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THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY.
[MARCH, 1873.
Accordingly there is already a deposit of more than Rs. 3,000 in the local treasury, and nothing more is required but a definitive order that this sum, and what shall hereafter accrue, shall be devoted, under
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Government'supervision, to the restoration, until such time as it is thoroughly completed."
The Lieutenant-Governor has promised to act upon this suggestion.
REVIEW ESSAYS ON EASTERN QUESTIONS, by WM. GIFFORD one devoted to the Mahometan Revival (Fraser,
PALGRAVE, Author of "Central and Eastern Arabia." February 1872), which was written on the perusal of (London, Macmillan & Co. 1872.)
Hunter's Our Indian Mussalmans, to which it forms THIS handsome volume of Essays is very appro
a sort of supplement. "Its object is to show calmpriately dedicated to the Earl of Derby, "whose ly, and without sensational exaggeration, how wideguidance of England's foreign policy has been spread and deep-rooted is the present revival of always marked by & statesmanlike insight into Islam, particularly in that part of the world which character and race." There are ten Essays here may be looked upon as its stronghold, the Asian reprinted :-Three on "Mahometanism in the Turkish Empire. Hence it is natural to infer Levant" from Fraser; from the same periodical
with what caution and steadiness of statesmanship there are other three, entitled “The Mahometan
we should deport ourselves towards such maniRevival," "The Monastery of Sumelas," and "The
festations of it as arise within the circle of our Poet 'Omar;" two from the Cornhill, called "The
own dominion; though I have purposely abstained Turkomans and other Tribes of the North-East froin specialized conclusions." To quote briefly – So Turkish Frontier," and "The Abkhasian Insurrec- strong, indeed, is the bond of union supplied by the tion ;" one from the Quarterly on "Eastern Chris- very name of Islam, even where that name covers the tians ;" and one from Macmillan on "The Brigand most divergent principles and beliefs,that,in presence Ta'abbet Shurran."
of the 'infidel,' the deep clefts which divide Soonnee "To expect," says the author, " that the collec- and Sheeah are for a time and purpose obliterated; tion of a few Essays and their republication
and the most heretical sects become awhile amalgacan have any material effect towards removing
mated with the most uncompromisingly orthodox, erroneous ideas, or substituting exacter ones, about
who in another cause would naturally reject and the Mahometan East of our own times, would be
disavow them. Very curious in this respect is the presumptuous indeed. Yet even these writings
evidence afforded by Mr. Hunter, nowhere more so may in a measure contribute to so desirable a result;
than in the light he throws, almost unconsciously
it would seein, on the true character of the sofor correct appreciations are, like incorrect ones,
called Wahhabee movement, spreading from the formed not at once, but little by little. . . . These
rebel camp of Sittana to Lower Bengal, and reconEssays, taken together, form a sketch mostly out
centrating itself in the centres of Maldah, and at line, part filled in, of the living East, as included
Patna in particular. Here we have the most within the Asiatic limits of the Ottoman Empire.
simple and rigid form that Islam has ever assumed, Now, as for centuries past, the central figure of
namely, the puritanical Unitarianism of the that picture is Islam, based on the energies of Arabia
Nejdean Wahhabee, combined with all that the and the institutions of Mahomet, propped up by the
Nejdean Wahhabee, as such, would most condemnmemories of Chaliphs and the power of Sultans,
I mean, the superstitious belief in a coming Mahdee,' and though somewhat disguised by the later in
the idea of personal and, so to speak, corporeal virtue crustations of Turarian superstition, still retaining and holy efficacy in the 'Imam' of the day, and lastly, the chief lineaments, and not little of the stability
with the organised practice of private assassination, and strength, of its former days. Round it cluster
a practice long held for distinctive of the free-thinkthe motley phantoms of Eastern Christianity, in
ing Isma'eleeyeh and their kindred sects among the digenous or adventitious ; and by its side rises the Rafidee heretics. ... Islam is even now an enormous threatening Russian colossus, with its triple aspect power, full of self-sustaining vitality, with a eurplus of Byzantine bigotry, western centralization, and
for aggression, and a struggle with its combined eastern despotism. This group, in its whole and
energies would be deadly indeed. Yet we, at any in some of its details, I have at different times rate, have no need for nervous alarm, nor will its endeavoured to delineate; and if the pencil be an quarrel, even partially, be with us and our Empire, unskilful one, its tracings, so far as they go, have so long as we are constantly faithful to the practical the recommendation, not perhaps of artistic grace- wisdom of our predecessors, that best of legacies fulness, but at least of realistic truth."
bequeathed to us by the old East India Company." Mr. Palgrave has an uncommon knowledge of Speaking of Indian legal difficulties--"Where the religious and social manifestations of Muhamma- plaintiff and defendant, testator and legatee, are danism in India, Arabia, Egypt, and Turkey. Per- alike Muslims, let matters be between them in haps the most instructive of all these Essays is the la court cognizant of Muslim civil law, and re
