Eminent Indians on Indian Politics: With Sketches of Their Lives, Portraits ...

PREFACE.

The encouraging reception given a few years ago by many of my educated countrymen to the publication by me Mr. Dadabhai Naoroji's writings and speeches, suggested to me the idea which has led to the present publication. It struck me that I should be supplying a much-felt want by placing before my countrymen, within convenient reach, some particulars of the lives of those of our public men who have come to be regarded as representative Natives, and also a few of their select speeches on political subjects.

In these days, when public interest in the political condition of the country is daily growing, and when institutions like the Indian National Congress and Provincial Conferences have come not only to occupy a large share of the public attention, but also to receive a large measure of public support and sympathy, it is hardly necessary to remind the reader that the growing political spirit of the country and what it has achieved, however little, are due in a great measure to the example and exertions of those among us, who have worked to advance the political interests of their countrymen. Such men, it may be said without exaggeration, are naturally regarded as the leaders of our thought and activities; and naturally also the number of those who would like to know something about these leaders has also increased, and is increasing with the advance of knowledge and enlightenment.

Most of us know no doubt who our public men are; we read their names and their speeches in the newspapers; we hear them talked about and admired in connection with our public movements; but this is hardly enough. Speeches now-a-days are no sooner made than they are forgotten, and even what we know of the men whom we regard as men of light and leading in public matters is often of the vaguest kind. For one thing, the

example of such men is worthy of imitation and ought to inspire the rising generation of our educated youth, to whom the country looks for the promotion of its welfare; and for another thing, reverence for those who devote their time and talents to the public, making the good of their countrymen the guiding principle and animating soul of their lives, is best encouraged as it deserves to be by a knowledge of those facts of their lives which have made them what they are-truly great and nobly good.

Inspired by these feelings, which I know I share in common with many of my countrymen, I put my hands to this venture. I cannot indeed say that I have succeeded in doing all that should be done to make a publication of this kind instructive and interesting; but I flatter myself with the hope that my countrymen will appreciate my attempt such as it is.

I have selected the names of most of those who are regarded as our political leaders, and if I have omitted any name that should have been included in my list, the omission is not by any means intentional, but is due to the fact that I could get no particulars of their lives in spite of all my endeavours to obtain them.

My thanks are due to the B. E. S. Press for the neat way in which they have printed this book, also for the plates which were specially engraved for this work, and which would do credit to any press in England.

Bombay, Ramwady.

C. L. PAREKH.