ISLAM IN INDIA.
[To me EDITOR OP THE "SPECTATOE."] SIR,—The Nationalist and Progressive Hindu parties in India have ventilated their views so freely in Great Britain, that those who have no recent experience of the country may well be tempted to believe that all educated India, Hindu and Mussalman alike, desires some considerable measure of Home Rule. There is, however, a strong Conservative body, not less important if less articulate, whose opinions are at least worth respectful consideration. Perhaps you may be able to find room for the enclosed extracts from a letter addressed by an elderly Massulman nobleman, formerly in Government service, to a retired colleague in this country, as giving some clue to what some of the Mohammedan gentry think of the present state of India. The writer's language shows, as I think your readers will admit, that he has no inconsiderable tincture of Western education, and that his loyalty is not due to mere ignorant prejudice in favour of established institu- [A friend] "has very kindly sent me a copy of Mr. Valentine Chirol's book en 'Unrest in India.' Notwithstanding a few in- accuracies in details, Mr. Chirol's views are generally sound. I do not think that Swaraj (or Self-Government) is the goal of the ambition of the Hindus. They know well that if the British leave India there will be chaos, and the MussuLmans will fight for supremacy and obtain it by the help of their co-religionists in the countries on the borders of India. In creating unrest, the Hindus hope to coerce the authorities to give them a considerable share in the administration of the country, and they have got much what they demanded. The cessation of disturbances is not possible until they have got a monopoly of all the high and lucrative posts in the gift of Government. They have partially succeeded and contemplate usurping the places hitherto reserved for the ruling race. Government may announce that by creating a Parliament in India, and appointing natives to the highest executive posts, they only mean to carry out a Liberal policy. But the people who prefer to be governed by British officers presume that the agitators have compelled the authorities to yield in order to purchase peace. In my humble opinion, the enlargement of the Councils and the appointment of natives to Executive Councils have been quite inopportune now. I do not share the opinion of the public in this matter of the concessions that have been made. I quite under- stand that the motive of Government is to give the natives a larger share in the government of the country, but the people have gained nothing by the admission of a few Anglicized Indians to the Legislative and Executive Councils—men intent upon creating a society of their own and not in touch with the masses of the people. The latter have perfect confidence in the im- partiality and justice of the British people and wish to be ruled by them. They have no desire to make laws and regulations inconsistent with the religion and customs of the inhabitants of the country, while the Anglicized natives are prone to innovations for their personal convenience and comfort. Indians are thoroughly conservative and averse to novelties. The Mussul- mans (except the Mohammedans who have imbibed foreign ideas) say that when Mir Jaffir transferred the administration of the country to the British he had not the remotest idea that the Hindus should govern in future. Virtually the Hindus are not the colleagues of the ruling race. In my humble opinion, natives should not have been allowed to take the lead. You know that formerly nativo gentlemen who commanded the confidence and respect of their community were consulted when the Government proposed any legislation affecting the public, and this system was more advantageous than what is in vogue at present. The actual feelings of the people, Hindu or Mussalman, are not known to the officials. If the Anglicized [natives] are on their side, they think that they have got the assent of the people to any measure before them. The Anglicized represent only themselves. The present system has another serious disadvantage. The European officers are not so esteemed now as they used to be thirty years back. A district officer when out on tour, or when passing through a street in the headquarters of his district, does not receive the salutations due to him, because the people know that the natives hold higher positions in the service than he does. This state of things is re- grettable, but the Liberals do not see the bad effect it produces on good administration. . . . . I do not mean to be understood that the natives should receive no high judicial or executive posts, but
the Executive Councils should be reserved for the ruling race The service is manned with people having no social position, and the public look down upon them."
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