Aryas, Theosophists, followers of Rāmakṛishṇa and young men interested in other North India movements. Two pieces of work arose from this contact: Gita and Gospel (1903), a booklet dealing with the Neo-Krishna Movement in Bengal, and art. Brahma Samaj in ERE. (1909). During the next five years my duties required me to travel all over India with little intermission and to deliver religious addresses in all the important towns. I was thus brought into personal contact with men of almost every type of religious belief; while my one study was Hinduism. A recent modification of my work has given me special opportunities for interviewing individuals and learning facts with a view to these lectures. Fresh arrangements, made by Dr. J. R. Mott and the Committee in New York, have enabled me since the spring of 1912 to spend the summers in England in literary work and the winters in India lecturing and teaching. The invitation to give the Lamson Lectures reached me late in 1912. That winter I visited Bombay, Jubbulpore, Allahabad, Benares, Lahore, Calcutta, Puri, Madras, Conjeeveram, Bangalore, Mysore City, Palamcottah, Madura, Trichy, Tanjore, Kumbakonam, Pudukottai; and almost everywhere I was able to have long conversations with intelligent men about the sect or movement they were interested in, to visit buildings, and to pick up literature and photographs. The summer of 1913 was spent in Oxford, preparing the lectures. This enabled me to use the Bodleian Library and the British Museum and to consult many men in and about London who have special knowledge of certain of the movements dealt with. After delivering the lectures in Hartford, Conn., in October, 1913, I returned to India, and visited Poona, Hyderabad (Deccan), Bangalore, Madras, Trichy, Madura, Palamcottah, Nagarcoil, Trevandrum, Quilon, Calicut, Tellicherry, Calcutta, Jamalpore, Jubbulpore, Grateful thanks are also due to the following for permission given to publish photographs: My debt to my friend Dr. H. D. Griswold of Lahore is very great; for considerable sections of my third chapter are built upon his scholarly monographs mentioned above; and he revised the whole work for me in manuscript. To him and to another friend, the Rev. John McKenzie of Bombay, who kindly did for me the troublesome work of revising the proofs, I offer my unfeigned gratitude and thanks. 11 FRENCHAY ROAD, OXFord, October 30, 1914. LIST OF PORTRAITS Raja Ram Mohan Ray, from the life-size portrait by Biggs in Bristol Museum. Reproduced by permission of the Committee of the Museum and Art Gallery . PLATE Frontispiece FACING PAGE I. Prince Dwarka Nath Tagore, from the life-size portrait by II. Maharshi Debendra Nath Tagore, from the portrait by W. 39 44 55 76 76 76 76 109 109 138 VIII. Pandit S. N. Agnihotṛi, Guru of the Deva Samāj Rāmakṛishṇa Paramahaṁsa . 177 195 |