of Christianity there was not much bigotry in the west, for organized religion was unknown in Europe:  practices might be forbidden as immoral or anti-social but such expressions as contrary to the Bible or Koran had no equivalent.  Old worships were felt to be unsatisfying:  new ones were freely adopted:  mysteries were relished.  There was no invasion, nothing that suggested foreign conquest or alarmed national jealousy, but the way was open to ideas, though they ran some risk of suffering transformation on their long journey.

As I have repeatedly pointed out, Hinduism and Buddhism are essentially religions of central and eastern, not of western Asia, but they came in contact with the west in several regions and an enquiry into the influence which they exercised or felt can be subdivided.  There is the question whether they owe anything to Christianity in their later developments and also the question whether Christianity has borrowed anything from them.[1072] Other questions to be considered are the relations of Indian religions to Zoroastrianism in ancient and to Islam in more recent times, which, if of less general interest than problems involving Christianity, are easier to investigate and of considerable importance.

Let us begin with the influence of Christianity on Indian religion.  For earlier periods the record of contact between Hindus and Christians is fragmentary, but the evidence of the last two centuries may give a significant indication as to the effect of early Christian influence.  In these two centuries Christianity has been presented to the Hindus in the most favourable circumstances:  it has come as the religion of the governing power and associated with European civilization:  it has not, like Mohammedanism, been propagated by force or accompanied by any intolerance which could awaken repugnance, but its doctrines have been preached and expounded by private missionaries, if not always with skill and sympathy, at least with zeal and a desire to persuade.  The result is that according to the census of 1911 there are now 3,876,000 Christians including Europeans, that is to say, a sect a little stronger than the Sikhs as against more than sixty-six million Mohammedans.  Of these 3,876,000 many are drawn from the lowest castes or from tribes that are hardly considered as Hindus.  Some religious associations, generally known as Somaj, have been founded under the influence of European philosophy as much as of Christianity:  imitation of European civilization (which is quite a different thing from Christianity) is visible in the objects and methods of religious and philanthropic institutions:  some curious mixed sects of small numerical strength have been formed by the fusion of Christian with Hindu or Mohammedan elements or of all three together.  Yet the religious thought and customs of India in general seem hardly conscious of contact with Christianity:  there is no sign that they have felt any fancy for the theology