OOPLIGAS. 21 



their caste. The tribe is not numerous in IMysore, and is necessarily con- 

 fined to those places where the earth from which salt is obtained is found. 

 In former times they followed this pursuit ahnost exclusively; but more 

 recently the impulse given to cultivation and other pursuits by the increased 

 safety of property under good government, and the more equal distribution 

 of products which has followed the opening up of the Mysore country by 

 roads, have tended to break down the hard and fast line of hereditary 

 employments of the different castes. Thus Oopligas, stone-cutters, and 

 weavers, &c., have in many cases turned cultivators; whilst the Brinjarries or 

 gipsies, whose occupation in former times was the carrying of grain and salt 

 upon pack-buUocks into localities inaccessible by other means (combined 

 with pillage and cattle-lifting), have taken to grazing the herds of the 

 villagers during the hot weather in jungle localities, bringing firewood for 

 sale into towns, and cultivation. 



The lands the Morlay villagers till are generally held by Brahmins, 

 and the Oophgas are either their jeetagdrs (agricultural serfs) or ludragars 

 (cultivators under agreement). The Brahmin proprietors live in villages in 

 the more open country, and only visit their lands occasionally. The arrange- 

 ment between proprietors and jeetagars, is one of the greatest antiquity, 

 and is as follows : — 



A labourer may be in want of a loan — say a pound or two, a large sum 

 to many millions in India — for his wedding expenses or other exigency. A 

 land-holder accommodates him on his giving a bond and entering his ser- 

 vice. It is generally understood that the principal wiU not be repaid, but 

 the creditor obtains a legal right over the services of the debtor until it is. 

 The debtor's position is analogous to that of an articled servant, except that 

 no limit, but the payment of his debt, is placed on the connection. 



The debtor is required to do his master's bidding in all things, his 

 services counting instead of interest on the debt; whilst the master is bound 

 to feed him, and interest himself in all matters affecting his jeetagar. The 

 established subsistence allowance to the jeetagar is forty seers (80 lb.) of 

 rdgi (the staple grain of the country) per mensem, and four annas (sLxpence) 

 in cash. The grain is ample for liis food, and the money for tobacco and 

 betel. From time to time the jeetagar probably obtains small sums — or 

 more commonly gTain — from his master, wliich are added to liis debt. If 

 the jeetagar dies one of his sons must take his father's place until he can 

 clear off his liabilities, even under the inheritor from the origmal creditor. 

 This obligation is, I believe, strictly binding in the Mysore law courts. 



Jeeta-service is universal throughout Mysore, and is well suited to the 

 conditions of the agricultural classes, both proprietors and servants. A home 



