iqq II I N D O 
“ If a, Brahmin-go to wait on a prince, the fervants and 
derbans lhall not obltrutft his entrance, but give him a 
ready admiftlon. 
“ If a Brahmin be paffenger in a boat, he dial I not pay 
any thing to the waterman ; and he lhall enter and leave 
the boat before any other of the paffengers. And in 
making way on the road, all are obliged to yield to the 
Brahmins.” 
The drefs appointed for the Brahmins is a fhort robe, 
which reaches not below the knee ; over their Ihoulders 
is t’nrown a loofs mantle ; and on their breaft hangs, from 
the left Ihotilder, the zennar, or .facerdotal ftring, which 
is made of a peculiar kind of perennial cotton, called 
ncrma ; and is compofed of a certain number of threads 
of a fixed length. That worn by the Khatri call has 
fewer threads than that worn by the Brahmin ; and the 
third caft, or Vhyfe, have fewer ftill. The fourth, or 
Sudra caft, as we have observed, are not permitted to wear 
it at all. The elder Brahmins prelerve their beards, long 
and venerable; but their heads, like the other Hindoos, 
are lhaven, and only one long lock is left behind. 
The functions of royalty devolve without exception on 
the Khatri caft; and the pofleffions and authority of 
their rajahs are hereditary, defcending in the line of legi¬ 
timate male primogeniture. But, as the right of blood 
defcends only to this degree, in default thereof the prince 
may adopt any one of his kinfmen to be Iris liicceftor; 
and who, from the time of his adoption, obtains the 
rights and the appellation of his fon. 
The younger branches of the families of rajahs gene¬ 
rally ferve in a military capacity, and have foinetimes 
lands given them, which they hold .by a feudal tenure, 
ca\\ed jag hire. 
Ali commercial tranfaclions- are committed wholly to 
the Vhyfe, vulgarly called Bannians. 
The Sudra caft is by far more numerous than ail the 
other calls together, and comprifes the artilan, and the 
labourer of every kind. The mechanics and artifans are 
again divided into as many claft.es as there are profeftions. 
Ninety-eight fubdivifions of the different calls, have been 
reckoned by De la Croze, who has given an account of 
their names, and different employments. All follow the 
profeftions of their fathers, as a common obligation; 
None can quit the clafs he belongs to, nor be admitted, 
nor ought he to marry, into another : and hence probably 
that relemblance that fome have pretended to qbferve in 
each clafs, as if composing one great family. 
The cheerful resignation of the Sudra to his inferior 
ftate in fociety, with the impoliibility of riling above it, 
befiues the effect cf education, may be afcribed to the 
influence of his religion. He is taught by it to believe 
that he is placed in the Inhere lie now moves in, by -way 
of trial, or for offences committed in a former life; and 
that, by piety and refignation, he will enjoy greater hap- 
pineis in another. 
Though the fubordinate calls enjoy greater liberty with 
refpect to diet than the Brahmins, yet they fcrupuloully 
refrain from what is forbidden them, and will not partake 
of what may have been provided by any inferior caft, or 
different religion. They may eat filh and iielh, but not 
of all kinds indifferently; but to abftain from them is 
confidered a virtue.—“ Thole tvho have forfaken the 
killing of ali ; thole whofe homes are a lanftuary to all; 
they are in the way to heaven.” 
No Hindoo of any-of the four calls is allowed, by his 
religion, to tafte any intoxicating liquor ; it is only drunk 
by Itrangers, dancers, players, and Ciiandalahs, or outcafts. 
Of the principal mixed dalles, which have fprung from 
intermarriages of the four original calls, Mr. Colebrooke, 
in the fifth volume of the Aiiatic Refearches, has given 
the following enumeration: 
i. Murd'habhi/hi£la , from a Bi;ahmana, or Brahmin, by 
a girl of the Clhatrya or Khatri clafs : his. duty is the 
teaching of military exercifes. The fame origin is afcribed 
in the great D'iierrna-purana to the Cumbhacara, Cumar, 
O S T A N, 
or potter, and the Tantravaya, Tanti, or weaver: but tbs 
Tantravaya, according to the Jatimali, fprung from two 
mixed claftes, begotten by a man of the Manibandha on 
a woman of the Manicara tribe. 
s. Ambafnt' ha, or Vaidya, commonly called Baidya, 
whole profeftion is. the fcience of medicine, was born of 
a Vaifya or Vhyfe woman, by a man of the facerdotal 
clafs. The lame origin is given by the D’herma-purana 
to the Canfacara, or brazier, and to the Sanc’hacara, or 
worker in ftidls. Thefe again are Hated, in the Taijtra, 
as fpringing from the intermarriages of mixed claffes; 
the Canlacara from the Tamracuta and the Sanc’hacara; 
alfo named Sanchadareca, from the Rajaputra and Gand- 
hica: for Rajaputras, (rajahpouts,) not only denote 
Cfhatriyas or Khatris, as Ions of kings, but is alfo the 
name of a mixed clafs, and of a tribe of fabulous origin, 
according to the Rudra-Yamala Tantra: “The origin of 
Rajaputras is from the Vaifya on the daughter of an Am- 
balht’ha.” Again, “ thoufands of others fprang from the 
foreheads of cows kept to fupply oblations.” 
3. Nijhada, or Parafava, whofe profeftion is catching 
filh, was born of a Sudra woman by a man of a facerdotal 
clafs. The name is given to the iifue of a legal marriage 
between a Brahmana and a woman of the Sudra clals. 
It lliould feem that the iflue of other legal marriages in 
different dalles, were delcribed by the names of mixed 
claj'cs, fpringing from intercourfe between the feveral 
tribes. This, however, is liable to feme quellion ; and 
fince Inch marriages are confidered as illegal in the prefent 
age, it is not material to purfue them. According to 
the D’herma-purana, from the fame origin as the Nilhada 
fprings the Varajivi, commonly called Baraiya, or aftro- 
loger. In the Tantra, that origin is given to the Brahrne- 
fudra, whofe profeftion is to make the feats ufed on fome 
religious occafions. Under the name of Varajivi is de- 
feribed a clafs fpringing from the Gopa and Tantravaya, 
and employed in cultivating, betel. The profeftion of 
aftrology, or, at leaft, that of making almanacs, is af- 
figned, in the Tantra, to degraded Bralnnanas, thus: 
“ Brahmanas, falling from their tribe, became kinfmen 
only of the twice-born clafs: to them is aftigued the 
profeftion of afeerthining the lunar and folar days.” 
4. Mahijhya is the fon of a Cfliatriya by a woman of 
the Vaifya tribe. His profeftion is muiic, aftronomy, and 
attendance on cattle. 
5. Ugra was born of a Sudra woman by a man of the- 
military clafs. His profeftion, according to Menu, is 
killing or confining fuch animals as live in holes : but, 
according to the Tantra, he is an encoiniaft or bard. 
The fame origin is attributed to the Napita, commonly 
called Naya, or barber; and to the Maudaca, or con¬ 
fectioner. In the Tantra, the Napita is faid to be born 
of a Cuverina woman by a man of the Patticara clals. 
6. Carana or Caran, from a Vaifya by a woman of the 
Sudra clafs. is an attendant on princes, or fecretary. The 
appellation of Cayaft’ha, or Cait, is in general confidered 
as fynonymous with Carana ; and accordingly the Carana 
tribe commonly affu.mes the name of Cayaft’ha: but the 
Cayaft’has of Bengal have pretenfions to be confidered 
as true Sudras, which the Jatimala-feems to authorize; 
for the origin of the Cayaft’ha is there mentioned, before 
the fubject of mixed tribes is introduced, immediately 
after deferibing the Gopa as a true Sudra. One, named 
Bhutidatta, was noticed for his clomeftic affiduity; there¬ 
fore the rank of Cayaft’ha was by the Brahmins afligned 
to him. From him fprung three Ions, Cliitrangada, Chi- 
trafena, and Chitragupta; they were each employed in. 
attendance on. princes. The D’herma-purana afligns the 
fame origin to the Tambuli, or betel-leller, and to the 
Taniica, or areca-feller, as to the Carana, or Carans. 
The fix before enumerated are begotten in the dircEl 
order of the claftes. Six are begotten in the inverfe order. 
7. Suta, begotten by a Cfliatriya on a woman of the 
prieftly clafs. His occupation is managing horfes, and 
driving cars. The fame origin is given, in the Purana, 
to 
