Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/189

points which may be explained later. But such a task would need a great deal of education, sense of duty, and activity; things which have not been the characteristics of the Indian princes. They are filled with family pride, and appear to be incapable of any united action.

If the Indian princes level distinctions among them of tribe and family, and form a class among themselves which would freely intermarry and assert their own superiority over the Brāhmaṇas, it is possible for them to do so. I shall be but too glad to see the princes unite and challenge the supremacy of the Brāhmaṇas. The princes have wealth and power in their favour, the Brāhmaṇas have nothing but intelligence, education and accumulated prestige. But the princes have not as yet shown any ability to unite. It is known that the daughter of an important Indian prince was compelled to be a second wife of another prince of her own tribe, being unable to make a suitable match with a prince outside her own tribe. If the Indian princes unite they may be able to form a class, union with whom would be sought by people from all castes and tribes in India. It is not possible that the Brāhmaṇas will refuse to inter-marry with the princes, whatever their caste pride may be. Cases of Brāhmaṇas who considered themselves honoured by marriages with princes have occurred in the past. Cases of this kind occur even now. A prince in Eastern India, who belonged to a tribe regarded among the Hindu princes as merely low-caste jungle people, was able to marry a girl from a caste supposed to be much higher than his own. He was again able to find a Brāhmaṇa to marry his daughter when she was coupled with a dowry of one hundred thousand rupees.

Though we have cases of Brāhmaṇas who would rather