THE PEOPLE OF INDIA 20%

Modern Hinduism may be described as the most
contemptible religion in existence. “The term Hindu,”
according to Sir Alfred Lyall, “is not a national, nor even
a geographical denomination, but signifies vaguely a fortuitous
 conglomeration of sects, tribes, hereditary professions,
 and castes.” “The Hindu religion is a religious
chaos. . . . I doubt if any one who has not lived
amongst Hindus can adequately realise the astonishing
variety of their ordinary religious beliefs, the constant
changes of shape and colour which their beliefs undergo,
the extraordinary fecundity of the superstitious sentiment.
Hinduism is a tangled jungle of disorderly superstitions,
ghosts and demons, demi-gods, and deified saints, household
 gods, tribal gods, local gods, universal gods, with
their countless shrines and temples, and the din of their
discordant rites, deities who abhor a fly's death, and those
who delight still in human victims.” ! Sir John Strachey
declares that the “sacred books of Sanscrit literature
represent in no way the religion of the masses of the
people.” It is true that Vishnu and Shiva claim these
countless devotees, and that the stories of Krishna and
Rama are repeated as domestic fables in every household ;
but the everyday life of the ordinary Indian peasant is
little affected by the pure tenets of his ancient faith.
The rural population of India is governed through ignorance
 and superstition by a degenerate race of priests. and
the priests are supported by the people.
No domestic incident occurs in a household without
the tax of offerings or food for the Brahman. Nothing
happens without the Brahmans being “feed and fed.”
« But with the spiritual life of the people” (says Mr. Ibbetson)
 ¢ they have no concern. Their business as Brahmans
is to eat and not to teach.” “The universal acceptance
of Brahmans, and the recognition of their divine right
to be fed by the rest of the community, is the one link
between the countless shapes of Hinduism; this, to the
great majority of Hindus, constitutes in practice the chief
part of their religion.”® Here, then, is the opinion of
1 ¢¢ Aciatie Studies.” p. 2. 2 Strachey, p. 210.