Synopsis Main objective of this book is to interpret India’s social and religious life in the 19 century Indian (Hindus, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains and Sikhs) to the English public. It also throws light upon the habits and mental peculiarities of the Indian people. Hinduism, with its enormous and varied following, its heterogeneous structure and its fascinating remoteness from European feeling and sentiment, afforded the largest choice of subjects and occupies the major portion of this volume. Islam, which, as regards numbers, ranks next amongst the religions of India, has also a place in the book; being represented—no doubt very inadequately—by two papers ("Muharram" and "Faquirs") intended to bring into view some of the more salient features of that great Semitic cult so nearly allied to Judaism.