SUTTEE.

Suttee is the name given to the act of a woman immolating herself upon the funeral pile with the body of her deceased husband. This practice was of very early origin. It is mentioned in the Vedas and other sacred books.* If not positively commanded, it is yet strongly recommended. The highest rewards are promised to those who thus sacrifice themselves, and their sacred history contains examples which exhibit it as the highest virtue. Krishna is believed to be the most complete incarnation of Vishnu, and they worship him more than all the other incarnations. And of Krishna's numerous wives, eight burnt themselves upon the funeral pile.

Thus recommended it is not strange that Suttees should be frequent among a people who practise polygamy, and where widowhood is a state of disgrace; and it is not strange that no

*The Rig Veda says:— "O fire, let the women with bodies anointed with butter, eyes covered with collyrium, and void of tears, enter thee, that they may not be separated from their husbands, but may be in union with excellent husbands, and be sinless, and jewels among women." The following are extracts from other sacred books, and writers of high authority :— "The woman who ascends the funeral pile with her husband will remain as many years with him in heaven as there are hairs on the human body.-The woman who expires on the funeral pile with her husband, purifies the family of her father, her mother, and her husband. Should the husband have been guilty of killing a brahmin, or of murdering his friend, his widow by burning herself with him, purifies him from sin. There is no virtue greater than a virtuous woman's burning herself with her husband. -No greater duty is known for a virtuous woman than to burn herself with the body of her deceased husband. — As long as a woman in her successive transmigrations shall decline burning herself like a faithful wife in the same fire with her deceased lord, so long shall she not be exempted from springing again into life in the body of some female animal. It is proper for a woman, after her husband's death, to burn herself in the fire with his corpse; and every woman who thus burns herself shall remain in paradise with her husband three croses and fifty lacs (35,000,000) of years. If the wife be within one day's journey of the place where the husband died, and intimate her wish to burn with him, the burning of his corpse shall be delayed till her arrival. If the husband be out of the country when he dies, let the virtuous wife take his slippers, or any thing else which belongs to his dress, and binding them upon her breast, enter a separate fire." Numerous passages like these might be given.

Hindu government ever interfered, so far as is known, to prevent it. Indeed, so far from this, the practice was chiefly among kings, princes, brahmins, and the wealthy. The emperor Acber made a law forbidding this practice in the 15th century. I am not certain whether any other Mohammedan emperors or princes ever interfered with it. The rite appears to have been practised more or less in all parts of India, when they became known to Europeans. The practice was more frequent in Bengal and the districts on the Ganges, than in other parts of the country. No records of such acts were ever preserved by any Hindu or Mohammedan government, nor do any native authors contain any estimate of the number who thus immolated themselves. Dr. Carey appears to have been the first who made efforts to ascertain the extent of this practice in Bengal, and he found that the number of widows who perished in this way, within 30 miles of Calcutta, in 1803, was 438. In 1817 the number of cases officially reported to the magistrate in Bengal, was 706. In 1818 the number was 839, thus making 1,545 in 2 years. The number which took place in Bengal from 1815–1826, or for 12 years, as officially reported to the English magistrates, was 7,154. This number includes only those which took place in Bengal. There was no means of ascertaining the whole number of cases in the country. Mr. W. Ward estimated them at 3,000 annually.

The first interference of the English government with this practice was in 1813, when a law was enacted, forbidding its taking place without the consent of the local magistrate, who was required to ascertain whether it was entirely voluntary on the part of the woman, and that no improper means had been used to induce her to decide on such an act. If the magistrate on inquiry became satisfied that the purpose was voluntarily formed, and that no improper means had been used to persuade or induce her to make such a choice, he was then to give his consent. If any Suttee took place without the consent of the magistrate, those who assisted in it were punishable, and no woman could burn herself with the prescribed formalities and ceremonies without the aid of brahmins to assist her and perform some of the ceremonies for her. Such continued to be the law and practice for 16 years. Probably this law did not much,

if any, diminish the number of Suttees, while it gave the consent and apparent approbation of the government to every one that did take place in territories where this law was in force.

It

In 1829, Lord William Bentinck, then governor-general of India, enacted a law declaring all assistance, aid, or participation in any act of Suttee, to be murder, and punishable as such. This law was at first applicable only to Bengal, but it was soon extended over all the territories subject to the East India Company. And from that time as often as new treaties were made or old treaties renewed with any of the native princes, the English governors and agents have endeavored to make the abolition of Suttees one of the articles and conditions of such treaties. has been found much easier to carry this principle into effect in their regulations, arrangements and agreements, with the native princes than was expected. Thus this horrid practice, after continuing for more than 3,000 years, has ceased in nearly if not quite all India. Still watchfulness is required in many places to prevent it. Only a fear of punishment deters many from encouraging it, and the practice would soon be revived again in many places, if the native princes, the brahmins, and others of high caste, were not fearful of the consequences of violating the treaties and laws which forbid it.

The first interference of the English government with Suttee by the law of 1813, did not excite much attention among the native population. But it was far otherwise with the law of 1829. This law soon excited feelings of strong opposition. Happily the native community in Calcutta were divided upon the subject. The celebrated Ram Mohun Roy and some others were in favor of abolishing Suttees, and used their influence to support the measures of the government. But the great body of the brahmins and other castes clamored against it, as an interference with their religion. They called public meetings, appealed to their countrymen in their journals, and subscribing a large sum of money they sent an agent to England to procure the repeal of the law. But their efforts were unavailing, and the excitement soon passed away.

The rite or practice of Suttee is one of the darkest features of the Hindu religion. It probably commenced as early as the origin of the Vedas, that is 14 or 15 centuries before the Chris

tian era, and continued till stopped in the manner already mentioned a few years ago, thus continuing through a period of more than 3,000 years. Such a practice must be shocking in any country, but some customs in India made it peculiarly so there. One of these customs is the early age at which females are generally married, often when they are not more than 7 or 8 years old, and among the brahmins it must be before they are 11 years old, though they do not live with their husbands till they arrive at a state of puberty. Many of these married girls become widows before they arrive at adult age, and among the Suttees were many such girls and young women. The custom of polygamy also often made this custom of Suttee peculiarly shocking. At the death of a prince, or a kuleen brahmin, or a wealthy man who had many wives, several of them were often burned with his dead body. Instances are recorded of 5, 10, 15, 25, and even more, who thus sacrificed themselves. It is said of Krishna, the most celebrated and the most worshipped of all the incarnations of Vishnu, that 8 of his wives immolated themselves upon his funeral pile. What an example did this supposed deity and his family present! The scenes which such funerals as have often occurred since the present century commenced, and as some people yet living have seen, must have been shocking beyond description. And such sacrifices are highly commended, if not positively commanded in the sacred books of the Hindus, and they are declared to be the holiest and most meritorious deeds that can be performed.

SUICIDE, MURDER, AND HUMAN SACRIFICES.

Brahminism, in its polytheism and mythology, its gods, goddesses, and demons, furnishes a warrant and example for every kind of enormity, iniquity, and fanaticism. Some of the cruel and unnatural usages of the Hindus originated in their religion, and some which originated in depravity, through the influence of superstition, soon assumed a religious character. Other usages originated in pride, lust, and avarice; yet men will always as far as possible conceal the true nature of their vices, and cause their iniquity to assume the appearance of piety. And unhappily some of the Hindu deities are of such a character that men

may commit almost every kind of wickedness, and in this very conduct refer to the example and claim the protection of some of these deities.

Among the sacred places in the eastern part of India is Saugor, which is near the mouth of the Ganges. The people of that district were in the habit of making vows in times of sickness and distress to devote a child or children to some deity, and these vows were fulfilled by placing the children on the shore, or throwing them into the water, where they were soon devoured by crocodiles and sharks. At times of pilgrimage to Saugor these murders were frequent, and 23 such cases were perpetrated there in one month in 1801. The cases amounted to 39 in the course of the year. The next year the Marquis of Wellesley, then governor-general, passed a law "declaring this practice to be murder punishable with death." The law was promulgated, and a police force was stationed on the place. This measure entirely prevented the practice, and in a few years the people showed no desire to continue it. Dr. Buchanan, who was then living in Bengal, says: "It is impossible to calculate the number of human lives which have been saved by this humane law of Marquis Wellesley."

The Hindus were accustomed to commit suicide in their sacred places in the belief that having removed their sins by performing rites and ceremonies, if they should die there and at that time, they would attain to higher happiness than if they should live longer and then die in some other place. Allahabad was one of these sacred places. An English officer saw 16 women drown themselves there at once, and Dr. B. saw 12 men drown themselves in a similar manner in one day.* To effect this selfdestruction in the prescribed way it was necessary to have brahmins to perform the required rites and ceremonies, and also to have the aid of men with boats in order to reach the particular place in the river, where the act of drowning was so meritorious. These shocking practices were suppressed by making it a crime

* "Each woman had her brahmin who accompanied her in a boat to the holy place in the river. A large earthen vessel was then slung over each shoulder; she descended over the side of the boat into the water, and was held up by the brahmin till she had filled the vessels from the river, when he let go his hold and she sunk to the bottom."