It will have been observed that hitherto I have
avoided as much as possible all allusion to the direct political action
which Christendom is exercising, and must ever more and more exercise,
upon the fortunes of Islam; and in this I have been guided by two
motives. I have wished, first, to give prominence to the fact that in
all great movements of the human intellect the force of progression or
decay should be looked for mainly from within, not from without; and,
secondly, to simplify my subject so as to render it more easily
intelligible to the reading public. We have reached, however, the point
now when it will be necessary to take different ground, and look at
Islam no longer as regards her internal economy, but as she is being
affected by the world at large. We must inquire what influence the
material pressure of Europe is likely to have on her in the Levant, and
what in Africa and Central Asia; and, above all, we must examine closely
our own position towards her, and the course which duty and interest
require us to pursue in regard to the vast Mussulman population of our
Indian Empire.
I take it the sentiment generally of Continental Europe--I do not speak
of England--towards Mohammedanism is still much what it has always been,
namely, one of social hostility and political aggression.
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