Laws.
Population.
Political Importance.
furrounding, .^gplarity.remains to -be ëkipilained by
learned ' enquirfi;s, T h e^yiejieigoty ||g| ,abandojig(|j to i l e rrmilitary
caft,' arid, the monarch.was .prefumed .t.o„ hp. proprietor o£ all the .lands;
:exeeot thofe fe-lpöging.'to the'church. The- Ryots held their. poffeffio,ps
by a lcafe at a fixed rate,'* and confid.ere.d^as perpetual. -; .The .Zemin-
.dars we-re in she op ip jon^ fqpge only eollpdprs of the, royal rents from
the Rypts,-or "fafqiejsbfeaecording .to others *th.e-^ejrpndais were
^landed gentlemen, who had, ja hereditary right toSj^befe; jentg, upon
paying a Settled proportion to the crown. - It is to be wilhedthat the
ffloft liberal European forms were introduced ifitp. our own .eftablifli-
ments, which might ferve as a. beneficent model to the fufcOwndin-g
ajations.
The laws o f the Hindoos are- intituatelyhlended with' theihreligibu,
And the curious readpr slay cpafult the code,: tranflatcd an$ pub’lifhed
by thé diredion of Mr«. Haftiogs, w
The population o f this extenfive part o f Afia 4s Tüppófed tó amount
to fixty nMllipnsy @Swhich the Britifh polfefilont ^ay^riow pefhaps^Stti
taia aquarter, efpecially asfrequentreeeftt-eonflids haVeSMhfêdthe
populatioa ia many other p a ts o f Hindoftriri.h WKéAiï'Idf córËëered
that China is about one quarter lefs than Hindoftan, and -yet is faid to
contain three hundred and thirty millions, ! we may j udge of the boafted
effeds o f Hindoo philofophy, more'fit for the vifionary chi! o f the feel
life, than to promote univerfal fpirit and induftry.
The general revenues o f Hindoftan were computed,; in the time o f -
Aurunzeb, as already mentioned, by a précife calculation of thofe of
the feveral provinces, at thirty-two millions fterljng; equal perhaps,
ddnfidering the; comparative'price ‘ of produds, to one hundred and
fixty iriiilions ftérling in modè'rn England.
Thepólitical importance and relations o f Hindoftan-are now divided
among many powers. So miferable was the inteftinë conftitution that
this wide and populous country, defended on all hides by-ranges of
mountains, has in all ages fallen a prey to, every invader. The fan-
taftif finftitutions, like thofe of the ancient Perfians, prevent the Hindoos
from forming a maritime power; and even the fmall fleets of
JSiam
Siam &nd Pegu, which Fodów - the more* liberal^dodrines of Boodh,
fcém iitlidvallêd in the hift'drykjf Hlh^ofthof
Thé iiianilters and- fcu'ftofnsbf the Hindoos' are' intimately blended
#ith their religion,;4M 3 I& univerfally fimilar, with a few exceptions?
in mopnSmnous and other peculiar,diftrids. '0 he óf the moflt fingular-'
begins to expire', that of giving the li\4ng:Widow to the fame flames
with’her h.ufóand’s- corpfe. The. aneieiïts-repréfent the Bramins as ac-
cuftomedto terminate’ their own liVèS'öft furiéral piles flighted by thém-
felyes. But tby what refinementsgf ^ru^ty this cuftójn Was éJrtended'
ïè ^^^titary and helplefs femalèS Itöè'not appelated ifóèrhaps the caufe
was to enforce the prefervation of their- hufbandjs .Health by making
their life dépèiM’ on his.* .But
the Bf-atnins hre treated with lenity, and even refped by maftyauthorsy,
who feem to inherit the Greek aftohiihment at thefe fanatics
“ And wonder with a; foolith face öEpraifti;*j’ T
The other manners and' cuftoms of the Hiudoos bave been illuftrated*
by many traveller Si A® fooq as a child is bom it is; carefully regiftered:
in' its proper paft, and aftfologers'are confiilted*concerning-its;déftiny;.
for thé Hindoos-, like the Turks, are ftrid predeftinarianst A Bramin;
impofes .the name. The infant thrives by- what we would call negled; -.
arid no where are fèen. more vigour and' elegance of ferm», The boys:
are generally taught, reading and writing by* Bramins, but the girls are-
éonfified at home till their twelfth year.* Polygamy ispradifed; but
one wife is- acknowledged- as fupreme: the-ceremony is accompanied’
wfth~many firangè idolatrous ;fbrrös,. minutely dèfcribed by jtfte authop*
laft quoted. It is wellknown that theHindoosareextremely abfte--
miqus, and' wholly..ab'ftairi from animal food and intoxicating liquors ;;
yet if we judge From the- fanatic penance's,. fuicides,-. and other-fuper--
ftitipus frenzies, no* where on earth is* thé mind To much difordered.
The houfes' and drefles are of the moft fimple kind; and nudity is no *
repfoach-to a Bramin. The houfes are built of earth or bricks,, covered
with mortar,, and fometimes with excellent;-cernènt , with no- windows,,
* This cuftona wa» chiefly ériFövcédiph’tlié^ivesiof Bramink
9 Sce*6 voyage -to the Eail ihdies'fhy Fra.. Paolino da-San Bartolomeo,x8pöj 8vo; the-au-; -
tW ’ei lay name-wa» Wefdin, an Auftrian.-
Of’
P o l i t ic a i .
Import^
Manners an
Cuftoms.
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