390 



INDIA. 



1858 when the Government was tranferred 

 from the East India Company to the British 

 Crown to 1877. 



In those twenty years, he says, India has under* 

 gone a profound transformation. Two causes have 

 mainly contributed to bring about this result the 

 gradual progress of education, and the extraordinary 

 development of means of communication. The ex- 

 penditure on education, as far as Government is con- 

 cerned, has increased fourfold, and now exceeds 

 1,000,000 in the year, and the number of pupils 

 has increased from about 200,000 in 1857 to about 

 1,700,000, and is rapidly increasing. Small as this 

 number may seem, it being below one per cent, of 

 the population, it shows extraordinary progress, and 

 proves that education is beginning to affect the 

 masses. At any rate, it compares favorably with 

 the number in other semi-civilized countries. The 

 progress of education in India is also shown by the 

 increasing number of graduates of the universities 

 of the three PresidencieSj and the large number of 

 pupils in the special engineering, art, and medical 

 schools ; and equally striking is the rapid growth of 

 the native press and literature. But the results of 

 the progress of education are at present valuable 

 chiefly as the promise of a better future, when the 

 present generation shall have grown up. The changes 

 wrought by improved means of communication have 

 been, on the other hand, almost instantaneous, and 

 have already transformed the whole face ot the 

 country. The length of railways open in 1857 was 

 274 miles ; in 1876 it had become 6,497 miles. The 

 passengers carried in 1857 were 1,825,000 ; there were 

 26,779,000 in 1875. The miles of telegraphs increased 

 from 4,162 miles to 16,649 miles ; the letters and 

 packets conveyed by post from less than 29,000,000 

 to more than 116,000,000 in the year. The opening 



of the Suez Canal, in 1869, also marked a turning- 

 point in the trade of India and the East generally, 

 The revenue of India advanced from 31,691,000, 

 in 1857, to 55,422,000, imperial and provincial, in 

 1877; the expenditure from 31,609,000 to (estim- 

 ated) 61,382,009, in 1877. The excess of expendi- 

 ture over income, in 1877, is due partly to the famine 

 and partly to the outlay on remunerative public 

 works. Adding together the cost of public works, 

 of education, and of surveys and other scientific 

 operations, we nnd about 10.000,000 now yearly 

 spent by the Government in India for the permanent 

 improvement of the country and its people. The 

 trade and shipping returns show a vast increase in 

 wealth and prosperity. The tonnage entered and 

 cleared in the foreign and coasting trade was 4,549.000 

 tons in 1857, and rose to 9,887,000 tons in 1875. The 

 value of the imports was 28,608,000 in 1857, and 

 48,697,000 in 18:7; of the exports, 26,591,000 and 

 62,975,000 respect! vely . These figures include treas- 

 ure as well as merchandise. The imports of treasure 

 amounted in the 20 years, 1858-77, to 167,582,677, 

 but the exports of treasure to only 28,804,567, show- 

 ing an increase in the precious metals to the amount 

 of nearly 239,000,000, or about 1 for every head 

 of population in the whole of British and Native In- 

 dia. The imports of merchandise have risen from 

 14,000,000 to 37,000,000 in the 20 years, an in- 

 crease of 163 per cent. ; the exports of Indian prod- 

 uce and manufactures from somewhat over 25,000,- 

 000 to 59,000,000, an increase of 133 per cent. ; the 

 total of imports and exports of merchandise showing 

 an increase of 140 per cent. 



On New-Year's-day, 1877, Queen Victoria 

 was proclaimed Empress of India, with all the 

 pomp of Eastern state. The proclamation was 

 made at Calcutta, Bomhay, and Madras ; but 





FORT OP PESHAWBB. 



the scene of the chief ceremony was at Delhi. 

 The place selected for the proclamation was 

 an extensive plain about three miles north of 

 the viceregal camp, where a dais and a large 

 amphitheatre had been erected. The gov- 

 ernors, lieutenant-governors, the state -offi- 

 cials, and sixty-three rnling_j>rinces, attended 

 by their suites and standard-bearers, with mag- 

 nificent memorial banners, were grouped in a 

 semicircle in front of the throne. Behind 

 them the vast amphitheatre was filled with 



the foreign embassies find the native nobility 

 and gentry who had been invited, while in 

 the rear was the vast concourse of spectators 

 who had come to witness the spectacle. The 

 whole presented a scene of unwonted brilliancy 

 and splendor. To the south of the dais 15,000 

 troops were drawn up under arms, while to 

 the north were ranged the minor chiefs, with 

 their troops and retinues. The Viceroy ar- 

 rived at about half-past twelve, and at once 

 ascended the throne. His arrival was heralded 



