200 



ON ORISSA PROPER 



their faults, are certainly the most mild, quiet, inoffensive, and easily ma- 

 naged people in the Company's provinces. They furnish too a valuable 

 class of servants known as the Balasore bearers, in whom the virtues of fi- 

 delity and honesty (according to their own conception of those qualities) 

 are conspicuous. 



Population of 

 the hill couu- 



tries. 



The inhabitants of the hills, and of the jungles on the sea shore, differ 

 chiefly from the population of the Mogalbandi, in that they are more shy, 

 sullen, inhospitable, and uncivilized than the latter. Their chiefs, the Khan- 

 daits or ancient Zemindars of Orissa, who claim to represent the regal and 

 military class, are grossly stupid, barbarous, debauched, tyrannical, and 

 slaves of the most grovelling superstition. Whatever the cause of the de- 

 gradation ascribed to them in a very curious passage of the Institutes of 

 Menu, if subjection to Brahmins could redeem their lost dignity, they have 

 long since entitled themselves to the recovery of their station amidst the 

 four great classes of the Hindu nation. The passage above alluded to is this, 

 s ' The following races of Cshatriyas by their omission of holy rites, and by 

 *' seeing no Brahmins, have gradually sunk amongst men to the lowest of 

 " the four classes, viz. Paundracas, Odras* and Draviras, Cambojas, Ya- 

 tl vanas and Sakas ; Paradas, Pahlavas, Chinas, Ciratas, Deradas, and 

 " Chasas." The Paiks or landed militia of the Rajwara, combine with the 

 most profound barbarism, and the blindest devotion to the will of their 

 chiefs, a ferocity and unquietness of disposition, which have ever rendered 

 them an important and formidable class of the population of the province. 

 They comprehend all casts and classes, chiefly perhaps the Chasaor culti- 

 vating tribe ; occasionally individuals of the lowest casts are found amongst 

 them, as Kandras, Pans and Bawaris (Sanscritice Berber or Barbarians :) 

 and the fashion, has often prevailed of adopting into their order some of 

 the more savage inhabitants of the remote hills, called Kands, as also 

 even Mussulmans and Telingas. It is well known that they are paid by 

 service lands, which they cultivate with their own hands in time of peace, 



* Oorias, 



