DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.68024#0340
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3. Though they have made great progress of late years in material riches, the Muham-
madans are excluded from Government employment. In this district I have 1,015,000 Mu-
hammadans to 949,000 Hindus by the last census, yet out of 128 ministerial officers employed
directly under me, only seven are Muhammadans. In the Civil Police force, out of 75 officers
above the rank of constables, only 16 are Mussalmans. Out of 22 gazetted officers serving
to-day in this district under me, only 3 are Mussalmans, while 14 are Hindus. The balance
are Christians. Out of 10 gazetted officers serving under the Judge, one only (acting tempo-
rarily) is a Muhammadan : out of 76 ministerial officers serving under the Judge, only 10 are
Mussalmans.
4. I have made careful search, and have not found that any grants for educational uses
only were resumed in the resumption proceedings of 1828 to 1848. No Muhammadan gentle-
man of the district has been able to refer me to one. I have found two cases which no doubt
included educational among other uses. They are-
No. 284.—For the expense of the students of the Madrasa and of travellers and of the
khdnkah (a boarding-house for persons who devote themselves to study and
prayers).
No. 285.—As an allowance and a help towards the maintenance of the said Mufti
Muhammad Asim, and for the expenses of the Madrasa.
No. 284 has been assessed at R85 and No. 285 at R273. Many grants were resumed
which supported indirectly “ the educational system of the Muhammadans.” As the Chief
Commissionei- knows, to each masjid, and often to the houses of the richer Muhammadans, is
attached a school in which boys are taught the Arabic alphabet, and to read (but not to under-
stand) the Koran. Many of such schools exist. My last return gives 303, but this is only a
return of such schools as are known. I do not think that more schools would have existed if
the resumption proceedings had not taken place. The argument, however, that a mere rote
knowledge of the Koran qualifies for Government service, that facilities for acquiring this
knowledge having been reduced fewer Muhammadans now qualify for Government service-than
in former years, is a very weak one.
5. The Muhammadans of this district do not complain that the law is badly administered-
They of course would, if they had the power, bring Hindus, Christians, and others under their
own law; but in so far as the law of the land recognises Muhammadan law, so far I have heard
no complaints that it is badly administered.
6. The Muhammadans and Hindus of my district are indistinguishable in point of race,
When the Muhammadans conquered the country, some 600 years ago, the more thoroughly
Hinduised part of the population, which was also the richer, perhaps we may say superior, part,
stuck to Hinduism. The less thoroughly Hinduised part, perhaps the part which was not
Hinduised at all (for how far that mysterious force, Hinduism, had enveloped this districts
circa 1300 A. D., it is now difficult to say), accepted Muhammadanism. Since that age the
district has risen in the ordinary course of alluvial development, cultivation and population has
increased. As far as I can make out, materially the Muhammadans and Hindus have made
about equal progress : morally and mentally the Muhammadan has fallen further and further
behind.
7. Though the Hindus and Muhammadans of my district are of the same race, there is
a very remarkable difference in their employment. What we call the middle class, so far as it
exists at all here, is mainly Hindu. The Mussalmans are landowners and cultivators,
and to some extent traders and shop-keepers. But the bulk of the traders and shop-keepers
are Hindus.
8. Though the Hindus and Muhammadans are of the same race, 31,621 Hindus are
returned able to read and write against 10,426 Muhammadans,
rhese figures do not include females. j23099 Hindu children are returned sander education
against 5,916 Muhammadan. That is, in reading and writing, allowing for the difference in
the total population, the Hindu is -to the Muhammadan as 3 to 1, in schooling as 2 to 1.
And this is not all: of the Muhammadans who read and write, some read and write languages
other than their mother tongue. Of the Muhammadans at school, many are “ under the edu-
cational system of the Muhammadans,” as above described, which may be conveniently ex-
pressed by zero.
9. Not only do the Hindus monopolise Government employment: the few appointments
which are now held by Muhammadans are held more or less on sufferance. My principal
Muhammadan subordinate, Moulvi Hamid Bakht Mazumdar, Extra Assistant Commissioner,
was appointed because he was a Muhammadan, without reference to his efficiency. Though
he is in many ways useful, I suppose he would not himself suggest that he is efficient. The
Muhammadan gentleman now acting as a Munsif is an unsuccessful pleader, and is thought to
have a ■‘bee in his bonnet.” He would not have been appointed had he not been a Mussulman.
3. Though they have made great progress of late years in material riches, the Muham-
madans are excluded from Government employment. In this district I have 1,015,000 Mu-
hammadans to 949,000 Hindus by the last census, yet out of 128 ministerial officers employed
directly under me, only seven are Muhammadans. In the Civil Police force, out of 75 officers
above the rank of constables, only 16 are Mussalmans. Out of 22 gazetted officers serving
to-day in this district under me, only 3 are Mussalmans, while 14 are Hindus. The balance
are Christians. Out of 10 gazetted officers serving under the Judge, one only (acting tempo-
rarily) is a Muhammadan : out of 76 ministerial officers serving under the Judge, only 10 are
Mussalmans.
4. I have made careful search, and have not found that any grants for educational uses
only were resumed in the resumption proceedings of 1828 to 1848. No Muhammadan gentle-
man of the district has been able to refer me to one. I have found two cases which no doubt
included educational among other uses. They are-
No. 284.—For the expense of the students of the Madrasa and of travellers and of the
khdnkah (a boarding-house for persons who devote themselves to study and
prayers).
No. 285.—As an allowance and a help towards the maintenance of the said Mufti
Muhammad Asim, and for the expenses of the Madrasa.
No. 284 has been assessed at R85 and No. 285 at R273. Many grants were resumed
which supported indirectly “ the educational system of the Muhammadans.” As the Chief
Commissionei- knows, to each masjid, and often to the houses of the richer Muhammadans, is
attached a school in which boys are taught the Arabic alphabet, and to read (but not to under-
stand) the Koran. Many of such schools exist. My last return gives 303, but this is only a
return of such schools as are known. I do not think that more schools would have existed if
the resumption proceedings had not taken place. The argument, however, that a mere rote
knowledge of the Koran qualifies for Government service, that facilities for acquiring this
knowledge having been reduced fewer Muhammadans now qualify for Government service-than
in former years, is a very weak one.
5. The Muhammadans of this district do not complain that the law is badly administered-
They of course would, if they had the power, bring Hindus, Christians, and others under their
own law; but in so far as the law of the land recognises Muhammadan law, so far I have heard
no complaints that it is badly administered.
6. The Muhammadans and Hindus of my district are indistinguishable in point of race,
When the Muhammadans conquered the country, some 600 years ago, the more thoroughly
Hinduised part of the population, which was also the richer, perhaps we may say superior, part,
stuck to Hinduism. The less thoroughly Hinduised part, perhaps the part which was not
Hinduised at all (for how far that mysterious force, Hinduism, had enveloped this districts
circa 1300 A. D., it is now difficult to say), accepted Muhammadanism. Since that age the
district has risen in the ordinary course of alluvial development, cultivation and population has
increased. As far as I can make out, materially the Muhammadans and Hindus have made
about equal progress : morally and mentally the Muhammadan has fallen further and further
behind.
7. Though the Hindus and Muhammadans of my district are of the same race, there is
a very remarkable difference in their employment. What we call the middle class, so far as it
exists at all here, is mainly Hindu. The Mussalmans are landowners and cultivators,
and to some extent traders and shop-keepers. But the bulk of the traders and shop-keepers
are Hindus.
8. Though the Hindus and Muhammadans are of the same race, 31,621 Hindus are
returned able to read and write against 10,426 Muhammadans,
rhese figures do not include females. j23099 Hindu children are returned sander education
against 5,916 Muhammadan. That is, in reading and writing, allowing for the difference in
the total population, the Hindu is -to the Muhammadan as 3 to 1, in schooling as 2 to 1.
And this is not all: of the Muhammadans who read and write, some read and write languages
other than their mother tongue. Of the Muhammadans at school, many are “ under the edu-
cational system of the Muhammadans,” as above described, which may be conveniently ex-
pressed by zero.
9. Not only do the Hindus monopolise Government employment: the few appointments
which are now held by Muhammadans are held more or less on sufferance. My principal
Muhammadan subordinate, Moulvi Hamid Bakht Mazumdar, Extra Assistant Commissioner,
was appointed because he was a Muhammadan, without reference to his efficiency. Though
he is in many ways useful, I suppose he would not himself suggest that he is efficient. The
Muhammadan gentleman now acting as a Munsif is an unsuccessful pleader, and is thought to
have a ■‘bee in his bonnet.” He would not have been appointed had he not been a Mussulman.