The Hindoos as they Are Part 2

[10] Bidhata is the G.o.d of fate.

[11] For the popular story of the G.o.ddess Soobachinee see Note B.

[12] Apart from the horrid practice of female infanticide, now put a stop to by a humane Government, many instances might be given of the extreme detestation in which the birth of a girl is held even by her mother. Among others I may cite the following: A woman who was the mother of four daughters and of no son, at the time of her fifth delivery laid apart one thousand Rupees for distribution among the poor in the event of her getting a son, when, lo! she gave birth to a female child _again_, and what did she do? she at once flung aside the money, mournfully declaring at the same time, that "she has already four firebrands incessantly burning in her bosom and this is the _fifth_, which is enough to burn her to death."

[13] In cases where a woman is prolific enough to give birth to a child every year she is placed under the necessity of weaning her first-born, and giving it cow milk, a mode of sustenance not at all conducive to its health.

III.

THE HINDOO SCHOOL BOY.

From the time when the young Hindoo pa.s.ses from the infant stage of "mewling and puking in the nurse's arms," till he goes to school, he is generally a bright-eyed, active, playful boy, full of romping spirits and a favourite of all around him. His diet is light, and his health generally good. He usually runs about for three or four years _in puris naturalibus_, and among the lower cla.s.ses a string is tied round his loins with a metal charm attached to frighten away the evil spirits.

When he attains the age of five, the period fixed by his parents for the beginning of his education, he is sent to a _Patsala_ (vernacular infant school) not, however, without making a Poojah to _Saraswattee_, the G.o.ddess of learning. On the day appointed, and it must be a lucky day, according to the Hindoo almanac, the child bathes and puts on a new _Dhooty_ (garment) and is taken to the place of wors.h.i.+p, where the officiating priest has previously made all the necessary arrangements.

Rice, fruits, and sweetmeats, are then offered to the G.o.ddess, who is religiously invoked to pour her benediction on the head of the child.

After this, the priest takes away all the things offered to the G.o.ddess, with his usual gift of one or two rupees, and the child is taken by his parents to the _Patsala_ and formally introduced to the _Gooroomahashoy_, or master of the school. Curious as little children naturally are, all present gaze on the new comer as if he were a being of a strange species. But time soon wears off the gloss of novelty and everything a.s.sumes its normal aspect. The old boys soon become familiar with the new one, and a sort of intimacy almost unconsciously springs up amongst them. In this country a boy learns the letters of the alphabet, not by p.r.o.nouncing them, but by writing them on the ground with a small piece of _kharee_, or soft stone, and copying them over and over again until he thoroughly masters them. Five letters are set him at a time.

After this he is taught to write on palm leaves with a wooden pen and ink, then on slate and green plantain leaves, and, finally, on paper. At every stage of his progress he is expected to make some present to his master in the shape of food, clothes and money. A village school begins early in the morning, and continues till eleven, after which the boys are allowed to go home for their breakfast; they return at two, and remain in the school till evening, when all the boys are made to stand up in a systematic order, and one of the most advanced amongst them enumerates aloud the multiplication and numeration tables, and all are taught to repeat and commit to memory what they hear. By the daily repet.i.tion of these tables, their power of memory is practically improved. With a view to encourage the early attendance of the boys, a _Gooroomahashoy_ resorts to the queer method of introducing the _hathchory_ system into his _Patsala_, which requires that all the boys are to have stripes of the cane in arithmetical progression, on the hand, in the order of their attendance, that is, the first comer to have one stripe, the second two, and so on, in consecutive order. The last boy is sometimes made to stand on one leg for an hour or so to the infinite amus.e.m.e.nt of the early comers. The system certainly has a good effect in ensuring early attendance.

The course of instruction in such schools embraces reading in the vernacular, a little of arithmetic and writing, and such as become capable of keeping accounts pa.s.s for the clever boys. Stupid and wicked pupils are generally beaten with a cane, but their names are never struck off the register, as is the case in English schools. Sometimes a truant is compelled to stand on one leg holding up a brick in his right hand, or to have his arms stretched out till he is completely exhausted.

Another mode of punishment consists in applying the leaves of _b.i.+.c.hooty_ (a stinging plant) to the back of a naughty boy, who naturally smarts under the torturing. The infliction of such cruel punishments sometimes leads the boys to make a combination against the master for the purpose of retaliation, which generally results in bringing him to his senses.

Hindoo boys are extremely sensitive, and are very apt to resent any affront to which they are cruelly subjected by their master.[14] The rate of fee in a village school is from one to three-pence a head per month, but the master has his perquisites by way of victuals and pice.

There is a common saying among the Hindoos that in twelve months there are thirteen _parbuns_, or school festivals, implying thereby, that they are encountered by a continuous round of _parbuns_. On every such occasion the boys are expected to bring presents for the master, and any unfortunate boy who fails to bring such is denied the usual indulgence of a holiday. Little boys are seldom fond of reading, they would gladly sacrifice anything to purchase a holiday. It is not an uncommon thing to find a boy steal pice from his mother's box in order to satisfy the demands of his master at the festival. The principle on which a village school is conducted is essentially defective in this respect. Instead of teaching the rules of good conduct and enforcing the first principles of morality, it often sadly defeats the primary object of a good education, namely, the formation of a sound, moral and virtuous character. It is a disgrace to hear a schoolmaster, whose conduct should be the grand focus of moral excellence, use the most vulgar epithets towards his pupils for little faults the effects of which are seldom obliterated from their minds, even in the more advanced period of their life. However, such days of obnoxious pedagogism are almost gone by, never to come back again, now that the system of primary education has been extended to almost every village in India, under the auspices of our liberal Government. Whilst on this subject I may as well state here that some forty years ago our Government had appointed the late Rev. William Adam to be the Commissioner of Education in Bengal. That highly talented and generous philanthrophist, after a minute and searching investigation, submitted in his report to Government a scheme of education very similar to what is now introduced throughout Bengal. The scheme was then ignored on account of its vast expense, and the Commissioner was so disheartened at the apathy of Government towards the education of the ma.s.ses, that a few days before his departure from Calcutta he took a farewell leave of some of his most distinguished native friends, and his parting words were to the following effect: "Your Government is not disposed to encourage those who are its real friends." This reproach has, however, been subsequently removed by the adoption of a primary system of education. The spirit of the times and the onward progress of enlightened sentiments have gradually inaugurated a comprehensive scheme, which, although still limited in its range, embraces the moral and intellectual improvement of the people in general.

In Calcutta, when a boy is six years old, his parents are anxious to have him admitted into one of the public schools, where he has an opportunity to learn both the Vernacular and the English languages. He may be said from that day to enter on the first stage of his intellectual disintegration. The books that are put into his hands gradually open his eyes and expand his intellect; he learns to discern what is right and what is wrong; he reasons within himself and finds that what he had learnt at home was not true, and is led by degrees to renounce his old ideas. Every day brings before his mind's eye the grand truths of Western knowledge, and he feels an irresistible desire, not only to test their accuracy but to advance farther in his scholastic career. He is too young however, to weigh well everything that comes in his way, but as he advances he finds the light of truth illumine his mind. His parents, if orthodox Hindoos, necessarily feel alarmed at his new-fledged ideas and try to counteract their influence by the stereotyped arguments, of the wisdom of our forefathers, but however inimically disposed, they dare not stop his progress, because they see, in almost every instance, that English education is the surest pa.s.sport to honor and distinction. In this manner he continues to move through the various cla.s.ses of the middle schools till he is advanced to one of the higher educational inst.i.tutions connected with the University, and attains his sixteenth or seventeenth year, which is popularly regarded as his marriageable age.

FOOTNOTES:

[14] _Apropos_, I may mention here the following incident. A few years back a well-known master of the Hindoo school being placed in a very awkward position, had to call in the aid of the Police to get himself out of the difficulty. Sailors and Kaffries--always a set of desperate characters--were retained by the boys for the purpose of insulting him on the high road, but the timely interference of the Police put a stop to the contemplated brutal a.s.sault. This had the effect of inducing the master to behave in future with greater forbearance, if not with more sober judgment. I forbear giving the name of the indiscreet, but well-intentioned master, whose connection with the school had contributed very largely to its efficiency and usefulness.

IV.

VOWS OF HINDOO GIRLS.

When a girl is five years of age, she is initiated by an elderly woman in the preparatory rites of _Bratas_, or vows, the primary object of which is to secure her a good husband, and render her religious and happy throughout life. When the boy is sent to the Patsala, the girl is commonly forbidden to read or write, but has to begin her course of Bratas. The germs of superst.i.tion being thus early implanted in her mind, she is more or less influenced by it ever after. Formed by nature to be docile, pliant and susceptible, she readily takes to the initial course of religious exercises.

The first rite with which she has to commence is called the "s.h.i.+va Poojah," after the example of the G.o.ddess Doorga, who performed this ceremonial that she might obtain a good husband; and s.h.i.+va is regarded as a model husband. On the 30th day of Choytro, being the last day of the Bengallee year, she is required to make two little earthen images of the above G.o.ddess, and placing them on the coat of a bale-fruit (wood apple) with leaves, she begins to perform her wors.h.i.+p; but before doing so, she is enjoined to wash herself and change her clothes, a requisition which enforces, thus early, cleanliness and purity in habits and manners, if not exactly in thought and feeling. Her mind being filled with germinal susceptibilities, she imbibes almost instinctively an increasing predilection for the performance of religious ceremonies.

Sprinkling a few drops of holy water on the heads of the images, she repeats the following words: "All homage to s.h.i.+va, all homage to s.h.i.+va, all homage to _Hara_, (another name of s.h.i.+va); all homage to Bujjara,"

meaning two small earthen b.a.l.l.s, like peas, which are stuck on the body of the images. She is then to be absorbed in meditation about the form and attributes of the G.o.ddess, and afterwards says her prayers three times in connection with Doorga's various names, which I need not recapitulate here. Offerings of flowers and bale leaves are then presented to the G.o.ddess with an incantation. Being pleased, Mahadev (s.h.i.+va) is supposed to ask from heaven what Brata or religious ceremony is Gouri (Doorga) performing? Gouri replies, she is wors.h.i.+pping s.h.i.+va, that she may get him for her husband, because, as said before, s.h.i.+va is a model husband.

Then comes the Brata of Hari or Krishna. The two feet of the G.o.d being painted in white sandal paste on a bra.s.s plate, the girl wors.h.i.+ps him with flowers and sandal paste. The G.o.d seeing this, is supposed to ask what girl wors.h.i.+ps his feet, and what boon she wants? She replies: May the prince of the kingdom be her husband, may she be beautiful and virtuous, and be the mother of seven wise and virtuous sons and two handsome daughters. She asks that her daughters-in-law may be industrious and obedient, that her sons-in-law may s.h.i.+ne in the world by their good qualities, that her granary and farm-yard may be always full, the former with corn of all sorts, and the latter with milch cows, that when she dies all those who are near and dear to her may enjoy long life and prosperity, and that she may eventually, through the blessing of Hari, die on the banks of the sacred Ganges, and thereby pave the way for her entrance into heaven.

It is worthy of remark here that even young Hindoo girls, in the exercise of their immature discretion, make distinction between the G.o.ds in the choice of their husbands. In the first Brata, that of s.h.i.+va, a tender girl of five years of age is taught, almost unconsciously as it were, to prefer him to Krishna for her husband, because the latter, according to the Hindoo Shasters, is reputed to have borne a questionable character. I once asked a girl why she would not have Krishna for her husband. She promptly answered that that G.o.d disported with thousands of Gopeenees (milk-maids) and was therefore not a _good_ G.o.d, while s.h.i.+va was devotedly attached to his one wife, Doorga. The explanation was full of significance from a moral and religious point of view.

The third Brata refers to the wors.h.i.+p of ten images. This requires that the girl should paint on the floor ten images of deified men, as well as of G.o.ds, with _alapana_ or rice paste. Offering them flowers and sandal paste, she asks that she may have a father-in-law like Dasarath, the father of Ram Chunder; a mother-in-law like Kousala, the mother of Ram Chunder; a husband like Ram Chunder; a _dayur_ or husband's brother, like Luchmon, Ram's younger brother; a mother like Shasthi, whose children are all alive; like Koontee whose three sons were renowned for their love of justice, piety, courage and heroism; like Ganges, whose water allays the thirst of all; like the mother earth, whose patience is beyond all comparison. And, to crown the whole, she prays that she may, like Doorga, be blessed with an affectionate and devoted husband like Dropadi (the wife of the five Pandooas), be justly remarkable for her industry, devotedness and skill in the culinary art, and be like Sita (the wife of Ram Chunder) whose chast.i.ty and attachment to her husband are worthy of all praise. The above three Bratas take place in the Bengalee month of Bysack, (April) which is popularly regarded as a good month for the performance of meritorious works. The prayer contained in the above expresses the culminating female wish in entire accord with the injunctions of the holy shaster, but how often are the amiable qualities enumerated above set at naught in the actual conflicts of life, in which the predominance of evil desires swallows up every generous impulse!

The next Brata is called the _Sajooty_ Brata. It is solely intended to counteract the thousand evils of polygamy--an unhealthy, unnatural inst.i.tution, which ought to be expunged from the midst of every civilized community. Though G.o.d "has stamped no original characters on our minds wherein we may read his being," still we can clearly discern in His superior arrangements for the happiness of His creatures, that this abnormal practice is directly opposed to His dispensations, so much so that any one countenancing it, is guilty of a crime, for which, if he is not amenable to an earthly tribunal, he is a.s.suredly accountable to a superior and superintending Being, the infringement of whose law is sure to be attended with misery. To get rid of the consequences of this monstrous evil, a girl of five years of age is taught to offer her invocation to G.o.d, and in the outburst of her juvenile feeling is almost involuntarily led to indulge in all manner of curses and imprecations against the possible rival of her bed. Nor can we find fault with her conduct, because "an overmastering and brooding sense" of some great future calamity thus early haunts her mind.

In performing the _Sajooty Brata_, the girl paints on the floor with rice paste a variety of things, such as the bough of a flower tree, a Palkee containing a man and a woman, with the sun and moon over it, the Ganges and the Jumna with boats on them, the temple of Mahadeo with Mahadeo in it, various ornaments of gold and precious stones, houses, markets, garden, granary, farm-yard and a number of other things, all intended to represent worldly prosperity. After painting the above, she invokes Mahadeo and prays for his blessing. An elderly lady more experienced in domestic matters then begins to dictate, and the girl repeats a volley of abuses and curses against her _Sateen_ or rival wife in the possible future.

"There, stripped, fair rhetoric languished on the ground, And shameful Billingsgate her robes adorn."

The following are a few of the specimens; I wish I could have transcribed them in metre.:--

"_Barrey, Barrey, Barrey_ (a cooking utensil) May _Sateen_ become a slave!

_Khangra, Khangra, Khangra_, (broomstick) May _Sateen_ be exposed to infamy!

_Hatha, Hatha, Hatha_, (a cooking utensil) May she devour her _Sateen's_ head!

_Geelay, Geelay, Geelay_ (a fruit) May _Sateen_ have spleen!

_Pakee, Pakee, Pakee_ (bird) May _Sateen_ die and may she see her from the top of her house!

_Moyna, Moyna, Moyna_ (bird) May she never be cursed with a _Sateen_!"

May she cut an _Usath_ tree, erect a house there, cause her _Sateen_ to die and paint her feet with her _Sateen's_ blood!

I might swell the list of these curses, but I fear they would prove grating to the ears of civilized readers.

The performance of the _Sajooty Brata_ springs out of a desire to see a _Sateen_ or rival wife become the victim of all manner of evils, extending even to the loss of life itself, simply because a plurality of wives is the source of perpetual disquietude and misery. By nature, a woman is so const.i.tuted that she can never bear the sight of a rival wife. In civilized countries, the evil is partially remediable by a legal separation, but in Hindoostan the legislature makes no provision whatever for its suppression. A feeling of burning jealousy becomes rampant wherever there is a case of polygamy to poison the perennial source of domestic felicity. So acutely sensitive is a Hindoo lady in this respect that she would rather suffer the miseries of widowhood than be cursed with the presence of a _Sateen_, whose very name almost spontaneously awakens in her mind the bitterest and the most envenomed feelings. She can make up her mind to give away a share of her most valuable worldly enjoyments, but she can never give a share of her husband's _affection_ to any one on earth. To enjoy the exclusive monopoly of a husband's love is the life-long prayer of a Hindoo female.

She expresses it in the incipient stage of her girlhood, and practically carries it with her until the last spark of life becomes extinct. This certainly indicates the prompting of a very strong _natural_ feeling.

V.

MARRIAGE CEREMONIES.

The Hindoos have a strong belief that to solemnise the marriage of their children at an early age, is a meritorious act as discharging one of the primary obligations of life. They are, therefore, very anxious to have their sons and daughters formally married during their own life-time.

Sometimes children are pledged to each other even in infancy, by the mutual agreement of the parents; and in most cases the girl is married when a mere child of from eight to ten years, all unconscious as yet of the real meaning and obligations of the relation, although her girlish fancies have been continually directed to it. Matches in the case of good families are commonly brought about in the following way.

When an unmarried boy attains his seventeenth or eighteenth year, numbers of professional men called _Ghatucks_ or match-makers come to the parents with overtures of marriage. These men are dest.i.tute of principle, they know how to pander to the frailties of human nature; most of them being gross flatterers, endeavour to impose on the parents in the most barefaced manner. As they live on their wits, their descriptive powers and insinuating manners are almost matchless. When the qualities of a girl are to be commended, they, indulging in a strain of exaggeration, unblus.h.i.+ngly declare, "she is beautiful as a full moon, the symmetry of her person is exact, her teeth are like the seeds of a pomegranate, her voice is remarkably sweet like that of the cuckoo, her gait is graceful, she speaks like the G.o.ddess _Luckee_, and will bring fortune to any family she may be connected with." The Hindoos have a notion that the good fortune of a husband depends on that of the wife, hence a woman is considered as an emblem of _Luckee_, the G.o.ddess of fortune. This is the highest commendation she can possess.[15]

If the qualities of a youth are to be appraised, they describe him thus: he is as beautiful as _Kartick_ (the G.o.d of beauty), his deportment is that of a n.o.bleman, he is free from all vices, he studies day and night, in short, he is a precious gem and an ornament of the neighbourhood. The Hindoos know very well that the _Ghatucks_ as a body are great impostors, and do not believe half that these people say. From the day a matrimonial alliance is proposed, the parents on both sides begin to make all sorts of preliminary enquiries as to the unblemished nature of the caste, respectability and position in society of the parties concerned. When fully satisfied on these points, they give their verbal consent to the proposed union, but not before the father of the boy has demanded of the father of the girl a certain number of gold and silver ornaments, as well as of _Barabharun_, _i. e._, silver and bra.s.s utensils, couch, &c. exclusive of (with but few exceptions) a certain amount of money in lieu of _Foolshajay_.[16] Before proceeding further, I should observe that of late years a great change has taken place in the profession of the _Ghatucks_. The question of marriage, though not absolutely, yet chiefly, is a question the solution of which rests with the females. Their voice in such matters has a preponderating influence.

Availing themselves of this powerful agency a new cla.s.s of female _Ghatucks_ or rather _Ghatkees_ have sprung up among the people. Hence the occupation of the male _Ghatucks_ is nearly gone, except in rare cases where nice points of caste distinction are to be decided. The great influences of _s.h.i.+bi Ghatkee_ and _Badnee's_ mother--two very popular female _Ghatkees_,--is well known to the respectable Hindoo community of Calcutta. These two women have made a decent fortune by plying this trade. Though certainly not gifted with the imaginative powers of a poetic bard of Rajpootana,[17] their suasive influence is very telling. They have the rare faculty of making and unmaking matches.

From the superior advantage which their s.e.x affords them, they have a free access to the inner apartments of a house (even if it were that of a millionaire)--a privilege their male rivals can never expect to enjoy.

When balked by the subtlety of a compet.i.tor in trade, by their bathos they contrive to break a match. Their representations regarding a proposed union seldom fail to exercise a great influence on the minds of the Zenana females. Relying on the accuracy of their description, which sometimes turns out exaggerated, if not false, the mother and other ladies are often led to give their consent to a proposed union. The husband, swayed by the counsel and importunity of his wife, is forced to acquiesce in her choice. He cannot do otherwise because, as our friend, Baboo Keshub Chunder Sen, has very facetiously observed, "man is a noun in the objective case governed by the active verb woman."[18]

When a _Ghatkee_ comes up with the proposal of a matrimonial alliance with an educated youth, the first question generally asked her is, "Has he pa.s.sed his examinations?" If so, how many _pa.s.ses_ has he got?

meaning thereby how many examinations of the University has he pa.s.sed through? "Has he yet any Jalpany or scholars.h.i.+p?" These are difficult questions which must be satisfactorily answered before a negotiation can be effected. That a University degree has raised the marriageable value of a boy, there can be no doubt. If he have successfully pa.s.sed some of these examinations and got a scholars.h.i.+p, his parents, naturally priding themselves on their valuable acquisition, demand a preposterously long catalogue of gold ornaments, which, it is not often in the power of a family in middling circ.u.mstances easily to bestow. The parents of the girl, on the other hand, seeing the long list, demur at first to give their consent, but their demurring is of no avail; marry their daughter, they must. The present ruinous scale of nuptial expenses must be submitted to at any sacrifice, and after deep cogitation they send a revised schedule, (as if marriage were a mere matter of traffic) taking off from it some costly items, which would press heavily on the purse.

In this manner the _Ghatkee_ continually goes backwards and forwards for some time, proposing concessions on both sides and holding out delusive hopes of future advantages in the event of the carrying out of the marriage. There is a trite saying among the Hindoos, that "a matrimonial alliance could not be completed without uttering a lakh of words."

The parents of the girl on whose head falls the greatest burden, are eventually made to succ.u.mb from a consideration of their having secured a desirable match, namely, a _pa.s.sed_ student. If not placed in affluent circ.u.mstances, as is generally the case, they are obliged to raise the requisite sum of money by loan, which sows, in many instances, the seeds of much future embarra.s.sment. At a very moderate calculation, a tolerably respectable marriage now-a-days costs between two and three thousand Rupees (about 200),--sometimes more. There is another native adage which says, "we want twine for thatching and money for wedding." A respectable Hindoo gentleman who has four or five daughters to give in marriage and whose income is not large, is often reduced to the greatest difficulty and embarra.s.sment by reason of the extravagantly enormous expenses of a marriage. The rich do not care much what they are required to spend. All that they look for is a desirable match. It is the middle and poorer cla.s.ses, who form by far the largest aggregate of population in every country, that suffer most severely from the present enhanced scale of matrimonial charges. The late Rajah Rajkissen, Baboos Ramdoolal Dey,[19] Nemy Churn Mullick and other Hindoo millionaires, spent extraordinary sums of money on the marriage of their sons. The amount in each instance far exceeded a lakh of Rupees. The annals of Rajasthan furnish numerous instances of lavish expenditure, varying from five to ten lakhs of Rupees and upwards, on the solemnization of nuptials. There was a spirit of rivalry which animated the princes to surpa.s.s each other in magnificence and splendour on such occasions, regardless alike of the state of their exchequer, and the demoralizing effects of such conduct.

Marriages in such a magnificent style are seldom to be seen in Calcutta now-a-days, not because of the distaste of the people for such frivolities, but because of the lamentable decline and impoverishment of the former magnates of the land. It is painful to contemplate that the present scale of expenditure among the middle cla.s.ses has been in an inverse ratio to their income. The exertions made sometime ago by Moonshee Peary Lall for the reduction of marriage expenses would have doubtless conferred a lasting boon on the Hindoo community in general, if the object had been crowned with success, but as the Legislature has no control over such matters, relating as they do to purely private affairs, the n.o.ble scheme resulted in failure. It is quite optional with parties to go to heavy expenses on such occasions; no act of Government without the voice of the people could restrain them in this respect. Any social reform to be permanent and effectual must be carried out by the universal suffrages of the people.