THE PEOPLE OF INDIA 20Q

faith that they do not pretend to understand, can possibly
appreciate any process of upward levelling in their social
condition that might be introduced by education under
a government that condemns such things. We must not
look for any popular appreciation of English rule from
a people who hug such a religious slavery as this, and
who take delight in their own degradation. Consequently
the popularity, or otherwise, of English government is
not to be considered in taking the measure of its success.
Hindus greatly outnumber the followers of all other
faiths put together within the limits of Hindustan. Out
of a total of 287,000,000 in 1891, 207,000,000 were
Hindus. But whilst the mass of the people are sunk in
the lowest depths of a
barbarous superstition,
such as could never
have been contemplated
 by pre-Buddhistic
 Brahmans, there
are, of course, many
noble exceptions to the
general rule; and we
find in all the great
centres of civilisation
high-minded and highlyeducated
 Hindu gentlemen, equally distinguished in the
courts of justice or the halls of science. Indeed the
Hinduism of the cities may be said everywhere to approximate
 much more nearly to the religion of the Vedas
and ancient Brahmanical ritual than it does in the agricultural
 districts.
Hindus (Brahmans and Rajputs) formed the main
strength of the army of India in pre-Mutiny days, but
since the reorganisation that followed on the transfer of
the army from the East India Company's service to that
of the Crown, the proportion of Hindus has been very
largely reduced. They are chiefly represented by Rajputs,
Dogras, and Gurkhas, but the Hinduism of the latter is
anything but orthodox. The hardy little Gurkha mounnN

