Page:History of Bengali Language and Literature.djvu/977

 VII. ] BENGALI LANGUAGE & LITERATURE. 931 Bengal >; These rules” wrote another English re- viewer in the middle of the rgth century “ have been chanted for 150 years in 40,000 schools. Thus the Hindus took the lead in a practice which have been since introduced into our infant schools.” In the May-Ganita printed at Criramapore in 1817, the author, Mr. May, says of the Cubhankari Aryyas in his preface to the book :—‘‘ It is remarkable that many coincidences may be traced between them and the most improved kind of arithmetical tables adopted in the schools in Britain on the new model.” IV (a) Decadance of the high spiritual ideal in Hindu Society, and the advent of Raja Rama Mohana Roy. When Buddhism had sunk into depraved Tantrik rites, sophistry and atheism, the Hindu Society awaited but a touch from outside for blossoming into that living faith which is so pre- eminently observed in the lives of Chaitanya and Nanaka. The Renaissance brought about by the great Cankara required only a touch with the faith of Islam to develop the creed of faith into the creed of love, which in the 16th century showed itself in the glories of renunciation and the spiri- tual ecstasies of so many ardent souls. Similarly also when towards the end of the 18th century, the religion of the Hindus was more or less reduced to superstitious practices, and empty ceremonies, and ritual, Hindu society required only a touch from outside to be restored to a realisation of high spiritual truths. The Christian Missionaries awakened the spirit of research into religious truth A touch from out- side.