lo WUher Theodore Elmore 



castes of Hinduism, the Sudras only are Dravidian, but it is prob- 

 able that very few people in South India who claim descent from 

 the Vaisyas and Kshatriyas are of Aryan origin.^ The Komaties, 

 or merchants, claim to be Vaisyas, but there appears to be an 

 intimate connection between them and the Madigas, or leather 

 workers, who are of undoubted Dravidian origin.'^ When a mar- 

 riage takes place among the Komaties it is necessary to bring the 

 fire from the house of a Madiga for the new household. Many 

 devices are used to cover up this connection. A Komatie will 

 come on some pretext to the house of a Madiga, and after com- 

 pleting his business will ask for a light for his cheroot. Komaties, 

 however, do not deny the connection. 



The hymns of the Rigveda^ give us much light on the great 

 struggle of the Aryans in conquering the Dravidians. The Aryans 

 were not lacking in epithets with which to describe these people. 

 They called them "enemies," "slaves," "abject tribes," "void of 

 sense," " inhuman," " keeping alien rites," " malignant," " wicked," 

 " riteless," " prayerless," "bestowing no gifts" (to the gods), 

 " pouring no oblation of milk," " non-worshipers," " priestless," 

 " not keeping sacred fires," " worshipers of mad gods," and they 

 even accused them of eating human flesh. 



It is probable that this is an exaggerated description, for the 

 conquerors also speak of their enemies as being wealthy in herds, 

 having impregnable castles, forts of iron, and cities. They were 

 found to be most powerful foes, and probably were stubborn in 

 their resistance, as the Aryans called them " bull-jawed." In the 

 course of time, however, the conquest was complete. The Aryans 

 became the rulers, and the Dravidians took a subordinate position 

 in the newly organized caste system. 



The conquerors soon found that if they were to hold the Dravid- 



^ Thurston, Castes and Tribes of Southern India, IV, pp. 79 sq., for 

 "Kshatriya"; VII, pp. 271, sq., for " Vaisya." 



■^ Ihid., Ill, pp. 325 sq. 



® See especially the following hymns of the Rigveda : T. H. Griffith, 

 The Ramayan of Vahniki, Benares, 1895, Book I, Cantos 22, 117, 132, 175. 

 Book II, Canto 20. Book III, Canto 53. Book IV, Cantos 6, 16, 28, 30, 

 32. Book V, Canto 7. Book VI, Cantos 23, 25, 31. Book VII, Canto 99. 

 Book VIII, Canto 14. Book IX, Canto 41. Book X, Cantos 22, 29. 



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