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vol. title: Vol Four of The Theosophical Society of The Arya Samaj of Arya-wart vol. period: Sept 1878 – Sept 1879 pages in vol.: 350 |
< Oriental Translator to Government... (continued from page 8-238) >
It is well known also, if we remember right, that the row was in the columns of the Anglo-Indian contemporary of the Bombay Gazette alone. This contemporary is well known to be anti-native in its tone and his remarks therefore against natives do not deserve much attention at the hands of a critic. Besides, the License Tax itself is a hated tax and we often see that even a Kulkarni, who has not the least hand in the levying of the tax is an object of odium when he comes to serve a notice. The Assistant Collector then who actually receives the money must a fortiori be an object of odium in the eyes of the ignorant classes. It must, however, be observed that the License Tax Collector and his subordinate officers are only ministerial officers, and therefore they do not in the least deserve the odium. It is the Government that is to blame and not the subordinate officials. Besides there is one thing more that ought to be borne in mind that, almost always an allowance must be made for the constant factor of official pressure that is said to be put upon the executive officers in finance matters. It is a fact well known at least in Poona that when the tabular sheets for the city of Poona levying the license tax were first forwarded to Government, it was observed that the amount of probable collections in the city fell short of the expectations of Government and the rates were then nearly doubled and the expected amount thus made up. If we remember this right, is it likely that we shall be said to err if we should say that it was not the License Tax Collector of Poona that was to blame for the oppressive rate but the Government. Such must have been the case with Mr. Shanker at Bombay. It is simply foolish therefore to say that Mr. Shankar managed to render him-<... continues on page 8-239.1 >
Better Late Than Never
We are glad to see, that the recent libels against Colonel H. S. Olcott, President, and Madame H. P. Blavatsky, Corresponding Secretary, of the Theosophical Society, copied in the Bombay newspapers from the Colonial Empire and the Star of India, have produced one good result. A weekly missionary journal, called the Dnyano-daya copied the libel in question, and made its own comments on it. The comments were more libellous than the libel itself. Colonel Olcott’s attention was drawn to them, and he at once applied, through his solicitor, Mr. Turner, for an apology. The Reverend Mr. Park has accordingly sent an ample apology, and has withdrawn the offensive remarks from his journal. We are glad that the matter is so amicably settled. But what will the missionaries say?
[June 15, 1879
Missionaries in India
It is a curious thing and a notable phenomenon, that wherever the European soldier goes with his sword, the missionary tracks his step with Bible in hand; while among the Mahomedans, the same man carries both the sword and the Koran. The new “scientific frontier” has only been just adjusted; yet the missionaries have commenced their work at places round about Kandahar. Such activity, one would suppose, must produce grand results. If the results were not alluring, surely the missionaries would not be so busy everywhere? These are very natural surmises; but how far they approach the real truth of the matter remains to be examined. The missionaries as-<... continues on page 8-239.1 >
BOSTON, SATURDAY, MAY 3, 1879.
☞ Col. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky arrived in Bombay on February 22d, after a tedious voyage of twenty-nine days from Liverpool. Arrangements had been made by the hospitable Arya Somajans to go in a throng to the wharf and shower flowers upon the pilgrims as they landed, but with his well-known modesty and dislike of ostentation, Col. Olcott sent word from London that he would greatly prefer that no public reception should be given, and that Madame Blavatsky joined him in the request. The Hindus, however, were not to be balked entirely, and within forty-eight hours of their arrival deputations of Hindus, Parsees, Jains and others, called on the pilgrims. Some of the holiest of the Sannyassis, gosseins and priests, showered blessings upon them, while the native pandits, astronomers, mathematicians, physicians and philologists, called with their wives and children (an almost unprecedented honor to foreigners). The party was escorted on a visit to the ancient cave of Elephanta, where the great annual festival of Shiva was in progress, and were shown the principal lions of Bombay. Col. Olcott was invited to distribute prizes in the High School and to lecture before the Library Association and the National Indian Association, and some of the richer of the natives offered to erect a tabernacle in which he should conduct a religious revival, a la Moody.
At the theatre a full house did honor to them. A private box was placed at their disposal, and garlands of jessamine buds and roses were hung about their necks.—N. Y. Graphic.
Inlay
< Oriental Translator to Government... (continued from page 8-239) >
self ‘unnecessarily unpleasant.’ The Native Princes and Chiefs who will have at times to come in contact with Mr. Shankar, will be more glad to see that Mr. Shankar treats them with due respect; for, we believe, Mr. Shankar is not that sort of man who likes to take an undue amount of credit to himself by vainly shewing that it is through his influence alone that native chiefs can have an interview with His Excellency. Shankarrow is a man of an independent pluck, possessed of a good moral culture and learning and all that may have a chance to come in contact with him in his official capacity will be relieved to see what difference there is between an educated and an uneducated man in authority.
< Missionaries in India (continued from page 8-239) >
sert, that their labours are crowned with success, while their opponents assert just the contrary. We, for our part, are inclined to think, that much of the success the missionaries boast of exists in their imagination alone. We do not say so without proper grounds for our belief. What have the missionaries done for India; what achievements can they boast of; what is the number of their converts to Christianity; These are very direct and pertinent questions; and if the missionaries would but meet them boldly and answer them with courage, we have no doubt but that they themselves would confess, that they had signally failed in their ends[5] in India. The results of missionary labour in this country are so small and insignificant, that they attract no body’s serious attention for a moment. If the missionaries are known at all in India, it is by the great noise they make about trifles. They have been working in this country for more than a century; they obtained one of the largest and most prolific fields in the world to sow their seeds in. The crops must be, surely vast? The harvest gathered up to now must be very rich? India <... continues on page 8-240 >
Editor's notes
- ↑ Better Late Than Never by unknown author
- ↑ Bird illustration by unknown author
- ↑ Missionaries in India by unknown author, Indian Spectator, The, June 15, 1879
- ↑ Col. Olcott and Madame Blavatsky... by unknown author, Banner of Light, Boston, Saturday, May 3, 1879
- ↑ The underlining is probably in HPB’s handwriting.