[Sidenote:  Their lack of education.]

The inferior position still assigned to women in Indian society can best be shown in figures.  The indifference to their education is manifest when for all India, rich and poor, European and native, in 1901, there were fourteen times as many men as women who could read and write.  Only one female in 144 was educated to that extent, and the movement for female education has practically been at a stand-still for some years, in spite of the increase of native Christians, Brahmas, and [=A]ryas, who all advocate the education of girls, and in spite of fostering by Governments and missionaries.  Taking British India by itself, there was a higher proportion of educated females, as we should of course expect, although that only makes the proportion less elsewhere.  In British India, about 1 in 100 [9 per 1000] could read and write; but even there, less than 1 per cent.  The quickening of ideas in cities is apparent.  In the cities there are proportionally more than twice as many educated females as in the whole country.

[Sidenote:  Premature marriage.]

The injustice done to the sex by marriage before womanhood is apparent from another paragraph of the same Report, showing that out of every 1000 girls of the age of 10 or under, 58 are already married, as against 22 boys.  Taking Hindus alone, the number of married girls of 10 years of age or under is 70 per 1000 as against 28 married boys.  Even allowing for those provinces where cohabitation is delayed, these figures mean in other provinces a cruel wrong to the children of the weaker sex, a doubly cruel wrong when to premature marriage may be added girl widowhood.  The Census Report declares that in the lower strata of Hindu society there has been a rapid extension of child marriage and prohibition of the marriage of widows within the last two or three generations, although at the low age of 10, fewer girls are reported married than in 1881.[25] That is to say, the bad example of the higher castes is lowering the marriage age in the humble castes, while modern influences are diminishing the number of marriages of mere children,—­we can see both forces in operation.  Here again Indian Christians, Br[=a]hmas, and [=A]ryas are at one in setting a better example and advocating reform.  The educative Act of 1891 for British India has also been noted above.  Native States too are following up.  In Rajputana, through the influence of the Agent of the Governor-General, Colonel Walter, an association was formed in 1888 which fixed the marriage age for two of the chief castes at eighteen for the bridegroom and fourteen for the bride.  In the Native State of Baroda, in the extreme West of India, a new Marriage Act has just been passed by the enlightened ruler [1904].  In Baroda, except in special cases, the minimum marriage age of girls is henceforward to be twelve, and of the bridegrooms sixteen.  Exceptional cases had to be provided for, because of the custom