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    INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS.

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    THE ROMAN TYPES IN INDIA , The extension of the Roman types in India lias reached a further practical stage in the shape of an article in the Times , a stage of importance in all measures , bat more particularly in reference to this , because it not only makes it known to the great mass of the English public , but brings the public mind of England to bear on the public mind of India , an influence very much

    wanted , for greater conversance with the subject on the part of Indian officials is not necessarily attended with the formation of sound opinions , inasmuch as local prejudices are too often brought to bear against general conclusions , and to warp the judgment . We have already brought the subject forward as one of no mean importance in connexion with the progress of India , because it will smooth the way to the acquisition of western knowledge and facilitate the intercourse of the Indian

    nations . The system of vowels to be adopted is , we consider , of less importance tlian the determination to introduce the Roman type and scrip , for these will adjust themselves . It is certainly desirable that the best system should be adopted at once , but while we wait for the determination of this and the agreement of men ' s minds , the opportunities are being lost of going to work . We would let each Presidency and each jurisdiction adopt its own system of representation if it liked , whether Sir W . Jones ' s , advocated by Sir Charles Trevelyan , or

    Dr . Gilcbrist ' s ; whether Professor Newman s or the system of . following wholly and bodily English spelling . ' We nave already referred to the exposition of the Jones , or Italian" system , advocated in the wellknown papers of Sir C . Trevelyan , Mr . W . Yates , Mr . W . H . Pearce , Mr . J . Thomas , and the Rev . Dr . Duff at Calcutta , in November , 1834 , and which were republished by Longmans in IS 54 t . This system depends chiefly on the adoption of Italian sounds for the vowels , and it has great prospects of success , though it is ill suited for the

    accomplishment of one important purpose , namely , preparing the Hindoo student for reading English . It is one known in India from the time of Sir W . Jones , and adopted by a large section of Indian scholars ; and since its promulgation for the representation of Indian dialects in 1834 , it has made steady progress , being adopted by natives of India , by teachers of Oriental languages in England , and by authors of works relating to the East . It has this recommendation , that it is— -as well expressed by Sir Charles Trevelyan—a simple transliteration into Roman of the Deva Nagari , or Sanscrit alphabet ,

    adding what was wanted to represent the peculiar sounds imported into the Indian languages from the Arabic Professor Newman ' s system is of the same class , but he employed another mode of pointing . Dr . Gilchrist ' s does not depend on any preconceived system , but is the concoction of the learned author , and very difficult to follow out . It has , however , the support of a large section of Indian offioials , trained in his system . This method cannot stand , for it is wearing away under the silent influence of the Trevelyan system , and though it shows a bald front now , it has no vitality in it . The great advantage of the Trevelyan system is that it well represents the Indian dialects and is

    truly a transliteration . This is its stronghold , for it is a great help to the European student of the Indian dialects , and is useful for natives wishing to refer to other Indian dialects . It has naturally received the adhesion of continental scholars because it is conformable to their own pronunciation . Where it fails is that , so far from assisting the native in the study of the English language , it creates a special impediment . The system of spelling for £ ho English language unfortunately ; adopted in the middle ages , in preference to the Flemish system or a modification of the Anglo-Saxon , has plaoed English spoiling in a class by itself . This spelling , however , is a Ijroad fact whioh we must admit , for there is no immediate

    likelihood of England and the u . aaopiin «* any other method . The phonetic type has been consigned to oblivion , and even such a simple amendment as Webster ' s spelling has been little adopted , and is set at defiance by the printers . We have , therefore , two courses in which to work , one to comply with the requirements of the Indian languages , and another to comply with the requirements of the English language . When we consider of how little importance for imparting knowledge are the vernacular languages of Indiawe may be induced to place less stress on

    , their development . Although Persia has a literature , it is now yearly falling more and more into the status of a foreign language , and within a few years it will get out of disuse in India , but further no particular regard need be paid to Persian or Arabic , because neither possesses the literature of progress , nor is the language of large masses of the people . With regard to the vernacular languages , although they are now required to be written for legal purposes , for correspondence , for translations irom TRno-lisli works , and for native newspapers , yet they

    cannot be regarded as of such importance or such permanent interest , that their requirements arc to be preferentially consulted . The result of Indian administrative reform must be to extend the use of the English language for legal purposes , to suppress native -written documents and apparatus for perjury , to conduct the examinations in English , and to create English court records . The best evidence points to these results , and in all new arrangements realised

    for non-regulation districts they are being . For mercantile correspondence English will become of more use , and as the vernacular literature will not supply the demands of the population for knowledge , so English books will be more consulted and native books less . Many of the Indian languages and dialects prevail over small areas , and they will never obtain a competent literature , any more than the Finns , the Erizians , the Welsh , the Irish , the Basques , or any small nationality of Europe .

    Thus everything tends to the increased use of the English language , aud instruction in the vernacular schools must be looked upon , not as opening the whole curriculum of education to the student , but as preparing him for the study of English . The grand end and aim , therefore , should be to facilitate this result , and to make Indian spelling conform as near as possible to English spelling , and not to create a fresh barrier after abolishing the Deya Nagari , the Persian , and the other characters . It is of no importance for Indian purposes , or fo r English purposes , that a Frenchman , a German , or

    value of diacritical points , accents , and other marks as affecting type-founding , composing , and w recting ; because it will be desirable to mark some of the vowels , and necessary to distinguish such consonant sounds as are not " to be fountl in En * . lish , and require new combinations of the Roma n alphabet for their representation . We doubt whether an English man of letters would be the best member of the committee , for he would have literary prepossessions like the Indian member , and we think it far better that a merchant or man of business should be appointed , who can appreciate the inconveniences of a new system of pronunciation and of a special scrip . As the

    Trevelyan method is worked through the missionaries , so the National Reviewer proposes to take advantage of the railway , and that the committee should request every Indian railway board to set up every notice at every station in a . twofold type— 'first iu the Indian , next in the Roman * In Wales , the notices of the Rhyiffordd are set up in English aud Welsh , but the English first ; and very curious specimens of composition arc lihyljfordd notices in Welsh ,- being half-English terms turned into Welsh ; and in Bengalee the like notices will be half English . The reviewer then urges that all Government

    proclamations shall be printed ou the like system ; but as we think it will be far better and simpler to f > rin t the proclamations all 'Roman , without auy ocal type , and in parallel columns of English and the local language , because the Ronian al p habet can be readily taught to adults aud youths who can read , and there would be the greater , encouragement to read the Romanised publications . The Trevelyan method , as announced by " Iiulophilus" in the Times i his week , has been putinavery effective shape by the adoption of a measure for the publication of cheap books in this country in the Roman type . The Bible Society has sagaciously aided in this movement , and is about to produce

    tliirty thousand Roman-Hindostance Testaments at a low price . These the religious public will buy up , and give as presents to every official , emigrant , a , nd private soldier proceeding to India , many of whom will acquire a readier knowledge of Urndostanee , while the greater proportion of the books will , on their arrival in India , be got rid of and dispersed among the natives , aud become a further means of propagating Roman type 11 ns will be a useful step for the introduction ol Roman type and scrip for all regimental orders in corps where Hindostanee is used . Mr . Jarratt has put himself forward as an opponent of " Indophilus , " and present s but a sorry case .

    an Italian can read Uengalese or Uanarese facility , or that a Bengalee or Malabar will have greater facility in acquiring French or German ; these are not objects to be consulted , and arc of no practical use . What has to be done is to facilitate intercommunication between England and ludia , and to make the literature , civilisation , institutions , and commerce of the English race available for India . This is tlio ond to be accomplished , and the acquirement of the Indian languages by Englishmen will be facilitated by any system based upon such principles ; for the English , student will bo facilitated by English spelling rather than by the Trevelyan method .

    With regard to the measures to be adopted for establishing Roman spelling , various propositions have been made . An able writer in the Natioiml Review , whose article on the Zouavo and kindred languages was noticed in the Leader , took occasion , while discussing the application of the . Roman character to Arabio and Kabylo , to make some remarks on its Indian application . Ho very well observes that to adapt systematically a Roman type for extra-European language ? would not only add great facilities to comparative grammar ana ethnological linguistry , but would be of service to us politically in India , religiously in every missionarv station . He nronoses that the Indian

    Government should appoint a committee report on the beat modo of adapting the Roman alphabet to the Indian languages , the committee to consist of one printer , one person acquainted with several Indian languages , and one English inau of letters . His object in naming a printer is , of course , to have a nraotieal iudcrinent on the relative

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    THE NEPAUL QUESTION . It will be seen by the advices subsequently received that we were correct in the view we took of theNepaul question , and that Dariecjing is m no immediate danger , though not without cause lor anxiety . The Sates from I > Campbell , the Superintendent of Darjeeling , to the Government wo to the 25 th of September . It appears thn g ^ fence of that energetic official had not slun be > cd , and that he had established a communication * f » ° T ?«« ,. M «« f , \ , 1 Mnnn . nl . who aSSUMld 111 til Unit IIU ««»

    quiet there , and on the frontier there was no mUiea Son of immediate hostilities . Jung , Bahndooi i J ever building barracks at Slam , m Nopau , about sixty miles from Darjeeling , which , vroprcsume , w " not render Dr . Campbell fess urgent m domniuU b the European reinforcements which it is sun j ¦ Government have determined ou sending to J »» station . If , however , wo arc to protect oui wlc caw in that quarter , wo must not have a loss force U an twoorthrco thousand men . Wo have found go Ghoorkas , in their hills , troublesome customer f As we ' have stated , the alarm of the r ^ Wonls ta Darjeeling is considerable , and they have been y i moans reassured by . an inoidont which 1 as it o y « nnrtrr «^ T > . v namnhcll hns employed on 1 » ° _ ""*

    cantonrncntrabout a thousand Q ^ J ^ HS ? and about the m iddle of September tl JV "jap pearodin a body , in consequence of « j t omj j stoppage of the * usual supplies of ghee , o'i ^ sheep " from Nopaul , and the rumoured orgo o the barraoks there . Those they took as sig »»

    India And Indian Progress.

    INDIA AND INDIAN PROGRESS .

    Untitled Article

    1264 THE LEADER . [ No . 452 , NovembebjQ , I 85 g

• Citation
  • Leader (1850-1860), Nov. 20, 1858, page 1264, in the Nineteenth-Century Serials Edition (2008; 2018) ncse-os.kdl.kcl.ac.uk/periodicals/l/issues/vm2-ncseproduct2269/page/24/