THE MILITANT TYPE OF SOCIETY. 757 



And now having noted the traits which may be expected to estab- 

 lish themselves by survival of the fittest during the struggle for exist- 

 ence among societies, let us observe how these traits are displayed in 

 actual societies, similar in respect of their militancy but otherwise dis- 

 similar. 



Of course in small primitive groups, however warlike they may be, 

 we must not look for more than rude outlines of the structure proper 

 to the militant type. Being loosely aggregated, definite arrangement 

 of their parts can be carried but to a small extent. Still, so far as it 

 goes, the evidence is to the point. The fact that habitually the fight- 

 ing body is coextensive with the adult male population is so familiar 

 that no illustrations are needed. An equally familiar fact is that the 

 women, occupying a servile position, do all the unskilled labor and 

 bear the burdens ; with which may be joined the fact that not unfre- 

 quently during war they carry the supplies, as in Asia among the 

 Bhils and Khonds, as in Polynesia among the New Caledonians and 

 Sandwich-Islanders, as in America among the Comanches, Mundrucus, 

 Patagonians : their ofiice as forming the permanent commissariat being 

 thus clearly shown. We see, too, that, where the enslaving of captives 

 has arisen, these also serve to support and aid the combatant class ; 

 acting dm'ing peace as producers and during war joining the women in 

 attendance on the army, as among the New-Zealanders, or, as among 

 the Malagasy, being then exclusively the carriers of provisions, etc. 

 Again, in these first stages, as in later stages, we are shown that pri- 

 vate claims are, in the militant type, overridden by public claims. 

 The life of each man is held subject to the needs of the group ; and, 

 by implication, his freedom of action is similarly held. So, too, with 

 his goods ; as instance the remark made of the Brazilian Indians, that 

 personal property, recognized but to a limited extent during peace, is 

 scarcely at all recognized during war ; and as instance Hearne's state- 

 ment concerning certain hyperborean tribes of North America when 

 about to make war, that " property of every kind that could be of 

 general use now ceased to be private." To which add the cardinal 

 truth, once more to be repeated, that where no political subordination 

 exists war initiates it. Tacitly or overtly a chief is temporarily ac- 

 knowledged ; and he gains permanent power if war continues. From 

 these beginnings of the militant type which small groups show us, let 

 us pass to its developed forms as shown in larger grouj^s. 



"The army, or, what is nearly synonymous, the nation of Daho- 

 mey," to quote Burton's words, furnishes us with a good example : the 

 excessive militancy being indicated by the fact that the royal bedroom 

 is paved with skulls of enemies. Here the king is absolute, and is re- 

 garded as supernatural in character he is " the spirit " ; and of course 

 he is the religious head he ordains the priests. He absorbs in him- 

 self all powers and all rights : " by the state law of Dahomey. . . 

 all men are slaves to the king." He " is heir to all his subjects " ; and 



