88 ORIGIN AND DECLINE OF THE 



more probably from the followers of another 'Sa'la- 

 va'haxa, a Mamchearif or Manes himself, as I ob- 

 served before. 



As these Rajaputs call themselves Vaisyas, syno- 

 nymous with -^Sravaca or tradesman, it seems, that 

 they oriu-inally followed that profession. Pr'^bably 

 some will say, that if the Saca-Raja-Cumcira^, had 

 been once Chinsflans, thvy must of course have iost 

 thf'ir cast. This njiirht be the case now : but, 1 do 

 not be'ieve it was so formerly; and then, the Pv- 

 ran'as afford us imnicdiate remedy, for in the chap- 

 ters on futurity, it is declared, that rbe Kuios of 

 Magadl'd would raise men of the lowest classes to 

 tlie rat.k of Brahmens, and other suj)erior casts ; ex- 

 actly like Jkroboam, and other Kin^t^s of Israel. 

 This prophecy was to take place, after the fall of the 

 Andlira dynasty in the seventh century/ 



* 



Besides, a whole district, a whole tribe, might em- 

 brace another religion, without losing cast; the full 

 exercise of its privileges being always confined to 

 themselves. For we must not think, that persons 

 of the same cast, will communicate one with another 

 all over India, and eat together, or of food dressed by 

 another. The communication is confined to a few 

 families in tlieir neighbourhood, whom they know 

 to be strict observers of the rules relative to their 

 cast. The rest of the tribe are in a great measure 

 outcasts to them. This almost incredible adherence 

 to the punctilio of casts, was in a great measure ow- 

 ing probably to the rapid increase of the religion of 

 Budd'ha, then afterwards of that of Christ, and 



* Sec Bralimlada and Vayu-purau'us. Seclioo on Futurity. 



