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INDIA

and much of the corruption in design that was noticeable
twenty-five years ago—especially in Kashmir—has disappeared.
 Many of the Kashmir carpets manufactured
under European supervision in these days are true works
of art. Multan, Mirzapur, Jubbulpore, and Malabar are all
centres of the carpet trade besides those already mentioned.
Silk carpets are made at Tanjore and Salem, but they are
not to be compared to the silk carpets of Kirméan in
Persia.

Apart from the convincing testimony of pages of statistics which are
to be found in the “ Statistical Abstracts Relating to British India,” which
are published from time to time, officially, by the Government of India,
every writer of note already referred to, who deals with India generally,
has much to say about the marvellous development of the resources of
india ; its gradual progress as a manufacturing country ; and the place
it takes as a source of food supply to the centre of the British Empire.
But this is a subject which very largely interests the Indian public, and
the leading Indian journals are consequently full of it : noting the variations
 which occur from time to time, and summing up results with the
announcement of every Budget. A general review of Indian economics
is perhaps better gathered from the pages of the Indian “dailies” than
irom any official statistical columns. 1 have, at any rate, to acknowledge
my indebtedness to this source of supply ; and such opinions as I have
sentured to express are but the reflection or echo of innumerable articles
which have appeared in the pages of the Pioneer on the infinite variety
of economic development which is peculiar to the land of the Hindu.
[t is to be regretted that since this book was written three or four
years of progressive development have already passed. Three or four
years in modern India is a period which must necessarily be marked by
great and perhaps radical changes. It will, however, stand as a record
‘however slight) of the condition of things at the close of the nineteenth
century, which is perhaps a useful epoch to mark in Indian history. In
one particular, however, we need not expect any very great change to
have occurred. In its arts and industries India is conservative, and the
standard work by Sir George Birdwood on this fascinating subject will
be authoritative for many vears to come.