Lieut. -Colonel Tod on the Religious Establishments of Metvar. 2J3 



ministry, divided the lands amongst the people, reserving the customary 

 tribute or tax to the king.* 



The prelates of the middle ages of Europe were often completely feudal 

 nobles, swearing fealty and paying homage ^s did the lay lords.! In 

 Rajast'han, the sacerdotal caste not bound to the altar may hold lands and 

 perform the duties of vassalage :t but of late years, when land has been 

 assigned to religious establisliments, no reservation has been made of fiscal 

 rights, territorial or commercial. This is, however, an innovation, since, 

 formerly, princes never granted with territorial assignments the prerogative 

 of dispensing justice, of levying transit duties, or exemption from personal 

 service of the feudal tenant who held on the land thus assigned. Well 

 may Rajpiit heirs exclaim with the grandson of Clovis, " our exchequer is 

 impoverished, and our riches are transferred to the clergy."|| But Chilperic 

 had the courage to recall the grants of his predecessors, which, however, 

 the pious Gontram re-established. Many Gontrams could be found, though 

 but few Chilperics, in Rajast'han : we have, indeed, one in Jograz, the 

 Rana's ancestor, almost a contemporary of the Merovingian king, who not 

 only resumed all the lands of the Brahmans, but put many of them to death, 

 and expelled the rest his dominions. § It may be doubted whether vanity 

 and shame be not sufficient in themselves to prevent a resumption of the 

 lands of the Mangtas or mendicants (as they style all those " who extend 

 the palm," Brahmans and bards), without the dreaded penalty, which operates 

 very slightly on the sub-vassal or cultivator, who, having no superfluity, 

 defies their anathemas when they attempt to wrest from him, by virtue of 

 the crown grant, any of his long-established rights. By these the threat 

 of impure transmigration is despised ; and the Brahman may spill his blood 

 on the threshold of his dwelling or in the field in dispute, which will be 

 relinquished by the owner but with his life. The Pat Rani, or chief 



* " Origin of Laws and Government" by the learned Goguet ; vol. i. p. Si, and vol. ii. p. 13. 



f Hallam's Middle Ages, vol. ii. p. 212. 



J " A Braliman unable to subsist by his duties just mentioned (sacerdotal), may live by the 

 duty of a soldier." Menu, chap. x. |1 Montesquieu. 



§ " Le clerge recevoit tant, qu'il faut que, dans les trois races, on lui ait donn6 plusieurs 

 foie tous les biens du royaunie. Mai;j si les rois, la noblesse,et le peuple, Irouverent le moyen de 

 leur donner tous leurs biens, ils ne trouverent pas moins celui de les leur oter." — Montesquieu, 

 [Esprit des Lois, livre xxxi. chap. x. 



Vol. II. 2 N 



