Page:An Essay On Hinduism.pdf/70

 the slaughter of kine. The Jew and the Parsi women i adopted the dress of Hindu women. Both the Jews and Parsis used to make vows before the Hindu gods, and would even help to build Hindu temples. Parsis had even translated their scriptures into Sanskrit.

If the distance between a Hindu and non-Hindu is not different in kind from the difference between two Hindu castes, why then should not the Hindus who become Christians be called Hindus, and Christianity and Mohamedanism Hindu sects? It is only because Christians and Mohamedans do not call themselves Hindus. A question may be asked, What, then, is the test by which a person can judge whether any particular sect or caste is Hindu or not ? Does it depend entirely on the desire of the sect ? Validity of claim to Hinduism to a great extent depends on the choice of the sect or tribe itself.

As the word "Hindu" is swinging between the social conception and religious or doctrinal conception, a person may make a narrow definition of Hindu and may exclude his sect or may make a broad definition and may include his sect, as he pleases. So a sect may class itself as a Hindu or non-Hindu according as it may or may not suit its policy, fancy, or prejudice. The little communities are time servers. Brahmos very often are heard contrasting themselves with Hindus, for social and political reasons, and very often to enable themselves to curse the “Hindu religion" and "Hindu superstition,” so that they may have a chance of flattering their masters, the British Government, and the Englishmen in India. Very often Sikhs are classed as outside Hindus, specially by Englishmen, and some