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INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS.
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Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software. The text has not been manually corrected and should not be relied on to be an accurate representation of the item.
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NOTES ON INDIAN PUOGrBESS . It will tako a long while to leaven the great mass of the Indian populations , but meanwhile any little inaieations of progress are acceptable . Therefore we notice with pleasure that in Bengal there have been several marriages of Brahmins' widows , and some among the highest circles . Female schools are extending . In Bombay a club has been formed of Pursee gentlemen who meet in a garden near the Gowalia Tank . The condition of membership is that each member shall bring his wife , so as to allow the latter the opportunity of mixing in male society .
The party enjoys the pleasures of conversation , and an evening repast closes the < lay . The Parsees , able in their generation , see that to maintain their influence under the expansion of the English community they must have tho advantage of being able to introduce their wives into English society . Monnwhilo the native pross in Bombay lma advanced so far as tho lowest stage of English journalism } some of the editors having got into police rows , and others having levied black mail on tho throat of libelling their native supporters and exposing their household affairs . The attention of tho Supreme Court is to bo invoked on behalf of one of tlioso vagabonds .
Tho superintendent of Caehar has reportod time the stagnation of trade in that district is for wint of roads , and as a palliative ho has dotonuinod on flic establishment of an animal fair as has been dono by tlio superintendent of Durjeoling . Tho fair ia to be hold at Sllehar , tho Suddor station , and to last or flvo days . Most of tho native tribes have bud information .
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the Soindee , the Canarese , and a little ; Telingee in the Soutii Mahratta countries . So abruptly does one language cease and another begin that he has seen the line marked between them on . the map like the course of a river , and between the rivers Kisna and Bheema he has left a village in which Mahratta was spoken , and after riding two miles only , reached a village in which Canarese was spoken , the two languages being as different as Greek and English . There arc cases of this in Europe—there is a village on the French border where Trench is spoken at one end and Flemish at the other , and in Wales , in
Alsace , or in Jutland , the line of linguistic distinction will be found as abrupt as in India . Mr . Wat-den says it is hopeless to expect that Englishmen should become , as a rule , sufficiently conversant with those four languages to administer justice in all . At Dharwar lie was liable to have persons appearing before him speaking one Canarese , a second Mahratta , and a third Tehngee . The native officials turned these languages into Ilindostanee . The judge , speaking in a foreign language with which he is not thoroughly familiar , is apt to make himself more or less ridiculous , as he has perceived ,, in court . Mr . Warden , of course , advocates the examination of every civil officer in
the prevailing native language of the Presidency . Mr . Warden not only docs not consider the present S udder , system effective , but he approves of the-Supreme Court , and recommends the employment of English barristers practising at its bar as judges of tlie' local courts . Tlicrc is one measure Mr . Warden and the other witnesses have not ' propounded which is now practicable and desirable , and that is to send the judges of the Supreme Courts on circuit , which would tend much to raise the character of the Sudder and . local judiciary . Now that the railway affords communication , there and its
THE ENGLISH LANGUAGE IN INDIA . In the new scheme of progress , for India , which is now unfolding itself , the extended use of the English language aad of Roman type are advocated by many of those most practically acquainted with the wants of India . To us the proposition seems less feasible and less promising than to those better acquainted with the history and circumstances of the country , for it appears open to the primary objection that it is the imposition of foreign institutions most displeasing to the native population . When we come to consider these two circumstances ,
which materially influence the judgment , one is that many of the tribes of India have no written language , that whole districts are without a vernacular literature other than the rituals , and that throughout India for a long period the learned , court , and law languages have been languages either f oreign to the population , as Persian , or not understood by them , as Sanscrit and Hindostanee . It is further to be observed that the literature of science and of civilisation has still to be communicated to
the population , arid that with the effective movement that is taking place for the unity of India there is not among such a diversity of languages and dialects even a common scrip or type , much less a common language . With the development of the post-office , the electric telegraph , and the railway , the necessity of a common or standard language of intercourse becomes daily more essential , and in many districts the populations are so mixed up that a common language for the pleadings and records of the courts is required . The Govern , ment has attempted to supply this want , in its
tender conservation of native nationality and the fear of obtruding English nationality , by the use of Hindostanee , a language and scrip so little un " derstood b y the population , being a foreign jargon , that in a district and population as large as these islands , hardly one man in a village will be found who has any comprehension of it . It may be said further that Hindostanee has no proper literature , and that it leads to nothing . We believe that at this time Bengalee literature is more developed in consequence of the many valuable educational works which have been translated , and the
operation of the native press . In Bengal , for post-office purposes , Bengalee is substituted purposely for English in a fashion rather ludicrous . The following is the address of a newspaper , " Dhaka Bay-ank La-ee-bray-reer Say-krayto-ree Mohasoy-Dhaka . " Mohasoy is supposed to stand for Monsieur , but the rest is English , and , as well observed by the Dacca News , would have been better understood by the post-office people if so written . The same publication , in reference to the law dialect of tho local courts in the district , that
the Roman type . The use of the English language as the language of the law courts is one of the most essential improvements in administration , and has been most strongly brought before the Committee on English Settlement in India , It is to be hoped that by next session Mr . Ewart will see his way to give decided prominence to this measure . We have now the evidence not only of English nobles but of judges who are conversant with the working of the present system , and they agree that the administration of justice will be much promoted by the substitution of the English language for the court
which will give him information , and hardly amusement , and for everything useful he must refer to English . It was in this way once in England ,-when tlie stores of information not having been made accessible in the vernacular , and only attainable in Latin , the learner had to prosecute his studies in that language if he wished to become truly informed . With regard to type , we may mention that besides the progress of Roman type in Germany and Scandinavia , the patriots of Wallachia , in their endeavours to create a Rouman literature , finding that the Cyrillian type excluded them from a community of studies with the West , introduced
a priority should be given to letters and messages in English or English type , and for messages in other languages an extra charge should be made . The mercantile class , English and native , would prefer this . All Government notifications , railway notifications , and names of streets , should be in English , with the local name in Roman type , and where there is a neighbouring population with its own language , . likewise ' in that language in Itoinan type . Thus these great instruments of civilisation would
assist in the further enlightenment of India . All Government school-books should be printed in Roman type , and Persian type should be as speedily as may be abolished . In " no Government printing-office should there be any other type but the Roman , whereas now there are few collect orates which have not at least two founts of type , and sometimes more , the native founts being very cumbrous . All the Government writing should-at once be brought to Roman scrip . .
When we consider what great benefit has been conferred on Europe by the adoption of the Roman type and scrip , and the way in which it extends into the countries where other characters yet prevail , we cannot but be desirous that India should have the benefit of this great philological key , by which the study of the native languages would be rendered easier to the native , and the study of English likewise , b y which the literature of ancient wisdom and of modern science would be opened to him . The teaching of Welsh reading in schools is found to prepare the way for English reading and writing , because , the lad who reads Welsh finds he has no books
and other languages , the proceedings being interpreted , where it is necessary , from the lo « al languages direct into English . Now there are sometimes two . interpretations into tho court language . Two objects arc sought to be attained—first , to get rid of the omlah , the great source of oppression and corruption , who pervert the course ol justice and defraud the native under pretence of bribing tho judge ; and , secondly , to enablo the judge to deal with the case more independently by placing him in direct communication with the natives , without an omlah and court language , and Avith tho faculty of considering his case on English materials and f raming his decree in a language with wliicli he is familiarinstead of being embarrassed by tho court
it is a ourious mixture of Bengaleo and Hindee , with English law terms thickly sprinkled through it . Thus , -when a plaintiff who is called badee gets the defendant pritlbadee , punished , ho gets a dijyree , whioh stands for " dcoree . " When tho charge is a false one , the decision is announced by tlie word deesmees , for " dismiss . " Safeenu is the vernacular for " subpoena , " but even an Englishman who is a good Bengaleo scholar has been staggered by tho words Jasteea aft dee Peese , which are in no dictionary , and which figure in strange typo for Justice of tho Peace ,
, language and its promulgators . What Mr . Yulo 1 ms cfl ' eotocl for the Santhals is what is advocated for tho boncfU of tho more advanced populations . Tho evidence of Mr . John Warden , who was senior member of tho Council of Bombay , chief judge of tho Suddor Court , and president of tho Board of Education , states tho case very decidedly . Mr . Warden ' s proposessions would naturally bo in favour of tho present " system , but ho could not blind himself to its ovils . Ho says it , , is a very common thing to talk of / a porson being acquainted with " tho" native language , but in tho western part , of India there aro four or ftvo uativo languages . There is the Hindostancc , whioh is tho political and colloquial language ; tho Mahratta , tho Guzcrutco ,
It often happens m cases whore the parties understand English bettor than tho court languages , the English magistrate has tho whole rehearsed by the omluh in the court jargon . Wo may observe that the same thing takes p laoo pn the Gold Coast , where , the magistrate being English and the parties speaking and writing English , tlio proceedings aro interpreted into a local jargon , whioh tho court officers alone understand . The use of English in tho post-office and telegraph offices , und at tho railway stations is essential , ana it should , at 01100 be made the official language ,
is no reason that tlie English at Poonah neighbourhood , and at -Mullieran , should not have the same privilege of the Supreme Court as they would in Bombay . Tlie Supxcmc Court of Calcutta can likewise extend its jurisdiction by the railwav nnd hy steamboat , and the Supreme Court " Madras by railway . The judges in Ceylon arc provided with a colonial steamboat to go circuit , but then Ceylon is truly a colony , and India has hitherto been under a sham protective system . What is wanted is to raise India to the level of Ceylon by the adoption of a like system of administration .
India And Indian Progress.
INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS .
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1200 THE LEADER . [ No . 450 , November 6 , 1858 .
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Citation
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Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 6, 1858, page 1200, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse2.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2267/page/24/
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