(1) The advancement and reform of education in Arabic Schools. (2) The suppression of religious quarrels. (3) Social reform. (4) The pursuit of the general welfare of Mussulmans and the spread of Islam. The methods which this society employ for the defence and strengthening of Islam are five: (1) Most of their money and activity has been spent in founding and maintaining in Lucknow a divinity school of a new type meant to provide a more enlightened education for the Muḥammadan clergy. It is called the Dar-ul-ulum (i.e. School of Theology) of the Nadwat-ul-Ulama and dates from 1898. They wish to establish such institutions elsewhere. A branch has already been opened at Shahjahanpur, and another in Madras. The young men undergo a very serious training, lasting at least eight years, in all branches of Muḥammadan theology; and in addition they are taught English, Geography and Mathematics. They receive no training in Christianity or Hinduism. The curriculum as a whole is a great advance on the old education. There are about 100 students at present; but much larger numbers are expected in future. A great building is being erected for the Seminary on the north bank of the Goomti River. (2) Missionaries are sent out to preach. (3) An Urdu monthly magazine, En Nadwa, is published, in which attempts are made to reconcile Muslim thought with modern science and thought. (4) There is an orphanage in Cawnpore. (5) An Annual Conference is held. Under another society a theological seminary, the Madrasa-i-Ilahiyat, has been organized in Cawnpore. I understand it owes its existence mainly to a desire to repel the attacks of the Arya Samaj, several Muslims, including one Moulvie at least, having gone over to Hinduism under Ārya influence. The aims of the institution are two: a. To protect Islam from external attacks. b. To send missionaries to preach Islam among NonMuslims, and ignorant Muslims. Six subjects are taught, the Koran, Islamic theology and philosophy, the defence of Islam, Christianity, Western science, and Sanskrit. There are seven students at present. None of them know English; but I was told that some of the missionaries already sent out do know English. A printing press is attached to the school; and a series of tracts has already been published against the Arya Samaj. A third seminary recently founded is the Anjuman-iNaumania, which is carried on in the Shahi Mosque, Lahore. The Secretary writes, "Ours is a purely religious school teaching Arabic literature and sciences through the medium of our vernacular." From another source I learn that the institution receives considerable financial help from Muslims who have had a university education. Fourthly, a learned Muḥammadan, named Hakim Ajmal Haziq-ul-Mulk, who is a doctor and resides in Delhi, has the idea of combining Orthodox Muḥammadanism with Western culture. He has already trained four graduates of Aligarh as Moulvies. The most important and most orthodox of all Muslim seminaries in India is the Dar-ul-ulum, or School of Theology, at Deoband, near Saharanpur. It has about 500 students. All Muslims acknowledge that it is very oldfashioned. Yet even here the pressure of modern times is being felt an English class has recently been opened, and attempts are being made to reform the divinity course in several directions. In Jubbulpore there is a little group of Muslims who have had an English education and are very eager to defend their religion. They told me that they had already started a High School in the town, the purpose of which is to preserve and to spread Muḥammadanism. They have also opened a little school on the same lines as the seminary in Lucknow. It is as yet but a little venture; but they hope to raise the standard and train young men to know the Koran thoroughly, and also to deal with men of other religions. An All-India Muslim Students' Brotherhood with its headquarters at Aligarh has just been formed. Finally, there is a Muḥammadan Book and Tract Depot in Lahore, where a large variety of volumes, both in Urdu and English, are offered for sale. Any English work which can be used apologetically, e.g. Carlyle's Hero as Prophet, is published and sold cheap. 3. The movements already dealt with are all among Sunnis; but the Shiahs are also active. They hold an annual Conference1 which is meant mainly to rouse their commu Their nity on the subject of education and to find money for its extension. I am told also that there is at present a great upward movement of the Feringhi Mahal School. work is mostly literary. They translate English works into Urdu. They are approaching far more than formerly the philosophy of the West. 12. SECTARIAN UNIVERSITIES The most successful of the educational efforts yet made for the defence and strengthening of Hinduism has been the Central Hindu College, Benares, founded by Hindus under the leadership of Mrs. Besant and the Theosophical Society. 1 ISR., XX, 234. It is strong, efficient, successful, and it actually teaches Hinduism. Hence a desire has arisen to take the further forward step of creating a Hindu University which should arrange curricula, hold examinations and confer degrees. In this way, not the actual work of teaching only, but the aims of education, the subjects taught and the standards demanded would be under Hindu control. Naturally the Muḥammadan community at once followed suit and proposed a Muslim University. Both parties began the collection of funds. These proposals are so contrary to the spirit of University culture and so likely to stand in the way of every movement for the increasing of friendliness and harmony amongst the various religious communities of India that it seems certain that the Government of India would have vetoed them absolutely, had there not been something (all unknown to the public) to hinder their action. They have, however, definitely decided that, if such Universities are set up, they shall be local teaching Universities, and not territorial organizations like the existing Universities. This obviates the most serious dangers. Meantime Mrs. Besant has fallen from her high place in Benares; and the proposals for the present seem to hang fire. 1 P. 276, above. CHAPTER V RELIGIOUS NATIONALISM 1895-1913 In this last section of our period a frightful portent flamed up in India, anarchism and murder inspired by religion. But, fortunately, there seems to be good reason for believing that the outbreak of violence will prove a lurid episode in a time of great and better things. Facts seem to justify our marking off these years sharply from the preceding; for new ideals and passions which are visible in their best literature and noblest activity as well as in anarchism distinguish it clearly from earlier times. Yet there is a certain continuity: the new spirit is a further stage of the movement which began a century ago, a further unfolding of what has been latent in the Awakening from the beginning. The notes of what we tentatively call Religious Nationalism seem to be as follows: A. Independence. A distinct advance in thought and action made itself manifest about 1870. Young India began to think of political influence and to defend the ancient religious heritage. Yet there was a sort of halfdependence on the ideals and the thought of others, which gives the time an appearance of unripeness. In this new era we have the assertion of the full independence of the Indian mind. The educated Indian now regards himself as a full-grown man, the equal in every respect of the cultured European, not to be set aside as an Asiatic, or as a member of a dark race. He claims the right of thinking his own thoughts; and he is quite prepared to burn what |