204 



THE LIVING RACES OF MANKIND 



The Brahmans had in their keeping not only the sacred books, but the philosophy and 

 science of the Hindus. And, moreover, they were the custodians of all the secular literature 

 like the monks of Europe in early and mediaeval days. In order to understand the long 

 period of time that this Brahman supremacy has lasted, we must bear in mind that they were 

 a literary as well as a religious caste. At times this supremacy has been assailed and for 

 two centuries actually overthrown but still for twenty-two centuries they have been the 

 counsellors of princes and teachers of the people. An extract from the Eig-Veda illustrates 

 their power: "That king before whom marches the priest, he alone dwells well established 



in his house, to him the people bow 

 down. The king who gives wealth to 

 the priest, he will conquer, him the 

 gods will protect." 



In time the thoughtful and re- 

 flective Brahmans began to perceive 

 that the old gods of the Vedas were 

 but poetic fictions. For when they 

 came to think the matter out, they 

 arrived at the conclusion that the sun, 

 the aqueous vapour, the sky, the wind, 

 and the dawn could not all be separate 

 and supreme creators, but that they 

 must all have proceeded from one great 

 First Cause. They therefore, in order 

 to appease old prejudices, accepted 

 "The Shining Ones "of the Vedas as 

 beautiful and useful manifestations of 

 divine power, and did not cease to 

 conduct sacrifices in their honour. But 

 among themselves they began to teach 

 the doctrine of the Unity of God. To 

 the Vedas, the Brahmanas, and the 

 Sutras they added a vast body of 

 theological literature, composed at in- 

 tervals between 1000 B.C. and 800 B.C. 

 The Upanishads, meaning the Science 

 of God and his Identity with the Soul; 

 the Aranyakas, or Tracts for the Forest 

 Recluse; and the much later Puranas, 

 or Traditions from of Old, all contain 

 mystic and beautiful doctrines incul- 

 cating the Unity of God and the 

 Immortality of the Soul, mingled with 

 less noble dogmas, popular tales, and 



superstitions. The masses continued to believe in four castes, four Vedas, and many deities; 

 but the most thoughtful Brahmans taught and believed that in the beginning there was but 

 one caste, one Veda, and one God. 



The High-born Dawn, the Genial Sun, the Friendly Day, and the kindly but confused old 

 groups of Vedic deities gradually gave place to the conception of one god in his three 

 manifestations, as Brahma, the Creator; Vishnu, the Preserver; and Siva, the Destroyer and 

 Eeproducer. These still form the Triad of Hindu mythology. But Brahma, the Creator, was 

 too abstract to be a popular god. There is only one great seat of his worship at the present 

 day. Vishnu, the Preserver, was more popular; in his ten incarnations, especially in his seventh 



Photo by Messrs. Bourne & Shepherd} 



THE LATE MAHARAJAH OF HOLKAR. 



[Bombay. 



