ETHNOLOGY OF THE PRESENT DAY. 205 



Sunnite Islam. The provinces of the empire are divided among the men 

 of rank, who possess unlimited authority, which passes also by inheritance. 

 They are a well shaped, hardy race, proud and insolent, and, long accus- 

 tomed only to robbery and war, are strangers to all polite education. 



The Hindoos. 



The Hindoos (about 14 millions) are the aborigines of the East Indies. 

 They are of medium size ; of slender, regular, but not powerful build ; 

 have a brownish yellow or olive colored, shining, and very soft skin, which, 

 however, is of a dirty appearance. Their eyes are rather soft than fiery ; 

 the brows handsomely arched ; the hair soft, black, and glossy. The 

 women are more delicately formed than the men ; both, however, have 

 small hands and feet. They are temperate, intelligent, and skilful ; 

 generally of a mild disposition, but cowardly, crafty, deceitful, and very 

 arrogant towards their inferiors in position or strength. 



The Hindoos are divided into five principal castes, the four first of which 

 are considered noble, the fifth, ignoble ; with subdivisions in all. The 

 Brahmins form the highest and noblest caste. They are honored by all 

 the rest as superior beings, who must be treated with the greatest respect. 

 They are permitted neither to be under the same roof with a person of a 

 diflferent caste, nor to taste anything not prepared by a Brahmin. They 

 consist mostly of priests, officers of state, and learned men ; many, never- 

 theless, are engaged in mechanical arts, commerce, and the cultivation of 

 fields and gardens. They are not allowed to drink wine, eat flesh, or chew 

 betel. 



Next in rank follow the Tshetries, Rddshas, or Kshatrias ; to whom 

 belong the sovereigns, princes, and warriors. 



The third class, the Vaishis, Vaishias, or Vassiers, are engaged in rear- 

 ing cattle, agriculture, horticulture, and commerce. They are educated, 

 moral, and industrious, and are believers in the doctrine of transmigration 

 of souls. Hence they kill no animal, not even a small insect, and even 

 purchase animals about to be slaughtered in order to preserve their lives, 

 and nurse aged or sick animals at their own expense. 



The Shuders, or Sudras, constitute the last of the noble castes. They 

 are either engaged in the arts and handicrafts, or are monks, soothsayers, 

 magicians, and jugglers. The lowest division of this caste consists of the 

 curriers, who are at the same time shoemakers ; of the butchers, who are 

 also executioners ; and the bayaderes or public dancing women. 



There are several middle classes besides, that have arisen from a mixture 

 of the pure castes, and who are not respected, but are yet esteemed much 

 higher than the fifth class, which contains the unfortunate Pariahs. The 

 Pariahs are condemned, from their very birth, to pass their lives in the 

 bitterest misery, and are universally despised and even abominated. They 

 are obliged to perform duties of the lowest description, which would be 

 degrading to all other castes. They neither perform the prescribed ablu- 



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