The objects of the Society as laid down by its promoters are “to train national missionaries for the service of India and to promote by all constitutional means the true interests of the Indian people.”  Its members “frankly accept the British connexion as ordained, in the inscrutable dispensation of Providence, for India’s good,” and they recognize that “self-government within the Empire and a higher life generally for their countrymen” constitute a goal which “cannot be attained without years of earnest and patient effort and sacrifices worthy of the cause.”  As to its immediate functions, “much of the work,” it is stated, “must be directed towards building up in the country a higher type of character and capacity than is generally available at present,” and to this end the Society “will train men prepared to devote their lives to the cause of the country in a religious spirit.”  The constitution of the Society recalls in fact that of some of the great religious societies of Christendom, and not least that of the Jesuits, though with this cardinal difference, that it is essentially non-sectarian and substitutes as its ideal the service of India for the service of God, much in the same way as the Japanese have to a large extent merged their religious creeds in an idealized cult of Japan.

Every “Servant of India” takes at the time of admission into the society the following seven vows;—­

   (a) That the country will always be first in his thoughts,
   and that he will give to her service the best that is in him.

   (b) That in serving the country he will seek no personal
   advantage for himself.

   (c) That he will regard all Indians as brothers and will
   work for the advancement of all, without distinction of caste
   or creed.

(d) That he will be content with such provision for himself and his family, if any, as the society may be able to make, and will devote no part of his energies to earning money for himself.

   (e) That he will lead a pure personal life.

   (f) That he will engage in no personal quarrel with any one.

(g) That he will always keep in view the aims of the society and watch over its interests with the utmost zeal, doing all he can to advance its work and never doing anything inconsistent with its objects.

The head of the society, called the First Member—­who is Mr. Gokhale—­is to hold office for life, and its affairs are to be conducted in accordance with by-laws framed for the purpose by the First Member, who will be assisted by a council of three, one of whom will be his own nominee, whilst two will be elected by the ordinary members.  The powers assigned to the First Member are very extensive and include that of recommending the names of three ordinary members, one of whom, when the time comes, shall be chosen to succeed him.  His authority is, in fact, the dominant one, whether over the probationers under training