The Ethnology of India. 69 



were it not that they are hard-pushed by the clerkly caste of Kaits 

 who also are numerous in Bengal. As it is, the Bramins have a 

 large share of the landed property, the public offices, the educated 

 professions, and some mercantile and banking business. They are 

 very numerous. In the entire absence of statistics and detailed 

 information in Bengal, the only source of ethnological information 

 which I can find is in the jail statistics. These show that about 

 9 per cent, of the total number of Hindu prisoners are Bramins. 

 We may suppose that the Bramins of Bengal proper come to jail 

 less frequently than the inferior classes, and this return certainly 

 seems to prove that the Bramin population must be very large. 

 I do not understand that anywhere in Bengal they form the mass of 

 the population, or that they are often found in the lowest ranks of 

 agriculturists and labourers. They are rather more or less an 

 aristocratic class, and though following a variety of callings and to 

 some extent cultivating the land, will not ordinarily put their hand to 

 the plough, and affect as far as possible the position of superiors. They 

 are altogether unwarlike and somewhat effeminate in their habits. 



In Eastern Bengal Mahommedans prevail, and some Bramins are 

 supposed not to like to cross the Berhampooter, hence in that quarter 

 they seem not to be very numerous. In Orissa I believe they are 

 very many, and I see it stated in the Gazetteer of Southern India 

 that in the Oorya portion of the Ganjam District many of the Oorya 

 Bramins both obtain their livelihood as cultivators and traders, and 

 follow the occupations of brickmakers, bricklayers, &c. 



The result of education shows the Bramins of Bengal to be most 

 acute and intellectually capable. But they do not appear to have 

 the practical energy of the mercantile and some other classes, nor 

 the political and administrative success of Maratta and Kashmeeree 

 Bramins. In native times I do not remember to have heard of Bengalee 

 Bramins in great places, unless we except Nandcomar who attained 

 so unfortunate an eminence. In these days I believe that intellectual 

 eminence is often combined with much high principle among the 

 educated Bengalees, and I hope that both may bear practical fruit. 



Going to the other side of India^ in Goozerat the Bramins appear 

 to be numerous, but I have not yet visited that Province, and have 

 not exactly ascertained their position and avocations. Forbes does 



