another essay, in a more positive mood, he
writes of British responsibility for "great non-Christian populations
[in India] whose religious ideas and institutions are being rapidly
transformed by English law and morality."[5] In a third passage he even
prophesies rashly: "The end of simple paganism is not far distant in
India."

Sir George Bird wood has also had a long Indian career, and no one
suspects him of pro-British bias--rather the reverse. Yet we find him
writing to the _Times_ in 1895 about one of the Indian provinces, as
follows: "The new Bengali language and literature," he says, "are the
direct products of our Law Courts, particularly the High Court at
Calcutta, of Mission schools and newspaper presses and Education
Departments, the agents which are everywhere, not in Bengal only, giving
if not absolute unity yet community in diversity to the peoples of
British India." The modern literature of Bengal, he goes on to say, is
Christian in its teaching; if not the Christianity of creed and dogma,
yet of the mind of Christ.

It is that transition in ideas, that alteration in social, political,
and religious standpoint which we are going to trace and illustrate.

CHAPTER II

INDIAN CONSERVATISM

"By the well where the bullocks go,
Silent and blind and slow."

RUDYARD KIPLING.

[Sidenote: Indian conservatism.]

[Sidenote: Is mere inertia.]

But while acknowledging the potent influences at work, and accepting
these representative utterances, it may yet be asked by the
incredulous--What of the inherent conservatism, the proverbial tenacity
of India? Is there really any perceptible and significant change to
record as the outcome of the influences of the nineteenth century? Well,
the expression "Indian conservatism" is misleading. There is no Indian
conservatism in the sense of a philosophy of politics, of society, or of
religion. Indian conservatism--what is it? To some extent an idealising
of the past, the golden age of great law-givers and philosophers and
saints. But very much more--mere inertia and torpidity in mind and body,
a reluctance to take stock of things, and an instinctive treading in the
old paths. "Via trita, via tuta." In the path from one Indian village to
another may often be observed an inexplicable deviation from the
beeline, and then a return to the line again. It is where in some past
year some dead animal or some offensive thing has fallen in the path and
lain there.