88 



COL. T. HOLBEIN HENDLEY, C.I.E., ON THE 



and punished all Hindus on account of their religion, or the in- 

 vasions of their country by the numerous Mohammedan invaders 

 -of India, from a sense of common danger, led to general resist- 

 ance of the foe, but so loosely knit were the discordant elements 

 of these combinations that failure often occurred on the eve of 

 victory, or the ultimate advantages of victory were lost to the 

 race. As an instance of the former, the defeat of Sanga Maha- 

 rana at Biana by Baber from the defection of one of the principal 

 Rajputs may again be mentioned. 



The love' of land is an overwhelming passion with the 

 Rajput, and has often tempted him to despoil his neighbour, 

 and to take advantage of his difficulties. It has thus come 

 about that although the tribe has remained firmly established 

 in Rajputana, the same clans do not always hold the same 

 possessions, nor have they the same boundaries as formerly. It 

 was the custom at each succession, for example, for a new 

 Maharana of Udaipur to make a raid into a neighbouring 

 State, and so begin a struggle for extended dominions. Each 

 of the more celebrated septs has thus in turn come to the 

 front. The brave Chohans once held very extensive sway, 

 so did the equally renowned Tuars, both having at one time 

 been rulers at Delhi, but the one is now represented by a noble 

 in the Alwar State, and the other, as a Jaipur chief, holds his 

 little court at Patan in North Jaipur, where in a small house, 

 within sight of a great fort above on the hills, I was received 

 on several occasions by him as if he had still in his possession 

 the lordship of the Imperial city, which was given up 700 or 

 800 years before, showing how much men such as he live on 

 the glories and traditions of the past. The history of the 

 abandonment of the upper fort is characteristic. A former 

 lord had killed his own father, being eager to enter into 

 possession, but was soon overcome by remorse as his fears led 

 him to believe that the place was haunted by the defunct, and 

 so persistent was the vision, that he went to live in a hut on 

 the plain, and from that day none of his descendants have 

 ventured to take up the old home. Both Jaipur and Jodhpur 

 have been stained by crimes of this nature, and these have 

 been due to the love of possession, which was driven into 

 crime of the worst kind by the evil suggestions of the Delhi 

 power. In these, and similar cases, the deed has been 

 execrated by the Rajputs themselves, and the superstitious 

 fears of the murderer have made his life a burden to him. 



Superstition and religion are very much allied in the Rajput. 

 Every state has its tutelary divinity, who at some critical 



