A N D H E R P E O P L E BY SWA M I A B HE DJA N A N D A " ” - H o t A uthor of Self Knowl edge. w o be a Yogi . Sp iritual Unfold ” " “ t of M l h meat, Divine Heri ue an. Phi owp y of Work etc. THI RD E D I TI ON PUB LI SHE D BY THE VE D A N TA SO CIETY N EW YO RK TO I HE PEOPLE OF INDIA W I T H D E E P FE LLOW - FE E LI NG A N D E A RN E S T PRA Y E RS FOR T HE R E S T ORA T I ON OF T HE I R A N CI E N T GLORY A N D NA T I ON A L FRE E D OM I TROD UC I N T ON . I A M very glad to learn that the course o f l o oo lectures , recently de ivered bef re the Br klyn Institute of Arts and Sciences by Swami Abbe dananda to , is be published . These lectures constitute an exceedi ngly valuable description o f o al o a a o a and l o s the s ci , p litic l , educ ti n l , re igi u o o a conditions f Indi a . They c nt in precisely Am erican wants to a o what the know b ut India . as a a a Delivered , they were , by n tive of Indi , they are not colored by foreign prej udices . I am m a a of i pressed , by wh t I he rd the lectures , with the fact that in the hurry and bustle of our Western civilization we have a great deal t o learn from the East . FRA N K I N . O E R L W H OP , D i rector of the B rooklyn I m titulc of A rt: and S ci ences. A 2 6 6 B ROOK N N . Y . ril 1 0 LY , , p , 9 . 3 PREFA CE . THE first six lectures contained in this volume were delivered before th e Brooklyn Institute o f and Arts Sciences . As my limited time did not permit me to descri be at length the a o f a a a a a st tus Hindu women , I h ve dded sep r te ’ ” lecture on Wom an s Place in Hi ndu Religion to o e c mplete th subj ect . My main obj ect has been to give an impartial account of the facts from the standpoint of an as o a and o all misunder unbi ed hist ri n , to rem ve standings which prevail am ong the Am ericans n a and o concerni g Indi her pe ple . I have cited a and a a Hindu , Americ n , Europe n uthorities to a and a support my st tements , I beg to cknowledge my indebtedness to those writers from whom a o a . I h ve qu ted , especi lly to Mr R C Dutt , for num erous valuable facts and statistics c ol 5 A CE PRE F . lected by him through years o f tireless research a and o o a o s in Engl nd , emb died in his hist ric l w rk , ” l a o a o mi Civi iz ti n in Ancient Indi , Ec no c “ o Of a and a a Hist ry Indi , Indi in the Victori n ” Age . THE R AUTHO . M r r 0 6 N E W O RK a . Y , y s, 9 6 CON TEN TS . Th e Prevai lin Phi l o so h O f TO - d a I . g p y y h e Reli i on Of I ndi a TO - da I I . T g y I I I Th e S ocial S tatus O f th e I n an Peo le : th ei r . di p Po liti cal I nstituti ons Of I ndi a Th e I nfluence o f I n i a on W estern Ci vi li at on d z i , and th e I nfluence Of Western Civi li zation on ’ V W om an s P ace in Hin u Reli i on I I . l d g 7 I D I A A N D HE R PEO PLE N . I . THE P EV I LING P Hl LOSOPHY OF TO- DA Y R A . E N RI E S ti a era na C TU before the Chris n , y, long before the advent Of the prophet and founder a a Of o of Jud ism , when the foref thers the Angl a a a and o S xon r ces were living in c ves f rests , a oo n o a raw a a t tt i g their b dies , e ting nim l flesh , a a a n —in a o a we ring nim l ski s , th t rem te ntiquity, the dawn of true civilization broke upon the h i of n a or B hdmta Varsha as a or zon I di , , it is c lled in Sanskrit . The ancient Vedic sages h ad already perfected o f o a o and their lofty system m r l philos phy , their followers were well - established in the practice of t he ethical and spiritu al teachings of the 9 I A A ND *HE R I ND PE OPLE . Vedas even before Moses * had reformed the l awless and nomadic tribes o f Israel by giving them the ten commandments in the n ame o f J ahveh . And while thinkers am ong the Semitic tribes were still trying to explain the origin O f the hum an race and o f the universe through the mythological stories Of creation collected al a o a a o a from the Ch de ns , Ph enici ns , B byl ni ns , and a a o o Of a Persi ns , the Ary n phil s phers Indi h ad already di scovered the evolution Of the out Of one a and o f man universe etern l Energy , from the lower anim als . Many people have an idea that India is in a a o a who a h bited by idol tr us he thens , h ve neither o o and phil sophy , ethics , science , nor religi n , that wh atever they possess they h ave acquired o a o a fr m the Christi n missi n ries ; but , since the ’ Parliament O f Religions at the World s Fair in * A cco rdi ng to th e best auth o riti es O f th e p resent D r da Mo ses ve about th e ourteenth centu B . C . y, l i d f ry Kuenen sa ys : Th e ex o dus i s acco rdingly pl aced b y n n B C 1 2 1 b anoth r in 1 2 nd b a th o e i . e 0 a 3 , y 3 , y i rd n th s o nt n 1 B . C O f co u t ac o i 1 . se e ec accu 3 4 r , p r f r y i p i n t n W h th s s rv t o n I cce t th e i s u a t ai ab l e . i t i r e e a i a p " 1 2 0 a h m —R on O f I s ae ea s t e ost o bab e . e y r 3 p r l li gi r l , l I . 1 1 2 . Vo . , p 1 0 RE A I I N PH P - D A Y THE P V L G I LOS O HY OF TO . a 1 8 a and Chic go in 9 3 , the educ ted men women of this country have cast aside all such erroneous o o a a o a n ti ns . They h ve le rned , on the c ntr ry , that Indi a h as always been the fountain - head o f Of o o and o every system phil s phy , the h me o o o Of all the religi us th ught Of the w rld . The a Of O a a o m j ority rient l schol rs , like Pr fessor Max Mul and o o a D eussen as a l er Pr fess r P ul , lso a a a a o dv nced students in Americ , h ve now c me to realize th at from ancient times Indi a has o a a o Of o o and a all pr duced n ti n phil s phers , th t a of o o the ph ses phil sophic th ught , whether a o can ll o ncient or m dern , sti be f und there n F d a . o hi to y Vict r Cousi , the eminent rench p l OS O her os o of Of p , wh e kn wledge the history o a o o was a i Eur pe n phil s phy unriv lled , wr tes ' Wh en we read the poetical and philosophical Of a —a o all Of monuments the E st , b ve , those a i are n a o Indi , wh ch beginni g to spre d in Eur pe , ' — we o a a and disc ver there m ny truth , truths so o and a a o a i prof und , which m ke such c ntr st w th the meanness of the results at which the Euro a has o o a pe n genius s metimes st pped , th t we are constrained to bend the knee before the 1 1 I ND IA AND HE R E E P OPL .