An Historical Sketch of the Brahmo Somaj by Sophia Dobson Collet first published in 1873. The following Sketch was written at the desire of Dr.

Max Krenkel of Dresden, as an Introduction to a German translation which he is about to publish of the " Lectures and Tracts" of Babu Keshub Chunder Sen. Its publication in India at the present time having been thought desirable by friends in Calcutta, Dr.

Krenkel has kindly permitted the Sketch to appear there in its original English form. The statements of the narrative have been drawn from innumerable Brahmo authorities, public and private.

For the earlier portions I am almost wholly indebted to an unfinished treatise entitled " Brahmo Somaj or Theism in India," which appeared in the Indian Mirror at intervals from December 1864 to September 1866. (I regret that I am not sufficiently advanced in Bengali to make use of the " Brahmo Somajer Itibritta," published at Calcutta in 1871, the fullest History of the Brahmo Church that has yet appeared.

) For the rest, I could not crowd so condensed a narrative with specific references, but I have taken every possible means to obtain strict accuracy in my statements of fact. For such judgments as I have ventured to give or imply concerning characters and events, no one is responsible but myself.

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