History of Indian and Eastern Architecture v1.c8.s17.1

v1.c8.s17.1

It would add very much to the clearness of what follows if it were possible to compile any statistical tables which would represent with anything like precision the mode in which the people of India are distributed, either as regards their religious beliefs or their ethnographical relations. The late census of 1901 has afforded a mass of material for this purpose, but the information is distributed through some thirty folio volumes, in such a manner as to make it difficult to abstract what is wanted so as to render it intelligible to the general reader. Even, however, if this were done, the result would hardly, for several reasons, be satisfactory. The uneducated masses have hazy ideas even with regard to their religion, and can hardly be expected to know to which of the larger sections of Hindûism their particular sect belongs. Hence, in the tables we are given the enumeration of the members of numerous Hindû sects, but not classified under Saiva, Vaishnava, etc., though these larger groups are the most interesting for us.