in coarse black clothes which do not improve their appearance.
Yet the Jaut women exercise an influence over the
men which is rarely found among Mohammedans.”
3. PhysicaT characters of the Sindhians:—There are in
Sindh two descriptions of inhabitants, the military, including
the Beluehe tribes who have descended into Sindh,
besides the Zemindars of different denominations, and secondly,
the mercantile classes, both Hindoos and the Mohammedan
Jauts. These are as industrious as the former
are proud, indolent and jealous.
The people of Sindh are a strong and hardy race|^n
complexion similar to the natives of western India. The
higher classes are corpulent proverbially, and are con-
sidered.as so much the more handsome amh respectable.
The Beldeltes and many of the Sammh tribes have features
remarkably Jewish and’ thoroughly different from those of
the other inhabitants. An oval contour iof face, aquiline
nose, arched eye-brows, and high-sorehead, with^expressite
eyes, are the features of the Sindhians Both .siexps^are
remarkably handsome.
The Hindoos who reside in Sindh, resemble their brethren
in the towns on the western coast of India.
4. Of the Sikhs.—The most interesting people of these
countries are the Sikhs.
The Sikhs were originally rather a sect than a distinct
raee of people, though they have now formed for centuries
a particular tribe. They are the followers of Kanaka, the
founder of a new Indian superstition, who was born in
Lahore, a .d . 1419. They were formerly attached to a
republican government, equality being inculcated by their
religionbut were brought to submit to the rule of Runjit
Singh, who extended the power of the Sikhs. His kingdom
extended from the Sutlej to the Indus, and from Kashmir to
Multan, comprising the whole Panjhb or the region watered
by the five tributaries of the Indus. Formerly. Umritsir
was the sacred city of the Sikhs, where their religious and
political conventions were held.
The original country or the “ mother earth” of the tribe
is the “ Doab” between the Ravee and the Sutlej. They
are a small population.' No Sikhs are to be found westward
of the Ilydaspes and to the eastward of Lahore, where
they do not, as we are assured by Sir. A. Burnes, compose a
third part«of the population. |
The Sikhs Were ^originally Hindoos of * the Panj4b, for
they were5first associated in that country, and their mother
tongue is the Panjfibi dialect of the Hindustani. They have
been for" some • centuries in great measure s distinct race*
and ibis remarkable that theykave acquired distinct physical
characters. On this subject-1 shall citehn interesting
.observation of--Sir A. Burhès,.1' He- says^T *£ there is a
ciiridtisl subject’ of speculation' in the appearance of the
Sikh people* and theiP general* resemblance to-each other.
Aw a tribe »they were unknown Tour hundred years ago ;
and the features of the who|e: nation are now as distinct
from those* of- their neighbours as tlie Indian andXhinese,
With an extreme regularity of physiognomy and an elongation
of tbe countenance, they may bd readily distinguished
from otheid tribes** That any nafrioir#possessing peculiar
custOS^phould havo a-common, character and manner is
©asil/ ’tmderstoodqs but thatflirfïtfo short a pe||pd?bfi time
some hundred thousand I people should* exhibit- as strong a
national likeness, as is to** bd* seen among the children of
Israel ispto say the least, remarkable
bs^fltr' A. Buriles assures us that*- the people, between the
Acesines and the HydaSpes agree with -the- description given
by Arrian, who s'aywthat the inhabitants are strongly built
and* large-limbed and taller in stature than most Asiatics.
This is in the higher country near the plateau formed by
the Salt Range. !
We have a more ample account of‘the physical ch aracter s
of the inhabitants of Kattiwar or ;the peninsula of Guzerat,
and this may perhaps ^serve as a* speCimenof the northern
Hindoos»*: ;
The inhabitants of this country, who have* been preserved
by looalf circumstancetefrOim anyngrèat changes- for many
centuries, are classed under four heads. *>
| Bokhara, vol. •**
. VOL. IV. 1 1 ’ I • ■ ' , 2 F