AWAKENING OF THE EAST 409

on the part of the European community, when he touched the
crucial problem of * justice without colour prejudice'. " The
passionate claim of the European to predominance was to
be answered by the passionate claim of the Indian to equal-
ity." Under such auspices was bom the Indian National
Congress in 1885, the one organ that in course of time was
to be the champion of Renaissant India—the instrument of
the Indian resorgimento. Its aims were enunciated as
follows :—

" The objects of the Indian National Congress are the attain-
ment by the people of India of a system of government similar
to that enjoyed by the self-governing members of the British
Empire, and a participation by them in the rights and res-
ponsibilities of the Empire on equal terms with those members.
These objects are to be achieved by constitutional means by
bringing about a steady reform of the existing system of adminis-
tration, and by promoting national unity, fostering public spirit,
and developing and organising the intellectual, moral, economic
and industrial resources of the country."

Further development of the situation in India will be dealt
with in the next chapter. Here we must take note of happen-
ings in the 'Far East', i.e. China and Japan. The pro-
blems raised by these two countries—no less than those
raised by India—still await solution. Indeed, in the past
it looked as if, whatever might happen in the West, the
East would remain unalterably fixed and unchanging; but
now it appears that, whatever the West may do to pre-
vent or postpone, nothing will remain unchanged in India,
China, and Japan. Gulliver has awakened from his sleep
and Lilliput must be upset!

We last mentioned China in connexion with Kublai Khan
and Marco Polo in the thirteenth century. Only two more
dynasties (Ming, 1368-1644 ; and Ching or Manchu, 1644-
1912) followed that founded by Kublai Khan, and armies