Education -- India; India -- Politics and government -- 1857-1919; India -- Social conditions
One may possibly not agree with all the opinions expressed or with all
the recommendations made in this correspondence, but their general
uniformity cannot fail to carry weight. It certainly carried weight with
both the Government of India and the Imperial Government. Not only did
it admittedly contribute to the enactment of the Indian Press Bill of
February last, but it has probably also contributed to bring about a
more general recognition of the urgency of the Indian educational
problem. The effect produced in India itself by the publication of the
views held by the rulers of Native States, many of whom enjoy great
prestige and influence far beyond the limits of their immediate
dominions, was naturally considerable. The "extremists" were lashed to
fury, and none of the seditious leaflets directed against the "alien"
rulers and "sun-dried bureaucrats" was more violent than one issued in
reply to these utterances of the rulers of their own race. One of the
ruling Chiefs to whom it had been sent gave me a copy of it as "a
characteristic document." It is headed: "Choose, O Indian Princes." It
begins, it is true, by assuring them that there is not as yet any
cut-and-dried scheme for dealing with them.
No one but the voice of the Mother herself will and can
determine when once She comes to herself and stands free
what constitution shall be adopted by Her for the guidance
of Her life after the revolution is over. ... Without
going into details we may mention this much, that whether
the head of the Imperial Government of the Indian Nation
be a President or a King depends upon how the revolution
develops itself ... The Mother must be free, must
be one and united, must make her will supreme. Then it
may be that She gives out this Her will either wearing a kingly
crown on Her head or a Republican mantle round Her sacred
form.
But after being exhorted in impassioned accents either to sacrifice
themselves in the great national struggle now at hand, or at the very
least to stand back and keep the ring, they are warned as to the
consequences of disregarding these admonitions:--
Forget not, O Princes! that a strict account will be asked
of your doings and non-doings, and a people newly-born
will not fail to pay you in the coin you paid. Every one
who shall have actively betrayed the trust of the people,
disowned his fathers, and debased his blood by arraying
himself against the Mother--he shall be crushed to dust
and ashes.... Do you doubt our grim earnestness!
If so hear the name of Dhingra and be dumb. In the name
of that martyr, O Indian Princes, we ask you to think
solemnly and deeply upon these words. Choose as you will
and you will reap what you sow. Choose whether you shall
be the first of the nation's fathers or the last of the nation's
tyrants.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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