taking care that, if when she is wide awake she fails tofulfil her great vocation, at any rate she shall have no cause toutter against us the reproach, You never told me.
A better understanding of what India and the people who live in it arereally like, seems to be the necessary preparation for sympathy andwork of any sort connected with that country; and to help, in howeversmall a degree, to bring about this end is the object of this book. Ihave had unusually favourable and varied opportunities for getting toknow intimately the inner side of Indian life and character during asomewhat long residence in this country. The contents of the book areexceedingly miscellaneous because the daily experiences have beenequally so. Everything that is told is the[vii] outcome of my own personalobservations amongst a people to whom I am deeply attached, and I havetaken the utmost pains to record nothing of which I was not sure, andto verify everything concerning which I was doubtful.
The photographs were all taken by Brother Arthur of our Society.
Edward F. Elwin.
Yerandawana,
Poona District, India.