"ملخص للأحداث الرئيسية. ١٩٠٨" [و‎‎٧‎٢] (١٥٦/١٤٨)

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revolution in Turkey. It is also asserted that the Amir is about to follow the
example of the Sultan and grant his people a constitution, an idea very likely
largely due to the fact that he has lately been drawing on Turkey for experts,
military and otherwise. The Amir, indeed, is held up as a possible saviour of
India, which is represented as “looking to him for orders, ” from the tyranny of
foreigners : and the assertion is made that his conduct during his tour in India
has made Hindus as well as Mussulmans anxious to welcome him as their ruler.
Special leaflets have been addressed to the Mussulmans, urging them to unite
with the Hindus, and newspaper articles have appeared detailing the various
occasions when Europe, with England always as instigator, has shown itself
antagonistic to Islam. There is a certain small body of Mussulmans, chief
among whom is Haidar Eaza of Delhi, who preach unity with the Hindus, .and
who seem to desire an outbreak, perhaps in the hope that in the wreckage
following a successful revolution the Mussulmans might come to the top.
18. Deports have been received asserting that Singh Sabhas are largely Propaganda
used as a cloak for anti-British propaganda among the Sikhs but. so far, enquiry 10 41
has not substantiated this statement : the special attempts which are undoubt
edly being made to subvert the loyalty of the Sikhs as a class appear to come
entirely from outside. The efforts of the Arya Samaj in this direction have
already been alluded to, and a strong campaign to the same end in the vernacu*
lar papers has been noticeable. The Yugantar published a particularly
objectionable article on the Sikh "War, urging the descendants of “ the victors
of Chillianwala ” again “ to hunt the English from jungle to jungle like jackals
and dogs/’ as their forefathers had done. Eor this article the paper was prosecuted.
What is known as the “ Rawalpindi rape case ” in which a European was charged
with raping a Sikh woman, who was afterwards falsely asserted to have com
mitted suicide, was m:ule great use of in the native press: the Circular of
Freedom, a vernacular paper published in San Erancisco, contained the
translation of an article from the Yugantar into Gurmukhi which, being
printed as a separate page while all the rest of the paper was in Urdu, was
unmistakeahly intended for circulation as a leaflet among the Sikhs. The
highly seditious pamphlet “ 0 Martyrs’* was sent to the students of the Khalsa
College : Guru Nanak was asserted to have been reincarnated in Amritsar : a
hook of Sikh prophecies, ascribed to Gum Gobind Singh, was printed and cir
culated—some copies being said to have come into the hands of Sikh soldiers—
in which the future greatness of the Sikhs and the downfall of the English
are foretold.
among
19. Prophecies of the end of British rule have been frequent—an insidious Prophecies,
form of appeal to a superstitious people. In most of these, it is the Sikhs who
are described as the successors of the British, whose rule is said to be only
temporary. The limit given to the endurance of the British Baj varies from 2
to 10 years, and it is asserted that as British rule in India began on a Sunday
and the Mutiny broke out on a Sunday, so it will end on a Sunday. Predic*
tions have also been nuearthed from the “History of Arakan ” stating that
“pieces of metal with sharp edges, though not of real copper, will be issued as l ather coins,
coins, and that rupees made of leather will be used,’* The nickel one-anna
piece is pointed to as the fulfilment of the first half of this prophecy, and there
have been many rumours of the imminence of the second. In Indore, native
hankers actually went to the Treasury to find out if it was true that a consign
ment of leather rupees had been received there. These coins will be made, it
is said, of the hide of pigs, cows and dogs, and will thus destroy the religion of
both Hindus and Mussulmans. Taken in conjunction with the campaign
against foreign sugar and salt, which are said to be refined with cows* and pigs 5 icase car rl(ge8 ‘
blood, it cannot be doubted but that au attempt is being made to get up
a religious cry on the same lines as that of the “ greased cartridges at the time
of the Mutiny.
20. The Hindu religion is certainly being used as a political lever. Temple Hindu religion as
lectures are everywhere given and hymns sung, the trend of which is anti- »political lever.
British : Gaoraksha (anti-kine-killing) societies are made a common platform
on which men of all shades of political opinion may meet: the “ Gita is held