The ancient and medieval architecture of India: a study of Indo-Aryan civilisation

xxxiv INTRODUCTION

years handeddown anoraltradition ofthe highest philosophy

andthe finestliterature arenot illiterate; though theyusenot

penand ink, they

are not

lesscultured orintelligentthan the

majorityof

thosewhoenjoythefranchisein

Westerncountries.

But when their own instruments of culture are taken from

them, and replaced byothers which theycannot or will not

use, theytend to become illiterate and uncultured both inan

Eastern and Western sense. The Anglo-Indian pedagogue

has been sterilising Indian soil, so that

he may

plant in it

seeds ofaWestern culturewhichwillnot

grow. TheAnglo-

Indian

statesman digs uptherootsof Indiancivilisation and

expects

to

maintain law

and order upon principles totally

foreignto

the

Indian mind.

TheIndian massesare unfitted

forWestern forms of self-government, andwillremain

so as

longas the British

Raj endures

;

butthey arenot unfitted

for

self-governing

functions which their fathers (and

mothers)

exercised forcountless

generationswhilethe British

Raj was

yetunborn.

The

study

ofIndo-Aryan

civilisationthrows

muchneeded

lightupon anothervital

question—Indian religion.

Christi-

anitywillnotsuffer bya

sympathetic attitude

towards Indian

religious convictions. Can

theChristian teacher

whoregards

hisdutyotherwisebe said

tobe fulfillinghis

Master'smission

intheVineyardwhere

Christ Himselflaboured

? Itisafatal

misconceptionto consider

Aryan Indiaas

idolatrous or

poly-

theistic. No religion has
been more careful
to discriminate

betweentheSymboland the
Realitybehindit
thanthat
which

has been taughtbyIndo-Aryan
teachers
;

and

ifits

principles

have not been fullyunderstood
bythe
massesof the
people,

can itbe said that Christianity
has been
more successful
in

this respectin itsown special
field? But
thatthe
teachings

ofAryan Indiahavebeenfar
moresuccessful
than is
generally

supposed isproved bya
remarkable
paragraph in
the Indian