944 



INDIA, OR HINDOSTAN. 



ed into Hlndostan. The Hindoos excel in working in gold and silver, and in cutting, polish- 

 ing, and setting precious stones. 



22. Commerce. The Banians or Hindoo merchants, Armenians, and Parsees carry on the 

 principal part of the internal trade ; the maritime commerce is principally carried on by the 

 English, Americans, &c. The English East India Company prosecutes an extensive com- 

 merce between India and China, and the Indian Islands ; tea is imported from China, to which 

 opium is sent ; spices from the Moluccas; coffee from Arabia, &c. Until 1813, the East 

 India Company had the monopoly of the British trade wiih India ; but the intercourse between 

 Great Britain and Hindostan was then made free to all British subjects, and in 1833, the other 

 commercial privileges of the Company were abolished, and the functions of the Company have 

 become merely administrative. The commerce of India has always possessed an illusive splen- 

 dor in the eyes of Europeans, derived from the brilliant character of some of its articles. But 

 it by no means ever possessed die magnitude or importance attached to it by some, and its 

 value has somewhat declined in modern times. The annual value of the exports of British In- 

 dia is about 55,000,000 dollars ; of imports, 40,000,000. 



23. Religion. The Hindoos are chiefly professors of Bramanism, but Buddhism is the re- 

 ligion of the Cingalese, the Nepaulese, and some others. The Jains are a Buddhist sect, who 

 have incorporated some notions derived from Bramanism with their faith. The Seiks profess 

 the religion of Nanek, a mixture of Mahometanism with Bramanism. The Mahometan religion 

 is professed by that race of conquerors who established the empire of the great Mogul, and who 

 were, in fact, a mixture of Persian and Turkish tribes, and by some Hindoo converts. The 

 Parsees or Guebres are numerous in Guzerat, and there are some Jews and Christians. 



24. Government. The native princes, who reign over a considerable part of the country, 

 possess in general absolute power. The East India Company of merchants rules over the im- 

 mense territorial possessions belonging to it, without any other control than the responsibility 

 of its agents to the government of Great Britain. The government of the Company is vested 

 m a Court of Directors, under the supervision of the Board of Control, which consists of some 

 of the chief ministers of the crown. The president of Bengal is styled Governor-general of 

 India, and, with the other presidents, is appointed by the Directors. The laws and usages of 

 the Hindoos are generally respected within its possessions. The vassal princes or allies have 

 little more than the pomp of power, the real authority being, for the most part, in the hands of the 

 Company's residents or agents, stationed at the allied courts. The Company maintains a large 

 standing force of 256,000 men, consisting chiefly of native soldiers, called sepoys, but officered 

 by Europeans ; only the inferior ranks being accessible to the natives. Garrisons are stationed 

 in the allied territories, the troops composing which are paid by the respective princes. Thus is 

 unhappy India enslaved by her own children, who are paid by her own money. The revenues 

 of this great mercantile tyrant are derived chiefly from the territorial taxes, the trade having 

 never proved a great source of revenue 



25. Inhabitants. The inhabitants of India are Hindoos, who compose the mass of the popu- 

 lation ; descendants of Turkish and Persian tribes, who at diflerent periods conquered the coun- 

 try ; Europeans, of whom the number is few, not probably amounting to 100,000, including 

 the civil and military servants of the Company, and the king's troops stationed in the country ; 

 the Anglo-Indians, or East Indians, or descendants of English by Hindoo women, of whom 

 the number does not exceed 50,000 ; and a number of nations, such as the Garrows, Gonds, 

 Bheels, Jits, &c., who do not appear to belong to either of these races. The Hindoos are 

 dark, well-made, slender, and graceful, and their expression is soft and retiring ; less impas- 

 sioned than that of the Persians or Arabs. The forehead is small, the face oval, and the mouth 

 and nose rather of the European cast. The ears are larger and more prominent than in Euro- 

 peans ; the females of the higher castes, who do not labor, are exceedingly delicate, graceful, 

 and sylph-like. Their eyes are dark and languishing, and their skins polished and soft. The 

 men have two fashions of dress, one very ancient, the other partly adopted from the Mahome- 

 tans. The ancient dress is in three pieces of cotton cloth, one bound round the waist and 

 falling to the knees, another wrapped round the body, and the third around the head. This 

 may be very gracefully disposed. The other dress is cotton drawers, a long robe tied with a 

 scarf, and a turban. This is the regular dress of the Hindoos ; but the poorer class have often 

 but a piece of cloth wrapped around the loins. The head is usually shaved, except a lock be- 

 hind. A small pair of mustachios are worn. The dress of females is very elegant. The 

 close part is a jacket with half sleeves, which shows the shape. The remainder of the dress is 



