532 Dr. Buchanan Hamilton on the Srdwacs or Jains. 



that in the west of India a great many of them are called Sudras because 

 they cultivate the land or tend herds of cattle, while others are called 

 Cshatriyas because they carry arms. They also assert, that a large propor- 

 tion of the Rajputs in Jm/anagar, Bundela, Mewdr, Marwdr, Khaiidhdr, 

 Lahaur, Bikanir, Jodhpur, he. are of tlieir religion, and that the princes of 

 the first mentioned place continued to be Jains until the time of Pratdp, 

 the son of Sewde Jayasinha, who became a worshipper of Vishnu, and re- 

 ceived initiation from the Brahmans. None of the persons I met with 

 in these districts had ever heard of any Brdhmans belonging to the Jains ; 

 except those who will be afterwards mentioned, as forming two kinds of 

 priesthood, rather connected however with the sect than belonging to it. 

 There is, therefore, great reason to suspect, that the proper doctrine of caste, 

 or at least of four castes, similar to those which the orthodox Hindus sup- 

 pose to have originally existed, is an innovation among the Jains, although 

 in the south of India it seems now completely adopted in compliance with 

 the prevailing opinions. In Karndta, for instance, none will admit that they are 

 Sudras, that rank being too low for voluntary assumption; while it is evident 

 that no people could have subsisted without by far the greater part being 

 labourers ; and it is no less evident that Karndta was once inhabited by a peo- 

 ple chiefly, if not entirely, of the Jain religion. Although the distinction of 

 Brahman, Cshatriya, Vaisya, and Sudra, has not taken place among the Jains 

 of these districts nor of Bundela, yet they are subdivided into tribes, which 

 they call Jdti or castes, and no person of one tribe can marry into another, 

 nor will they eat boiled rice or bread together. These tribes are said to be 

 numerous, and although I met with no person who pretended to know the 

 whole which may exist in India, I heard the following mentioned : Pariwal, 

 Puritcal, Ptdiwal, Kariical, Jgarwal, Yasawal, Srimal, Srisrimal, Karawal, 

 Barawa I, Golsingha, Gnjjawal, Bagherxval, and GoUlal. All tlie pilgrims from 

 Bundela were of the Pariwal tribe, but in these districts most of the resi- 

 dents are Osawal and Agarwal, that is, the original inhabitants of Agra. 

 It must, however, be observed, that by far the greater part of the Agarwals 

 have been converted to the sect of Vishnu, and are admitted to be of the 

 Vaisya caste, which distinction is also conceded to those who adhere to the 

 sect of the Jainas. 



The Jaitis seem long to have been divided into two sects, the Swetdmbar 

 and Digambar : but of late, as among the orthodox, schisms have arisen, 

 and several people have pretended to find new ways to heaven, by what are 



