//.'/. hy M. Moym A I'nv // rxTournAKLK Tin-: "Just .stood in the doorway." (Sec pn^f i^>3-) MOTHER INDIA BY KATHERINE MAYO AUTHOR OP "THE ISLES OP PEAK" BLUE RIBBON BOOKS NEW YORK BY COPYRIGHT, 1927, HASCOUBT, BRACE AND COMPANY, INC. Published, May, 1927 Second Printing, June, 1927 Third Printing, July, 1927 Fourth Printing, July, 1927 Fifth Printing, August, 1927 Sixth Printing, October, 1927 Seventh Printing, October, 1927 Eighth Printing, November, 1927 Ninth Printing, November, 1927 Tenth Printing, November, 19-27 Eleventh Printing, December, 1927 Twelfth Printing, December, 19.27 Thirteenth Printing, January, iq^S Fourteenth Printing, January, iqj8 Fifteenth Printing, January, igjS Sixteenth Printing, January, 19^8 Seventeenth Printing, February, iqjS Eighteenth Printing, March, ic>^8 Nineteenth Printing, June, 1928 Twentieth Printing, August, igj8 Twenty-first Printing, December, 1928 Twenty-second Printing, February, IO-JQ Twenty-third Printing, September, iq.-y Twenty-fourth Printing. Febrr:ir\ lujo , Twenty-fifth Printing, June, njjjo Twenty-sixth Printing. Jul>, in30 Twenty-seventh Printing. July, INJO Twenty-eighth Printing. September, 1930 Twenty-ninth Printing, October, 1930 Thirtieth Printing, October, iyju Thirty-first Printing, December, 193 Thirty-second Printing, February, 1931 Thirty-third Printing Mir-K TO*T PUNTED IN THE UNITED STATES OP AMERICA PRINTED BY THE CORNWALL PRESS, INC. CORNWALL. N. T. To THE PEOPLES OF INDIA AND TO THAT INDIAN FIELD LABORER WHO BY AN ACT OF ONCE, HUMANITY, SAVED MY LIFE "This is a sketch of the ordinary course of manners, ad- ministration, and customs, so far as appeared to me to be pos- sible. ... A description cannot be so complete but that some one may say that he has on one occasion seen or learned some- thing contrary to it; and consequently when such chatterers talk, my [readers] will recognize that absolute concordance is of attainment." impossible The Remonstratle of Francisco Pelsaert Being the Con- fidential Report of Francisco Pelsaert, Agent of the Dutch East India Company, stationed in Agra from 1620 to 1627. Lately printed in English, under title of Jahangir*s India. foreword It would be a great pleasure to thank, by name, the many persons, both Indian and English, who have so courteously facilitated my access to information, to records, and to those places and things that I desired to see for myself. But the facts that it was impossible to forecast the conclusions I should reach, and that for these conclusions they are in no way responsible, make it improper to embarrass them now by connecting them therewith. personally For this reason the manuscript of this book has not been submitted to any member of the Government of India, nor to any Briton or Indian connected with of-* ficial life. It has, however, been reviewed by certain health authorities of international eminence who public are familiar with the Indian field. I may, on the other hand, express my deep indebted- ness to my two Miss M. Moyca Newell and friends, Harry Hubert Field, the one for her constant and invaluable the other for a collaboration, helpfulness, both in India and here, beyond either limit or thanks. M. K. BEDFORD HILLS NEW YORK [ix] Table of Contents Pan I CHAPTER PAGI INTRODUCTION: THE BUS TO MANDALAY 3 THE ARGUMENT II I. "SLAVE MENTALITY" ii. 19 MARBLES AND TOPS III. 33 IV. EARLY TO MARRY AND EARLY TO DIE 42 V. SPADES ARE SPADES 51 Part II INTERLUDE: THE GRAND TRUNK ROAD 65 VI. THE EARTHLY GOD 68 VII. WAGES OF SIN 8 1 MOTHER VIII. INDIA 9<3 IX. BEHIND THE VEIL III WOMAN THE X. SPINSTER 123 Part III INTERLUDE: THE BRAHMAN 145 THAN MEN XI. LESS I5O XII. BEHOLD, A LIGHT! 164 XIII. GIVE ME OFFICE OR GIVE ME DEATH 178 WE BOTH MEANT WELL XIV. 189 "WHY xv. is LIGHT DENIED?" 199 XVI. A COUNSEL OF PERFECTION 211 CONTENTS Part IV 5HAPTE* PAGE INTERLUDE: MR. GANDHI 221 XVII. THE SIN OF THE SALVATION ARMY 223 XVIII. THE SACRED COW 235 XIX. THE QUALITY OF MERCY 2$O XX. IN THE HOUSE OF HER FRIENDS 262 XXI. HOME OF STARK WANT 2JO THE REFORMS XXII. 289 XXIII. PRINCES OF INDIA 306 V Part INTERLUDE: INTO THE NORTH 321 XXIV. FIREBRANDS TO STRAW 324 XXV. SONS OF THE PROPHET 339 XXVI. THE HOLY CITY 355 THE WORLD-MENACE XXVII. 366 xxvui. "QUACKS WHOM WE KNOW" 379 XXIX. PSYCHOLOGICAL GLIMPSES THROUGH THE ECONOMIC LENS 389 xxx. CONCLUSION 409 APPENDIX 411 INDEX 425