The Ethnology of India. 109 



they are in fact in the Punjab, so far as a more energetic race will 

 permit them, all that the Maratta Bramins are in the Maratta country, 

 besides engrossing the trade which the Maratta Bramins have not. 

 They are not usually military in their character, but are quite capa- 

 ble of using the sword when necessary. Dewan Sawan Mull, Gover- 

 nor of Mooltan (and his notorious successor Moolraj), and very many 

 of Runjeet Sing's chief functionaries were Khatrees. Even under 

 Mahommedan rulers in the west, they have risen to high administra- 

 tive posts ; there is record of a Khatree Dewan of Badakshan or 

 Koondooz, and I believe of a Khatree Governor of Peshawar under the 

 Affghans. The Emperor Akbar's famous minister, Todar Mull, was 

 a Khatree ; and (though I was not before aware of it) a relative of 

 that man of undoubted energy, the great Commissariat Contractor of 

 Agra, Jotee Pershad, lately informed me that he also is a Khatree. 

 Altogether there can be no doubt that these Khatrees are one of the 

 most acute, energetic, and remarkable races in India, though in fact 

 (except locally in the Punjab) they are not much known to Euro- 

 peans. They are, either on account of their name confounded with 

 Rajpoots (by those who only see the name), or more frequently, on 

 account of their mercantile profession, are confounded with the Bun- 

 neahs or Banians, with whom socially (as matter of tribe and caste) 

 they have no connection whatever. The Khatrees are staunch Hin- 

 dus, and it is somewhat singular that, while giving a religion and 

 priests to the Sikhs, they themselves are comparatively seldom Sikhs. 

 And though, judged by a modern Hindu standard, they can hardly 

 penetrate as they do into Central Asia with much regard for caste, 

 they show their staunchness by never succumbing to the Mahomme- 

 dan faith, where all the Indians around them have done so. I scarcely 

 think that there are such people as Mahommedan Khatrees in lati- 

 tudes where Jats, Rajpoots, and others are all Mahommedan ; and 

 even in Affghanistan they seem to maintain their faith intact. The 

 Khatrees are a very fine, fair, handsome race. And as may be gather- 

 ed from what I have already said, they are very generally educated. 

 There is a large subordinate class of Khatrees, somewhat lower, but of 

 equal mercantile energy, called Rors or Roras. The proper Khatrees 

 of higher grade will often deny all connection with them, or at least 

 only admit that they have some sort of bastard kindred with Khatrees, 



