10 R. Banerji — Identification of Aboriginal Tribes. [Jan. 



of God." But though the Chamars are hated as outcastes and helots to this 

 day, their congeners, the Kaivartas and Rajakas, are not — at least in Bengal. 

 The late millionaire lady Rasmani Dasi of Janbazar was a Kaivarta, and the 

 first man of Calcutta, who interpreted the English merchants to the weavers 

 of Sutaloti, was a Rajaka, or washerman ; his name was Kali or Kalan Sarkar, 

 and one of the streets in the native part of the town still bears his name : 

 he is said to have been the foremost native of influence in Calcutta during 

 his time. The Kaivartas, the Rajakas, and the Chamars have much im- 

 proved in physique and complexion ; in fact some of them are as fair as the 

 fairest of Brahmans, owing to theii' constant contact with the Indo- Aryans, 

 but their old brother Bhilla still retains the same Ethiopian colour and 

 diminutive stature which characterised him when Parasara found him in his 

 jungle home thousands of years ago. 



The modern Bhils do not appear to be so exclusive as other branches 

 of the great Kolarian race. Sir George Campbell says : " It seems very 

 strange that they should have no language of their own ;" and we are 

 given to understand by Col. Tod that the Oondru Bhil " still claim the 

 privilege of performing the teeka on the inauguration of the descendants of 

 Bappa," and that the Bhumia Bhil chief of Oguna Panora " is of mixed blood, 

 from the Solanki Rajput, on the old stock of pure (Oogla) Bhils." It is a 

 curious fact, that the autochthones of India preside prominently in the coro- 

 nation of their Aryan conquerors to this day, in many places. The interesting 

 scene witnessed by Colonel Dalton in Kaunjhar on the occasion of the late 

 inauguration of young Dhananjaya Bhanga, is an instance of this misdirected 

 loyalty ; but this interchange of good offices and blending of two different races 

 are the natural consequence of the promiscuous association we have had in 

 India from the days when Rama conquered Ceylon with his aboriginal 

 cohorts to the days when Seringapatam and Assaye were surrendered. 



In the later poems of the Hindus, we find that in the Sayambara or the 

 ceremony of proud daughters of the solar and lunar royal races in the 

 choosing of their husbands, even the outcaste Bhilla and other aboriginal 

 chieftains were invited, and sat side by side with the flowers of Kshatriya 

 chivalry and heroism. 



In concluding this paper, I may notice en passant a curious mistake 

 committed by Col. Tod where he translated " Vena Putra" as children of 

 the forest. Vena Putra means the children of Vena, the notorious infidel 

 king, in whose time intermarriages of the original four great castes were 

 allowed, whence originated all the Antyajas who represent the lower orders 

 of the Hindu community. 



