CHAPTER IV. The sanguinary superstitions of the natives, an impediment to their civilization. 1. Another impediment to the civilization of the natives is the continuance of their sanguinary superstitions; by which we mean those practices which inflict immediate death, or tend to produce death. All bloody superstition indurates the heart and affections, and renders the understanding inaccessible to moral instruction. No ingenious arts can ever humanize the soul addicted to a sanguinary superstition. We shall not pollute the page with a description of the horrid rites of the religion of Brahma. Suffice it to say that no inhuman practices'in New Zealand, or in any other newly discovered land of savages, are more offensive to natural feeling, than some of those which are committed by the Hindoo people. It surely has never been asserted that these enormities cannot be suppressed. One or two instances may be mentioned, which will shew that the Hindoo superstitions are not impregnable. 2. It had been the custom from time immemorial, to immolate at the island of Saugor, and at other places reputed holy on the banks of the Ganges, human victims, by drowning or destruction by sharks. Another horrid practice accompanied it, which was the sacrifice of the first born child of a woman, who had been long barren.* The pundits and chief Brahmins of the college of Fort-William were called upon to declare, by what sanction in their shasters, these unnatural cruelties were committed. They alleged no sanction but custom, and what they termed "the barbarous ignorance At the Hindoo festival in 1801, twenty three persons sacrificed thmselves, acrificed by others, at the island of Saugor. of the low casts." On the first intimation of the practice to the governor general, marquis Wellesley, it was abolished.* Not a murmur followed; nor has any attempt of the kind since been heard of. 3. A similar investigation will soon take place respecting the custom of women burning themselves alive on the death of their husbands. The Pun dits have already been called on to produce the sanction of their shasters. The passages exhibited are vague and general in their meaning; and differently interpreted by the same casts. Some sacred verses commend the practice, but none command it; and the Pundits refer once more to custom. They have however intimated, that if government will pass a regulation, amercing by fine every Brahmin who attends a burning, or every Zemindar who per, mits him to attend it, the practice cannot possibly long continue; for that the ceremony, unsanctified by the presence of the priests, will lose its dignity and consequence in the eyes of the people. The civilized world may expect soon to hear of the abolition of this opprobrium of a Christian ad-ministration, the female sacrifice; which has subsisted, to our certain knowledge, since the time of Alexander the Great.. 4. An event has just occurred, which seems, with others, to mark the present time, as favorable to our endeavors to qualify the rigor of the Hindoo superstition. In the course of the Mahratta war, the great temple of Juggernaut in Orissa, has fallen into our hands. This temple is to the Hindoos what Mecca is to the Mahomedans. It is resorted to by pilgrims from every quarter of India. It is the chief seat of Brahminical power, and a strong-hold of their *See Regulation. Appendix C. From a late investigation it appears that the number of women who sacrifice ◄ themselves within thirty miles round Calcutta every year is, on an average, upwards of two hundred. See Appendix D. See Appendix A. superstition. At the annual festival of the Rutt Jattra, seven hundred thousand persons (as has been computed by the Pundits in college) assemble at this place. The voluntary deaths in a single year, caused by voluntary devotement,* by imprisonment for non-payment of the demands of the Brahmins, or. by scarcity of provisions for such a multitude, is incredible. The precincts of the place are covered with bones. Four cross square (about sixty-four square miles) are accounted sacred to Juggernaut. Within the walls the priests exercised a dominion without control. From them there was no appeal to civil law or natural justice, for protection of life or property. But these enormities will not be permitted under the British government. At the same time that we use no coercion to prevent the superstitions of the natives, we permit a constant appeal to the civil power against injustice, oppression, and inhumanity; and it must have a beneficial influence on the whole Hindoo system, if we chastise the enormity of their superstition at the fountain head. CHAPTER V. The numerous holydays of the natives an empediment to their civilization. 1. ANOTHER obstacle to the improvement of the natives is the great number of their holydays. These holidays embody their superstition. On such days, its spirit is revived, and its inhuman practices are made familiar: and thus it acquires strength and perpetuity. The malignity of any superstition may By falling under the wheels of the rutt or car. The rigor of the Mahometan faith coerced the Hindoo superstition; and was, so far, friendly to humanity. The Hindoos were prohibited from burning their women without official permission: Our toleration is celebrated by some, as being boundless. It is just to tolerate speculative religions; but it is doubtful whether there ought to be any toleration of practical vice, or of the bedding of human blood. be calculated almost exactly by the number of its holydays, for the more the mind is enslaved by it, the more voluminous will be its ritual, and more frequent its ceremonial of observance. 2. In the Hindoo calender there are upwards of an hundred holydays; and of these, government recognizes officially a certain number. In addition to the native holydays, the fifty-two Christian holydays, or fifty-two Sundays in the year, are (on Christian principles) generally allowed to natives employed in the public service. During those Hindoo holydays which are officially recognized, the public offices are shut up, on account of the festival (as it is termed) of Doora Puja, of Churruck Puja, of Rutt Jattra, or of some other. But great detriment to the public service arising from the frequent recurrence of these Saturnalia, government resolved some years ago to reduce the number, which was done accordingly. It now appears that on the same principle that a few of them were cut off, we might have refused our official recognition of any; the Pundits having unanimously declared that these holydays are not enjoined by their sacred books. 3. It may be proper to permit the people in general to be as idle as the circumstances of individuals will permit: but their religious law does not require us to recognize one of their holydays officially. To those natives employed in the public service, the fifty-two Sundays are sufficient for rest from bodily labour. To give them more holydays is to nurse their superstitions, and to promote the influx of religious mendicants into industrious communities.+ In what other country would it be considered a means of promoting the happiness of the common people, to grant them so great a portion of the year to spend in idleness and dissipation? The indulgence The Brahmins observe two hundred and upwards. No people require fewer days of rest than the Hindoos; for they know nothing of that corporal exertion and fatigue from labour, which in other countries render regular repose so grateful to the body and spirits. See Appendix E. superstition. At the annual festival of the Rutt Jattra, seven hundred thousand persons (as has been computed by the Pundits in college) assemble at this place. The voluntary deaths in a single year. caused by voluntary devotement,* by imprisonment for non-payment of the demands of the Brahmins, o by scarcity of provisions for such a multitude, is in credible. The precincts of the place are covere with bones. Four cross square (about sixty-fou square miles) are accounted sacred to Juggernau Within the walls the priests exercised a dominic without control. From them there was no appe to civil law or natural justice, for protection of li or property. But these enormities will not be pe mitted under the British government. At the san time that we use no coercion to prevent the sup stitions of the natives, we permit a constant appe to the civil power against injustice, oppression, a inhumanity; and it must have a beneficial influer on the whole Hindoo system, if we chastise the ormity of their superstition at the fountain headt CHAPTER V. The numerous holydays of the natives an empedin to their civilization. 1. ANOTHER obstacle to the improvement of natives is the great number of their holydays. Th holidays embody their superstition. On such d: its spirit is revived, and its inhuman practices made familiar and thus it acquires strength perpetuity. The malignity of any superstition I : By falling under the wheels of the rutt or car. The rigor of the Mahometan faith coerced the Hindoo superstition was, so far, friendly to humanity. The Hindoos were prohibited from ing their women without official permission: Our toleration is celebra some, as being boundless. It is just to tolerate speculative religions; b doubtful whether there ought to be any toleration of practical vice, or e shedding of human blood. |