THE ABOEIGINAL TEIBES. 135 



influential one, the descendants are only known as Korkus. 

 But they differ in many respects from pure Korkus, being tall 

 and fair-complexioned, ultra-Hindu, in their observances, and 

 marrying only among their several families, or into purer 

 houses never among the undiluted aborigines. In the ex- 

 treme west a distinct race called Bhilalas has originated from 

 the cross between the Eajput and the Bheel. The Bheels 

 were for a much longer period in close contact with Hindus 

 than any other tribe, and that during a- period of Indian 

 history when the restrictions of caste were almost entirely in 

 abeyance. Buddhism, and its offspring Jainism, were the 

 ruling faiths in that part of the country up to the 11th or 

 12th century; and thus it is probable that a much greater 

 admixture of the races occurred there than in countries 

 where the Brahminical forms prevailed. The Bhilalas are 

 now very numerous, occupying large tract's as almost the sole 

 population, but still there is a marked distinction between 

 these and the land-holding chiefs of the same descent. The 

 distinction is in fact identical with that between the Kaj- 

 Gond and Korku chiefs and the numerous commoner classes 

 of the same tribes who are nominally pure aborigines, but are 

 really half Hindu. 



As is the case with the divers peoples now included among 

 modern Hindus, it would be wholly impossible now to gauge 

 the extent to which the infusion of the Aryan element has 

 taken place among these aboriginal races. The facility for 

 amalgamation between them the chemical affinity, so to speak, 

 between the races seems to be so great, that in a very few 

 generations the points denoting the predominance of one or 

 the other become obliterated. And yet the traveller among 

 them will come on stratum after stratum showing in the 

 clearest manner the intermediate stages between the two 



