yriads of India to the most cruel
slavery, in body and in soul; it has placed locks and fetters on the
human mind and branded the infant in its mother's womb to infamy and
execration; and, the worst of all, it has stifled all incentive to
progress and development. It has smothered many noble feelings, and
taught men to hate and despise each other; and so strong is the class
distinction of this system that a good Hindoo of our day would a
thousand times rather die of thirst or hunger than take a glass of water
or a piece of bread from a person of a lower caste. Like other evils it
has also been a curse to its authors, the Brahmins themselves, by
lulling the great majority of them into ignorance and indifference. For
why should they take the trouble to study or work when the whole world
with its joys, pleasures and honors is open to them anyway? Space does
not allow discussing this matter more fully, hence I will simply cite
some of the doctrines which the Brahmins claim to have found in the
divine books, and which the people still regard as sacred:

"Whoever disturbs a Brahmin during his religious contemplations shall
lose his life; if a person of a lower caste sits down on the mat of a
Brahmin, his back shall be burned with red-hot irons; if he touches the
hair, beard or neck of a Brahmin, the judge shall order both his hands
to be cut off; if he listens to evil reports about the Brahmins, molten
lead shall be poured into his ears; if he does not arise when a Brahmin
approaches, he will be changed into a tree after death; if he casts an
angry look at a Brahmin the god Yama shall pluck out his eyes. The
Shastras teach that a gift to a Brahmin is of incalculable value to the
giver. Whoever gives a Brahmin a cow shall gain a million years of bliss
in heaven, and whoever wishes success in anything must fete the
Brahmins and wash their feet. Whoever bequeathes land or other valuable
property to the Brahmins on his death-bed immediately receives
forgiveness of sins and the greatest bliss in heaven. To drink the water
in which a Brahmin has washed his feet and to lick the dust from under a
Brahmin's feet are works of great merit for the life which is to come.
No one but a Brahmin is allowed to give religious instruction, and all
offerings to the gods must be brought to the Brahmin, because no
ceremony will avail anything unless it is accompanied by an offering to
them. Therefore a multitude of ceremonies have been introduced by