90 the rronoLooT or tri iwdum 



evolutions of Asianesta must remain obscure. I make any re- 

 marks on northern Indian ethnology with much diffidence, because 

 it ia at present in the hands of Mr Hodgson, who has admirable 

 qualifications and opportunities for prosecutinff it with, suecesv 

 It appears to me however, looking back on India with the li^ht 

 thrown on it by Asianesian ethnology, that there must have been 

 an era in the histpry of the Gangetit- basin, intermediate between the 

 first influx of the Tibetan race and that of the Aryans, in which the 

 former spread into the basin, and received influences of an Iranian 

 or quasi Iranian kind as well as Africo-Indian ones; and that, 

 for a long period after Aryan tribes appeared at the north 

 western extremity of the basin, the Tibeto-Iodian races must 

 have predominated in it, until the slowlv extending Aryan 

 tribes introduced n new element This, which we may term 

 the proto-Aryauism of India, must have been of a fcr simpler 

 or less dfcTvloped character, in every respect, than the later 

 culture v in u enabled the tribe of Aryavarta to take * 

 gigantic stride in advance of all other Indian civilisations, and br 

 its intellect, its institutions, its valour and its arts, to expand itself 

 beyond the bounds of a petty district lyin^ without the Gnnzerro * 

 basin, until it grew into many nations winch occupied the whole 

 Gangetic valley, held the older inhabitants in servile subjection, 

 and bo increased in numbers is to cause an assimilation uf all their 

 languages to its own. • 



During the first transition era, before the advance of the Brah- 

 mans, the old tribes on both sides of the Ganges must have conti- 

 nued for a long period to be influenced by the proto- Aryan civili- 

 sations and languages. The higher Aryanism must also Jfava 



freatly influenced them before thev w'ere finally conquered, 

 elotised, assimilated or exterminate! by the western nations. It 

 i§ to the earlier of these transition periods that I think many of the 

 Iranian and quasi Iranian trails in physical character, reli* 

 gion, institutions and^ customs which are recognized in the 

 Tibcto-Anam era of Asianesian development, are to he attributed ; 

 and Asiane*uin ethnology may thus become available in restoring 

 the eihnio history of the Ganges. The evidences of the G angelic 

 basin having undergone such a succession of ethnic changes before 

 the complete establishment of Iranian ism are numerous. I may 

 instance the Turanian physical characteristics which prevail 

 amonerst the Rajmabali, Khonds, Kols and Gonds on the southern 

 side of the basin, as far as the meeting of the Gonds and the Bails, 

 when an AfricoJndtan character takes its place. On the northern 

 and western side it prevails throughout a great portion of the 



• Tier* i» iVr&liig- rwnMaiiee bettrem the tenJlne ethnic fartmw of 'bt 

 ijraad of the Bmhm*iic*J ncc down tfe hwm o! th* c Jatvo ind that of the 

 normern Chiasm do\wn the buiu ot ?he Uo.m^ho. However touch f.e Vraitr 

 mAy'hix^e brought -.vith il Into the Gamgrtic Uuin, its <-h,„f imeU*:iua] *n<l rxumm 

 culture w*> jwrobtbiy raoeind there 



