190 
ON THE ORIGINAL INHABITANTS 
If the Kunets or Kunawaris are, as I believe, of Gaiidian 
origin, the circumstance of their being called Mon, moun- 
taineer, gains in importance ; for this name can then be 
derived from a Grauda-Dra vidian word. I feel inclined to 
derive the name of the inhabitants of Kunawar, i.e., of 
the ancient Kulindas and the modern Kunets, from the root 
ku, mountain. The etymology of the Madura term Kun- 
nuvar from Knnnu, mountain, is evident, and is confirmed 
by the meanings of the other two names of this tribe, i.e., 
Koravar and Mannddikal. Yet, it is doubtful, whether 
Kunnava is an original name or was afterwards adopted. 
One of the peculiar features of the social habits of the 
Kunets is their strict adherence to the old Gauda-Dravidian 
custom of polyandry. Polyandry, it is true, does not ac- 
tually prevail among the Southern Kunnavas, but a woman 
can take in succession as many husbands as she likes, though 
she is allowed only one at a time. 
remains of old stone liuildings, many of them foundations of squared stones, 
all of which, are attributed to the Maowis or Mons, the former rulers of the 
country . . I think it therefore very probable that the Mon^ of the Cis- 
Himalaya may be connected with the Mundtis of Eastern India, who are 
certainly the Monedes of Pliny, as well as vdth. the Mons of Pegu. As these 
last are called Talaings by the Burmese, it would seem that they must have 
emigi-ated from Telingana, I would also suggest that the true name of 
Mongu- was most probably Moyiagiri, and that the coimtrj- of the Muiidas or 
Monedes once extended northward as far as the Ganges at Mongir." See Csoma 
de Korosi, Geographical Notice of Tibet in Bengal Asiatic Society's Journal^ 
vol. I, p. 122 : " The hiU people of India who dwell nest to the Tibetans are 
called by them by the general name of Man, their country Mon Yiil, a man Mon- 
pa or simply 2Ioi>, and a woman Mon-mo) . . (Pp. 131-132.) The language of 
the Kunets, like that of the Khas, just described by ilr. Hodgson, is a corrupt 
dialect of Hindi, but it still retains several traces of a non- Aryan language. 
Thus the word ti, for water of stream, is found all over the Kunet ai-ea. The 
word is not Tibetan, but occiu-s in the Milchang dialect of Lower Kunawar. 
It is clearly connected with the di and t< of the E. Koch and IMoch tribes, and 
with the da of the aboriginal Kolish dialects of Eastern and Central India, the 
Munda, Santhal, Ho, Kuri and Saur or Savara. Thus within the Kunet 
area are the folli)\ving large stivams. (1) Rd\va-ti, or Kivi Eivor. (2) Xyung- 
ti, or Bias River . . (P. 133). Several of the great rivoi-s of Northern India 
have the Kolish affix da, as Pad-da, Narma-da, Bahu-da, etc. . . Da-Muda> 
Da-Sau, . . Altogether I think the evidence of language, so far as it 
goes, points decidcclly to a Kolish rather than to a Gondish afl^ity for the 
