Part 1

SEVEN LECTURES

ON THE

UNITED KINGDOM

FOR USE IN

INDIA.

_Reissued for use in the United Kingdom._

BY H. J. MACKINDER,

_Lately Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science: Author of “Britain and the British Seas.”_

With Lantern Illustrations.

_ONE SHILLING NET._

PUBLISHED FOR THE VISUAL INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE OF THE COLONIAL OFFICE,

BY WATERLOW & SONS LIMITED, PRINTERS, LONDON WALL.

1909.

The Slides to accompany these Lectures are sold on behalf of the Committee by Messrs. Newton & Co., of 3, Fleet Street, London, E.C., from whom the books of lectures can also be obtained. The complete set of 377 Slides, many of them coloured, may be had for £35. 0s. 0d. The Slides to accompany the several Lectures will be sold at the following prices: First Lecture, £6. 0s. 0d.; Second Lecture, £5. 15s. 0d.; Third Lecture, £4. 15s. 0d.; Fourth Lecture, £2. 15s. 0d.; Fifth Lecture, £10. 15s. 0d.; Sixth Lecture, £3. 0s. 0d.; Seventh Lecture, £4. 0s. 0d. Single Slides will not be sold.

* * * * *

Many of the slides in this series are copyright.

_ENTERED AT STATIONERS’ HALL._

THE VISUAL INSTRUCTION COMMITTEE,

APPOINTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR THE COLONIES.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE THE EARL OF MEATH, K.P., Chairman.

THE RIGHT HONOURABLE SIR CECIL CLEMENTI SMITH, G.C.M.G.

SIR PHILIP HUTCHINS, K.C.S.I., late Member of the Council of the Secretary of State for India.

SIR CHARLES LUCAS, K.C.M.G., C.B., of the Colonial Office.

SIR CHARLES HOLROYD, Director of the National Gallery.

H. F. HEATH, Ph.D., Director of Special Enquiries at the Board of Education.

H. J. MACKINDER, M.A., late Director of the London School of Economics and Political Science.

R. D. ROBERTS, D.Sc., Secretary of the Gilchrist Educational Trust.

PROFESSOR MICHAEL E. SADLER, LL.D., Professor of the History and Administration of Education in the University of Manchester.

JOHN STRUTHERS, C.B., LL.D., Secretary to the Scotch Education Department.

PREFACE.

The component parts of the British Empire are so remote and so different from one another, that it is evident that the Empire can only be held together by sympathy and understanding, based on widely diffused knowledge of its geography, history, resources, climates, and races. It is obvious that if this knowledge is to be effective it must be imparted to the coming generation. In other words it must be taught in the Schools of the Empire.

In the Autumn of 1902, a Committee was appointed by the Secretary of State for the Colonies to consider on what system such teaching might best be developed. The Committee came to the conclusion that children in any part of the Empire would never understand what the other parts were like unless by some adequate means of visual instruction; and, further, that as far as possible the teaching should be on the same lines in all parts of the Empire. It was decided to make a beginning by an experiment on a small scale, and for this purpose to invite the three Eastern Colonies of Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, and Hong Kong to bear the expense of a small book of Lantern Lectures on the United Kingdom for use in the Schools in those Colonies. Other parts of the Empire were afterwards invited to have editions which would be suited to their own special requirements prepared at their own expense, and up to the present date editions have been issued for the Eastern Colonies, for the West Indies, for West Africa, for Mauritius, and for India. Editions are now in preparation for Canada and for South Africa.

The lectures contained in this little volume are identical with those prepared under the foregoing scheme for use in India. It has been represented to the Committee that it would be stimulating to children in the United Kingdom to have presented to them an account of their own land as seen from the point of view of children in another part of the Empire. The effort on the part of English children to imagine themselves in the position of Indian children should tend to arouse and impress a valuable feeling of political sympathy.

The Committee, however, have always had in mind the preparation of illustrative lectures on the Colonies and India as well as on the United Kingdom. The experience which they have now gained has convinced them that if this part of the work is to be done as well as it can be done, it is advisable to have the illustrations prepared on a uniform system by a highly skilled artist or artists specially commissioned for the purpose. They were so fortunate as to interest Her Royal Highness the Princess of Wales in their work, and through her powerful and gracious support, and that of Lady Dudley and a Committee of ladies who were good enough to collect a sum of £4,000 for the purpose, they have been able to make a beginning of a work which will take some years to complete. The Committee desire me to record their warm gratitude to Her Royal Highness, to Lady Dudley, and to the Committee of ladies for making this part of the undertaking possible.

During the past year an artist, Mr. A. Hugh Fisher, has been travelling through India collecting material for the Committee, and it is hoped that before another twelve months have elapsed a course of lectures on that country, well illustrated by means of the lantern, may be published. Ceylon, Somaliland, and Cyprus have also been visited, and Mr. Fisher is now in Canada, and will presently go to the Far Eastern Colonies. Other parts of the Empire will be dealt with successively, and in the course of three or four years, the Committee intend to have available for purchase by public educational authorities and others a complete survey of the Empire, uniform in method. Their hope is that with the aid of the various Governments and the kindness of many official and private friends, they may put together a series of illustrations rich in colour, suggestive of life and incident, and artistic in composition. I shall be responsible for the letterpress, and in that work hope to have the assistance of the Directors of Education in the several Dominions and Colonies. The Committee trust that in this way they may succeed in presenting in their relative importance and proportion all the chief facts essential to the popular understanding of the Empire.

H. J. MACKINDER.

LONDON, _December, 1908_.

PREFACE TO THE INDIAN EDITION.

The object of these Lectures, and of the lantern slides which accompany them, is to give to the school children of India, through their eyes as well as their ears, a true and simple impression of what the United Kingdom and its people are like. If this intention has in any degree been realised, it is probable that with some modification of the form of the lectures the interest of adults may also be aroused. The changes necessary to suit particular circumstances may be introduced in the process of translation into the vernacular. In regard to children, each lecture may well supply several hours’ lessons, being meant as the text for teaching, and a guide as to the method of teaching, and not simply to be repeated word for word in a single hour.

My thanks are due to many who have given me help, especially to the Colonial Office Committee who debated at length the preliminary scheme, and to the Principal, Staff, and Students of the Stockwell Training College, before whom the lectures were experimentally delivered. I am also under obligation to those who have supplied me with material for some of the slides, particularly to Sir William Abney (V. 49, 50), Sir Benjamin Baker (I. 40, 41), Mr. G. J. S. Broomhall (VI. 39, 40), the Geological Photographs Committee of the British Association (VI. 8), the Great Western Railway Company (VI. 42), Messrs. Huntley & Palmers (VI. 41), Sir Walter Egerton (VII. 28), General Kemball (VII. 29, 30), the London & North Western Railway Company (VI. 43), the London & South Western Railway Company (III. 19, 20, 21), Sir William Matthews, K.C.M.G., of Messrs. Coode, Son & Matthews (I. 23, 24, 25, 26), Sir Andrew Noble, of Sir William Armstrong, Whitworth & Company (VI. 26, 30), the Peninsular and Oriental Steamship Company (I. 56, 57, 58, 59), Messrs. R. & J. H. Rea (VII. 7), Mr. William Taylor (I. 9, 11, 47), Mr. Graham Wallas (VI. 36), Dr. Lynden Macassey and the late Mr. Yerkes (VI. 46, 47).

The scheme which is here realised was carried through in the first instance owing to the enterprise of the three Colonies, Hong Kong, the Straits Settlements, and Ceylon. This is one of several Editions adapted to the special points of view of other parts of the Empire.

I desire to thank for their kind suggestions Sir William Lee-Warner, K.C.S.I., Sir Philip Hutchins, K.C.S.I., Sir Thomas Holdich, K.C.M.G., Sir W. Curzon-Wyllie, K.C.I.E., and Mr. Theodore Morison.

H. J. MACKINDER.

LONDON, _March, 1907_.

The following editions of these Lectures have been issued--

=1. Eastern Colonies Edition, Sept., 1905.=

In use in Ceylon, the Straits Settlements, and Hong Kong.

=2. Mauritius Edition, June, 1906.=

In use in Mauritius.

=3. West African Edition, Sept., 1906.=

In use in Sierra Leone, the Gold Coast, and Southern Nigeria.

=4. West India Edition, Sept., 1906.=

In use in Trinidad, British Guiana, and Jamaica.

=5. Indian Edition, March, 1907.=

In use in the following Provinces:--Madras, Bombay, Bengal, the United Provinces, the Punjab, Burma, Eastern Bengal and Assam, the Central Provinces, and the North West Frontier Province.

=6. Indian Edition for use in the United Kingdom, Jan., 1909.=

=Canadian and South African Editions are being prepared by direction of the Governments of the Dominion of Canada and of the South African Colonies.=

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

LECTURE I.--The Voyage from India to London, with fifty-nine lantern slides 1

LECTURE II.--London, the Imperial City, with fifty-nine lantern slides 17

LECTURE III.--The Scenery of the United Kingdom, with fifty-three lantern slides 32

LECTURE IV.--Historic Centres and their Influence upon National Life, with forty-four lantern slides 46

LECTURE V.--Country Life and the Smaller Towns, with sixty-one lantern slides 59

LECTURE VI.--The Great Towns, their Industries, and Commerce, with forty-seven lantern slides 73

LECTURE VII.--The Defences of the Empire, with fifty-four lantern slides 84

SEVEN LECTURES on the UNITED KINGDOM.

LECTURE I.

THE VOYAGE FROM INDIA TO LONDON.

[Sidenote: 1. Map of the Indian Ocean.]

The British Empire consists of a number of lands scattered over the whole world. Some of the most important of these lands are round the Indian Ocean. In this map we see to the east Australia, to the west South Africa, and to the north India, which are three out of the six or seven great lands belonging to the Empire. Then there are smaller lands; some of them so small that on the general map of the Indian Ocean they hardly appear. We can only show their names and a dot for their positions. Such, notwithstanding their importance in the world’s trade, are Singapore, Mauritius, and Aden. There are other lands of intermediate size, and notable of these is the Island of Ceylon. Among the smallest of all the British Territories are the Seychelles, a coaling station for the Fleet, placed nearly midway between Mauritius, Zanzibar, and Colombo. On the mainland of Africa in the neighbourhood of Zanzibar is also the considerable territory of British East Africa, through which runs the Uganda Railway from Mombasa to the great lake of Victoria Nyanza and the sources of the River Nile.

[Sidenote: 2. Map of India.]

Of all these countries the most important is our own land of India. As you know, it has three hundred million people. Here we have a map of India and of the allied states, Afghanistan and Nepal. You see upon it in the darker tint of red the territories which are immediately under the British Government, and you see also in the lighter tint the Native States, ruled by their own chiefs, although protected by the British Raj. In no other part of the world do we find peace secure from end to end of a vast territory, and yet within it great states ruled by their own chiefs, as in Kashmir, Rajputana, Central India, Haidarabad, and Mysore. Some of the principal countries of Europe are little larger than some of the Native States of India, yet the continent of Europe is full of armaments, and there is always danger of war there. India owes to the British Raj peace for a fifth of the human race, and yet the different laws, languages, and religions have been preserved, so that the people of each part and of each race are able to live according to their own historic customs.

[Sidenote: 3. The Himalayas.]

India lies between the mountains and the ocean. Along one-half of her land frontier the highest range of mountains in the world makes a great rampart, defending her from invasion. The railways which now extend through the whole land not only help to prevent death from starvation when the harvests fail, but also enable the Indian Government to concentrate the army quickly for the defence of the only portions of the frontier of India by which invasion is possible. In 1738, Nadir, Shah of Persia, invaded India, took Delhi and slew one hundred thousand of the people. In 1761, Ahmed, Shah of Afghanistan, invaded India and defeated the Mahrathas in the great battle of Panipat, almost at the gates of Delhi. After that time the British Raj grew up, and no foreign enemy has since been able to disturb the peace of India. Who can measure the value of peace for the millions of our people? There are nearly 730,000 villages in India: without peace they could not reap their harvests. There are over 2,000 towns in India: without peace their trade would be ruined.

[Sidenote: 4. The Ocean: The Surf at Madras.]

But we must not forget that more than one-half of the boundary of India is washed by the waves of the great sea. Why is it that we need not maintain great armies along the coast of India? The water of the ocean spreads round all the lands of the world, and enemies from many lands might come in ships to attack us. The reason why we need give little thought to the defence of our shores is that the British Fleet is strong, and is ready in distant parts of the ocean to fight with any hostile fleet that might set out to invade India. No rule in India has ever before had the advantage of peace on the ocean. The Emperors at Delhi in former centuries were obliged to pay for an Abyssinian Fleet to give some protection to their shores.

In three ways therefore India draws great profit from her share in the British Empire. In the first place she is saved the cost of defending her sea border from foreign invasion. In the second place the sea road lies peacefully open for a vast commerce with the rest of the world. And in the third place, by means of the railways from her ports to her land frontiers she is able to defend those frontiers not only by the Indian Army, but, if necessary, by all the strength of the other parts of the Empire brought over the seas and carried quickly to the threatened point. Never before has the peace of India been so secure at so small a cost. This is the strength which comes from standing not alone, but as one of the league of nations which is known as the British Empire. It is a splendid thought to think of the many separate races, each living their own lives according to their own traditions, which are now held peacefully together within the British Empire. In Britain itself you must remember that there are the English, the Scotch, the Irish, and the Welsh, just as in India there are the Rajputs, the Sikhs, the Mahrathas, the Bengalis, and many other races. Once the English and the Scotch used to fight one another; but now there is peace in Britain as there is in India. Yet throughout the British Empire all men are free to think and say what they like.

[Sidenote: 5. Map of the Railways of India.]

[Sidenote: 6. Sutlej Bridge.]

[Sidenote: 7. Bhor Ghat Reversing Station.]

The Empire is held together to-day chiefly by means of railways on the land and steamships on the sea. The railways of India end at the foot of the mountains. In the plains they cross the broad rivers by long bridges. In the Deccan they descend to the sea by ways that are cut into the mountain face. Here we have a bridge over the Sutlej, on the Delhi railway, and here the curious Reversing Station on the Bhor Ghat above Bombay, where the steepness of the ground does not allow space for the railway to bend on its way down the mountain side.

The modern capitals of India are naturally on the coast, for it is there that the life of India comes into contact with the life of the world over the sea. In these capitals, protected by the Fleet, the commerce borne by the railways connects with the ocean-borne commerce.

[Sidenote: 8. Map showing the Unity of the Ocean.]

Let us spend a moment considering why it is that trade over the ocean is of such vast importance to India, and why, therefore, the sea-ports are the greatest of her cities. In this map you see at a glance that all the lands of the world are in truth islands, for even the largest continent is surrounded by the ocean. Therefore a ship can go from any coast you will to any other coast. But by road or by railway it is possible to travel only from one part to another of the same island or continent. Hence it is that ocean-borne commerce is the most general, for land-borne commerce is limited by the coast and can go no further. It would be impossible for us to trade over the land with England. At some point or other we must cross the sea, and traffic over the sea is much cheaper than on the land. Therefore, in some cases it even pays to carry goods from point to point along the coast of India, instead of carrying them by land. This map also tells you why the one British fleet can defend all the coasts of the British Empire. It is because the ocean is one, and the fleet can sail from any part of it to any other part.

[Sidenote: 9. Ships of the time of Vasco da Gama.]

[Sidenote: 10. Sailing Ship.]

The voyage to Britain used to be a long one, and not without danger. True that the same ship could go all the way from Calcutta to London, carrying passengers, mails, and cargo; but in former times the passage took many months, for ships, as you know, could then only be moved by the wind, and at some seasons the wind blew in a direction contrary to the course of the ship. Moreover, even the East India ships were small, and we must remember the rough seas which they had to traverse when rounding the Cape of Good Hope. Here, for example, are the kind of ships in which Europeans first came round the Cape to the Indies in the time of Vasco da Gama. And here is a sailing ship of later times, much improved both in hull and sails, but still liable to be delayed by contrary winds and by calms.

[Sidenote: 11. P. & O. s.s. “Caledonia.”]

In the present day, however, the British Empire is knit together by means of large vessels, moved by steam, in which men come and go with certainty over thousands of miles of trackless ocean. This is one of the steamers of the great Peninsular and Oriental Company, which, together with other companies, trades through the Suez Canal between Britain and India. You will see, then, that by using steam instead of the wind, by substituting large ships for small, and by cutting the Suez Canal, so that the voyage may be through shorter and generally calmer seas, men have brought London, the capital of the Empire, within less than a month of India, whereas it used to be five months away.

[Sidenote: 12. Dalhousie Square, Calcutta.]

[Sidenote: 13. The Hugli.]

[Sidenote: 14. Madras from the Sea.]

[Sidenote: 15. Arrival of the Viceroy at Madras.]

[Sidenote: 16. Bombay Rampart.]

We have seen that the modern capitals of India are the sea-ports. In no age before this dared men place their great cities on the open coast, for they were exposed to attack there by pirates as well as foreign enemies. The present capitals of India are therefore new towns. Calcutta is on a strip of low ground beside the bank of the River Hugli. Only 200 years ago it was a small village. Yet here to-day is a stately city, and in the river are ships from all parts of the world. Madras was a stretch of open surf-beaten coast 270 years ago, but to-day it has half-a-million people, and a harbour of stone piers built far out into the sea to break the force of the waves, so that great ships may land their passengers and cargoes in calm water. Bombay, also, some 240 years ago was an unimportant islet with only some 10,000 inhabitants, and to-day, as you know, it is a city which rivals Calcutta in its wealth and grandeur. Karachi has grown similarly from a much later beginning on an utterly sterile desert coast.

[Sidenote: 17. Queen’s Memorial, Bombay.]

[Sidenote: 18. Bombay Harbour.]

In these Lectures we are going to make a visit to the British Isles, the land in all the world which, after our own land of India, should be of the greatest interest to us, for it is the centre of the Empire to which we owe so much. We may start on our voyage from any one of the five great ports of India: Bombay, Calcutta, Madras, Karachi, or Rangoon, and we shall naturally leave by that port which is most conveniently placed with reference to the particular part of India in which we live. If we sail from Bombay we will visit before we start the monument of the great Queen Victoria, who for more than 60 years ruled both India and England.

[Sidenote: 19. Out at Sea, Deck scene.]

[Sidenote: 20. Saloon of P. and O. Steamer.]

[Sidenote: 21. Engines of P. and O. Steamer.]

[Sidenote: 22. P. and O. Steamer--a State Room.]

A mail steamer upon the ocean is now like a great moving hotel, which goes from port to port with wonderful punctuality. Here you have a scene on deck when out at sea. And here is the saloon with the tables set for the dinner of several hundred people. Nor must we forget to look at the engines, which turn the heat of burning coal into power equal to that of ten thousand horses. And, lastly, we will glance into a private cabin and see the comfortable berth. All this is very different from the rough voyage of only fifty years ago.

Of steamers altogether--some of them fast mail boats, some slow cargo boats--the British Empire possesses for ocean-going purposes 9,000. These are parts of the Empire just as much as the land. Therefore you must think of the British Empire as consisting of many countries, which, together, make one-fifth of all the land in the world; and you must think of it as consisting also of these 9,000 steamers upon the ocean, which, as you know, measures three-fourths of the surface of the globe. The whole Empire--lands, ships, and people--is protected by the British Navy upon the ocean, and by the Army distributed through the British lands.

[Sidenote: 23. Colombo Harbour and Breakwater.]

[Sidenote: 24. Colombo Harbour, North-West Breakwater in progress.]

[Sidenote: 25. Colombo Harbour, Diver at work.]

[Sidenote: 26. Colombo Harbour, Blockyard.]