Publisher's Synopsis
This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1879* edition. Excerpt: ... The mass of the people are contented with our rule, which they regard as an accomplished fact. They think we have been sent to govern them by the Gods. The belief of the Hindoo, or rather the Vishnavas, the mass of the people, is that from the beginning of the world Vishnu has ever, on being roused, thrown his spirit into some human form, who becomes an "oudtar" or avdtar of the deity, an inspired person, whose spirit on his death returns to the God. There are many of these avdtars which are puerile enough, --the snake, the fish, the tortoise, the man-lion, the dwarf, the bull. All these probably denote the absorption of so many religions into the Brahminical creed. The last, the most famous "avdtars" were Rama, Khrishna, and Buddha. Many Brahmins preach a fresh avdtar " the Raj of the English." This has been solemnly stated to me as the received belief of the larger number of Hindoos, and no doubt is a great strength to our power. But we derive a greater hold from the divisions that exist amongst the people themselves. I cannot think that we English are loved, but the orthodox Hindoo hates us less than he hates the dissenting Sikh, and both have many reasons for preferring our rule to the rule of the Moslem. Aurungzebe's bigotry led the way to the fall of the Mogul. It was the institution of the jezeya, or capitation grant on all Brahmins and Hindoo devotees, that alienated the affection of the Rajpoot princes who were allies to the imperial family. It roused an intolerance among the Hindoosf that was foreign to their disposition. Their religion rather aimed at absorbing all the religions of the world. Their priests insist that both Mohammed and the Founder of our religion were alike incarnations of Vishnu. But persecution sowed...