Page:History of Indian and Eastern Architecture Vol 2.djvu/549

 CHAP. I. INTRODUCTORY. 449 so strongly developed as under the influence of a powerful and splendid hierarchy. Again, religious and sectarian zeal is often a strong stimulus to sacred architecture, and this is entirely wanting in this remarkable people. Though the Chinese are bigoted to a greater extent than we can well conceive in all political matters, they are more tolerant than any other nation we know of in all that concerns religion. At the present moment three great religious sects divide the empire nearly equally between them. For though Buddhism is the nominal religion of the reigning family, and perhaps numbers more followers than either of the other two, still the followers of the doctrines of Confucius the contemporary and rival of Sakya-Sinha are a more purely Chinese sect than the other, and hold an equal place in public estimation ; while, at the present time, the sect of Lao-tse, or the Doctors of Reason, is more fashionable, and certainly more progressive, than the others. 1 Christianity too, might at one time have encroached largely on either of these, and become a very prevalent religion in this tolerant empire, had the Jesuits and Dominicans under- stood that the condition of religious tolerance here is a total abstinence from interference in political matters. This, how- ever, the Roman Catholic priesthood never could be brought to understand ; hence their expulsion from the realm, and the former proscription of their faith which otherwise would not only have been tolerated like all others, but bid fair to find more extensive favour than any. Such toleration is highly laudable in one point of view ; but the want of fervour and energy from which it arises is fatal to any great exertions for the honour of religion. In the same manner the want of an hereditary nobility, and indeed of any strong family pride, is equally unfavourable to domestic architecture of a durable description. At a man's death his property is generally divided equally among his children. Consequently the wealthiest men do not build residences calculated to last longer than their own lives. The royal palaces are merely somewhat larger and more splendid than those of the mandarins, but the same in character, and erected with the same ends. There is no country where property has hitherto been con- sidered so secure as China. Private feuds and private wars were 1 The population of the Chinese j probably not err greatly on the side of empire is estimated at 400 millions of | under - estimating them, making 200 souls. If we estimate the Buddhists in j millions the total number of followers China at 150 millions of souls and put down 50 millions for the Buddhist population of Tibet, Manchuria, Burma, of this religion in the whole world, or about one-eighth of the human race not the exaggerated numbers at which Siam, Cambodia, and Ceylon, we shall ! they are usually estimated. VOL. II. 2 F