@ehBeth,
ehBeth wrote:Perhaps you can help the OP with it.
" East of Suez, some hold, the direct control of Providence ceases; Man being there handed over to the power of the Gods and Devils of Asia, and the Church of England Providence only exercising an occasional and modified supervision in the case of Englishmen."
hold means "have the opinion that"
Providence is the Christian God.
East of Suez, some people say, the direct control of the white man's God ceases; Man being there handed over to the power of the Gods and Devils of Asia, and the Church of England God only exercising an occasional and modified supervision in the case of Englishmen.
I think Kipling is being facetious, and seems, to me, to be making a comment about the behaviour and morality of Englishmen once they are well out of sight of England.