MS BIHDU -RELIGION 



^mnd torbulent mojnarcliies : in the HhiJu il-ates the adminiftration h^n^ 

 trufled to a miniHer; in the elediye monarchies it is chiefly conduaed 

 hj a council. With refpcdto the condition of landed property, I beheve 



I may Tafely venture to afTert, that oo fi^/a m particular, it is precifely 

 the fame as it nowexifls io hdi^, in tliofe Hindu h^tts, which have leaf!: 

 ISelt the influence of the Mahometan princioks of Government. A right of 

 Ipnvate property 'm the foil k recognised with a refervation to 

 the fovereign of a portion of its produce.* Each village 

 forms a little msnicipHl commtinity complete in itfelf, having its chief, 



II deputy, a village pneil^ i&c. each entided to fome fmall remuneration 

 from the funds (Df the village. If this were the place, the fe parallels 

 wight be carried. a .great deal further. A fliort enumeration of the 

 names and titles of the officers of government^ will convince us bow 

 clofely the oriental iflanders have imitated the Hindu originals. Rajah, 

 a ..Sovereign prince; Tateh, a minifter ; Adipaii^ a title of nobility ; 

 Noyaka, a noble; Mantri^ a tittle of nobility; Sena-pati^^. commander 

 in chief,. &c.t Thefe, i believe, are pure Sanfcrit words ; and the number 

 I have little doubt could eafily be increafed by any one acquainted with 

 that language. 



I HAVE now to offer a few obferi'ations on the hiftory of the infro- 

 du6lion of Hinduifni into the oriental i (lands. The information which I 

 have been able to colled: re fpe6iing this lingular occurrence, will be 

 found more precife and extenfive, than might, at iirft viev/ be expefted, 

 and it may feem unaccountable^ that fa6ls of fuch importance and fo 

 well known to the natives themfelves, fhould be confined to them, 



* The piincipal on which ilie lamJ is afiicffcd on Bali is [leculiar ; but wears at lead the air of tciifon and 

 juftice, reconciling and affimilnirg the inteiefts of she fovereign and fubjefl. The Raj^h is, by a f rt of 

 fidUon, confuiered ihe propiietoj of all tliC water of irtigariorj and bo him are entrufted what in thefe coun- 

 tries may ftridiy be leimed the important funflions of managing and direfling it. Each proprietor pnys a 

 sax proportionate to ihc fupply he receives : and the revenue of the prince is in the ratio of the quainii(y he 

 fopplies. It is his interest ih&K/oje, lo keep the water courfes in repait* to construct new canals, and ta 

 extend ih« cuhivaiion, 

 ^- In Saitfcrit, Rajah a prince, Pali, a mafier or lord, Adb'ipati ;i ^oi/crnor, Nayaca a leader, Mauiri a juiaif- 

 ,tei, SJnd^aii a geneial.— A'ff/e by the S^cutarjf, 



