Page:A Short History of Indian Politics.djvu/12

 "We are passing from a period when we created this Empire, almost without knowing it, to a period in which all the latent purposes of oar history have emerged into the full survey of everyday criticism, everyday comment.”— ORIGINS AND DESTINY OF IMPERIAL BRITAiN —J. A. Cramb.

CHAPTER I.

INTRODUCTORY.

SOME time ago in the well-known book “J’accuse,” I read the following passage: “National movements in faot cannot be suppressed. The practical politician must deal with them as facts; and if he hopes to conduct them in thc desired direction he must endeavour, as far as possible, to satisfy their demands which rest on community of race, of language, and often of religion—demands which are thus healthy and justifiable. Therein lies the skill of the English, and the true basis of their colonial greatness.” These words, written by a German, and inspired by observation of recent stirring incidents, are a well- deserved tribute to the success of the colonial policy of Great Britain. Her Indian policy is, in fact, based on the same principles, but has to be adapted to far more complex circumstances; for in this great country she has to deal with not community, but many varieties of race, language, and religion. She has to meet demands of all kinds pressed upon her attention by various sections of an enormous population. These demands differ considerably, but one section has, for the last thirty years, claimed to speak for all the rest. It claims to