S e c t io n III.—Of the Parbatiya Tribes inhabiting the Hill-
States to the westward of the Rivers Kali and Gogra.
The hill-country immediately to the westward of the
Kali is termed in the Puranas Khash, and the people are
spoken of as impure infidels.# The people originally thus
termed were perhaps the native races, but in modern times
the Parbatiya inhabitants are called Khasiyas in the neighbourhood
of the Kali. The Khasiyas profess to be pure
Hindoos,rand they are considered as Xatriyas: the Brahi
mans residing among them are of the Kanoja nation. Dr.
Hamilton was of. opinion that many of the agricultural
people in this part of the country, though they have, the
name of Sudras, are in reality descendants of the native
tribes, who were suffered to remain when the^country was
occupied by the Hindoos.
The tribes inhabiting the country^to the westward of the
Kali are enumerated by Dr. Hamilton as follows: isj
Tliappas, Ghartis, Karkis, Majhis, Basnats, Bishtakos*
Hamas, Kharkas. It seems that these ‘ tribes, more' or
less of impure or mixed race* together with the Brahmans,
constitute the mass of the Parbatiyas or Mountain-
Hindoos. There is also a considerable tribe called Rawas
who are slaves and accompanied their masters from Chetaufv
The principal states in the Khas country are Kum&ti and
Garhawal. Beyond this last state the people are hot termed
Khasiyas. The inhabitants of Kumah have been described
in a particular manner by Mr. Traill.
Mr. Hodgson, H proves to us indisputably th a t these arts may continue in daily
use for ages in a vast society, without once falling into the hands of the strong
man of Milton; and consequently without Awakening one of those sublime
energies, whose full developement in Europe has shed such a glorious lustre
around the path of man in this world.”—-Hodgson, ubi supra.
* Hamilton, ubi supra.
Paragraph 1.—Of the Natives of Kumati or Kumaon.
It has been observed by Mr. Traill, that the hill-country
of Kurnau, immediajttpfy to the westward of the river Kali,
must from its situatioiu have been »peopled: either from the
table-land of Tartary or from the plains of Hindustan.
“ Judging,” he wetp&P from thé: personal appearance of the
inhabitants, their .‘religion, their language, the latter is most
probablëfll The cwi^B^fe^elocupants appear to have been
Uncivilised. At a later period the,hefebrity of the Himalaya
in the Hindu mythology^ by inducing a constant resort of
pilgrims, led to a gradual colonisation from various parts of
Hindustan: invasiom&nd^onquest soon followed. Such are
therenrrent and probable traditions* The colloquial language
of Kumah is -pure Hindi without any admixture of
Parsi; it differs considerably from the dialect of the adjoining
state of Garhawal. “ This indicates a colonisation either
anterior to or speedily consequent on the Mohammedan
conquest. Thejpopulation are Hindoos in cugtoms and prejudices.
Caste®are observed among the upper olasses with
extreme rigour. The inhabitants of Kumaon are comprised
under three classes.-^-Brahmans, Rajputs or Xatriyas, and
Doms. Even the labouring people pass for Rajputs. The
Dorns are outcasts to whose lot fall the inferior trades and
menial offices.”
Besides these- three classes-of people there are in Kurnau
some small remains of the aboriginal inhabitants* who
wander in the rude freedom of savages along the skirts of
the Himalaya. They are called Rawats or Raj is. Mr.
Traill suggests that the Dorns are partly descended from
them, a conjecture founded on the great difference between
the Dorns and the other inhabitants, the Dorns being all
extremely black, and having hair inclining to wool: secondly,
they are mostly in a state of hereditary slavery.
The facts here reported by Mr. Traill prove that the
Dorns are a distinct people from the so-termed Brahmans
and Rajputs, but it is perhaps more probable that they
were introduced into the country by their masters as slaves