Life of Ahmad — Page 87
as AFTER HIS FATHER’S DEATH 87 but the latter did not publish it; because, as he wrote in his magazine, the A rya Sam a jists had not been able to answer the excellent arguments which Ahmad as had already brought forward so ably in earlier issues. It is interesting to note in this connection that Sharampat R a ’i of Qadian ventured to come into the limelight by posing as a judge between Ahmad as and the A rya Samj a ists. He wrote an article in his self-assumed capacity and sent it to the editor of the Hindu Band u. But he must have felt embarressed when the editor publicly exposed his lack of knowledge and ridiculed the contents of the article. In 1879 Ahmad as had a discussion with Shiv N a r a ’in Agn i Hotr i on the subject of 'Revelation'. Several letters on the subject were exchanged, and it appears that they were also published later in newspapers. Agn i Hotr i was a teacher of drawing in the Lahore Government School. He was editor and proprietor of the Hindu Band u and was looked upon as a leader of the Brahmu Sam a j (the Indian Theistic Church founded in Calcutta in 1828 by Raja R a m Muhan Roy—born in 1774, died 27-9-1833), a new sect which denied verbal revelation. His discussion with Ahmad as lasted from May 21st to June 17th, 1879. Kharak Singh’s experience was repeated in the case of Agn i Hotr i. In later life he ceased to be a member of the Brahmu Sam a j. Marvellous indeed is the mental transformation that Ahmad as worked so mysteriously in the minds of his opponents. They came to fight for their cause but they went away