192 THE PROTEIN ELEMENT IN NUTRITION 



regiments have discontinued accepting members of the eastern 

 branch entirely. 



There is no doubt the Western Rajputs make far better soldiers 

 than the Eastern. One reason given is that the former are far 

 more pure-blooded than the latter ; on the other hand, the 

 differences in diet and in the consumption of animal food by the 

 two classes is probably a far more important determining factor. 

 There is abundant evidence of the truth of this statement in the 

 respective physical conditions of different sects of Rajputs, pure- 

 blooded or not as the case may be, when living on different 

 dietaries. Thus the Rajputs of Jessulmer are physically much 

 inferior to the Rahtore Rajputs of Bikaner and Marwar, although 

 both are of pure blood ; the difference is due to the fertility of the 

 soil and the food materials available in the districts mentioned. 

 Jessulmer is a comparatively poor country, and is incapable of 

 producing wheat ; bajra, barley, and gram are raised, but the 

 higher cereals have to be imported. The effect of this is to lower 

 the average level of nutrition of the population, and with this 

 is found a lesser degree of physical endowment and a poorer 

 martial reputation. The soil of Bikaner and Marwar, on the 

 other hand, is good and fertile, producing wheat, bajra, rice, and 

 other cereals ; cattle, sheep, goats, elk, deer, etc., are found in 

 abundance. 



The same influence can be traced in those tribes of the Rajput 

 race that have been converted to Mohammedanism. Thus the 

 Sials are Rajput Mohammedans, who were converted to Islam 

 in the fourteenth century. They are a fine type of men, brave, 

 self-respecting, and hardy, with considerable pride of race. 

 Physically they are big and strong, rather rude and rough in their 

 manners. They are pastoral by instinct, but also engage in 

 agriculture. 



The Tiwanas, Gondals, Chibbs, Kharrals, Bhattis, are all of 

 Rajput stock. These tribes offer splendid material for those 

 regiments that enlist Punjabi Mohammedans. 



The Rajputs of the eastern portion of the United Provinces 

 and of Behar illustrate markedly the influence of diet. Priestly 

 influence from proximity to Benares and a decrease in the amount 

 of animal protein, accompanied in Behar by a substitution of a 

 considerable amount of rice for the wheat of the diet, are the 

 causes that explain the lowered standard of physique, and the 

 loss of that pride of blood and race, and decrease in that spirit 



