Identifier: lifeworkinindiaa00stewrich Title: Life and work in India; an account of the conditions, methods, difficulties, results, future prospects and reflex influence of missionary labor in India, especially in the Punjab mission of the United Presbyterian Church of North America Year: 1899 (1890s) Authors: Stewart, Robert, 1839-1915 Subjects: United Presbyterian Church of North America Missions -- India Publisher: Philadelphia : Pearl Pub. Co. Contributing Library: University of California Libraries Digitizing Sponsor: Internet Archive

View Book Page: Book Viewer About This Book: Catalog Entry View All Images: All Images From Book

Click here to view book online to see this illustration in context in a browseable online version of this book.

Text Appearing Before Image: of the whole population of India areMuhammadans and seventy-two per cent. Hindus, or more correctlyseventy-six and one-half per cent., if we include among the numberforest tribes, Sikhs and Jains.* In the Punjab, however, the proportion is very different. Of these,according to the census of 1881, Muhammadans formed about .557 ofthe population ; Hindus .377; Sikhs .059; Jains, .002 and all others.005 ; and this is doubtless about the present proportion of these differ-ent classes. Modern Hinduism is the resultant of beliefs and influences whichhave been operating upon the Aryan race during the past 3000 years *The following comparative table is taken from the census of 1891: Hindus, 207,654,407 Mussalmans, 57,365,204 Forest Tribes (animal worshipers), 9,302,083 Buddhists, 7,101,057 Christians, 2,284,191 Sikhs, 1,907,836 Jains, 1,416,109 Parsees, 89,887 Jews, 17,180 Atheists. Agnostics, etc., 289 Total, 287,138,243Unclassified addition in corrected returns, 1,021,429 Total, 288,159,672

Text Appearing After Image: MODERN HINDUISM 111 or more. Theoretically it is pantheistic, but practically polytheistic.Accepting three original and supreme manifestations of the eternalgpii-jt—Brahma, Vishnu and Siva (the Tri-murti)—it has admitted intoits pantheon a multitude of gods either related to them by marriage,descent or service, or identified with them through the principle ofincarnation or special embodiment. These are presented to the eye inthe form of idols, pictures, persons, animals, tombs or natural objects,and are worshiped by prayer, genuflection, prostration, dancing, sing-ing, bell-ringing, incense-burning, gifts of flowers, food or clothing,water libation, animal sacrifices, repetition of the divine name ormantras, prostitution, and in other ways. Hindus believe in the effi-cacy of charms and asceticism, in astrology, exorcism, necromancy,witchcraft, the evil eye, and other forms of superstition. They alsobelieve in the transmigration of souls and make salvation to consist intheir final

Note About Images