g these people there
is not, and cannot at present be, a sense of oneness. Until recently their
whole civilization tended to emphasize their divergence, to broaden the
breach between them and to cultivate a perpetual, mutual jealousy and
hatred.

The languages spoken by these people are, according to the census of 1891,
seventy in number.(1) Of these the Sanskrit is the oldest, and may truly
be called the mother tongue of the country. It is one of the most ancient
languages in the world, with a history of more than 3,000 years. It is
strong, pliant, expressive--a worthy vehicle of noble thought and religious
aspiration. Though not spoken today by any tribe or people, it is not a
dead language, for it is the religious tongue of India. The best thought,
the deepest philosophy, the highest religious aspiration, the laws,
customs and legends of the people are treasured in that tongue. All who
would know the religious life and thought of India at its best and in its
sources, should study Sanskrit. From it have sprung many of the languages
of Modern India. In the northern and northwestern parts, the Aryan tongues
find supremacy. Although these languages differ greatly among themselves,
their source and vocabulary is mainly Sanskrit. Of all Indian languages,
the one most widely spoken is the Hindi--88,000,000 people use it as their
mother tongue. Forty-one millions speak Bengali, 18,000,000 speak Punjabi,
19,000,000, Marathi, 11,000,000 speak Gujurathi.

The Dravidian languages of South India are entirely separate from the
Aryan group, their source and character being Turanian. These languages
are Tamil, Telugu, Kanarese and Malayalam. Fifty-three million people
speak these tongues alone.

The inhabitants of India are an ancient people. When thirty centuries ago
our ancestors were grovelling in the lowest depths of primitive savagery,
our fellow-Aryans of India were enjoying a civilization of their own,
which was, in its way, unique and distinguished. Their philosophy shows
testimony to their ancient glory. It may truly be said that their chief
glory is to be found more in ancient than in modern times. It is a people
whose progress has, in some respects, been backward rather than forward,
and whose boast is rightly of what they have been rather than of what they
are.

It is a conservative people. India is a land where custom is deified--the
past is their glory. Today, we are living, they say, in the iron age (Kali
Yuga), i