VICTORIA INSTITUTIONS' India pages

They are by nature miserly in sharing their knowledge, and they take the greatest of efforts to hide it from men of another caste among their own people, and also, of course, from foreigners.

Chogans sometimes have a few stones around a tree in the front of the house to represent the spirits of their ancestors, and perform certain ceremonies in their honour every year.

Every man considers himself polluted by the touch of one of a lower caste ; and there are castes low in the social scale which mutually convey pollution to each other.
But in addition to this, at a certain point in the caste system, the taint is supposed to become so pronounced as actually to affect the atmosphere and carry pollution to persons, houses, and so on, within a radius of several yards from the person who is the centre of infection.
Based on this theory there is a recognised scale of distances at which members of each of the polluting castes must stand from a man of higher caste or his house, the distance increasing as we descend the social scale.

The traditional Brahman account is that it was ordained System by Parasurama, who bade the women of the Samantan. and Sudra classes “ put off chastity and the cloth that covered their breasts and declared that the duty of such women and the object for which they were created was to satisfy the desires of the Brahmans.

............ it may be said in a general way that to a European eye the best favoured men and women to be found in the district are the inhabitants of ancient Kadattunad, Iruvalnad, and Kottayam, of whom a large proportion belong to the Tiyan or planting community.

It may be added here that in a population so highly intellectual as that of the Malabar coast, the Koil Tampurans and Rajahs in it seem to possess almost a monopoly of brains and good manners, particularly so the few families of that class settled in Travancore.

It is noteworthy that neither Jews, Christians or Muhammadans are considered to convey this "atmospheric pollution”, and this is true even of converts to the two latter religions from the lowest castes. It is evident what an immense inducement is thus afforded to the latter to raise themselves in the social scale and rid themselves of so many vexations and degrading restrictions and disabilities by embracing Islam or Christianity.

Sudras meeting Brahmans adore them, folding both hands together ; the Brahman, in return confers his blessing by holding the left hand to the chest and closing the fingers. .

A Shanar youth who took the high-caste seat at a public cook-shop was discovered by his mode of eating rice, picking it up with the fingers, while a Brahman scoops it up gently with the side of the hand lest he should tear with his nails the leaves which they are accustomed to use as plates.

..... that it is difficult to find pure Brahmans or Kshatriyas anywhere, more especially in the south of India, the popular traditions may embody some fragment of truth regarding the transformation of fishermen into Brahmans by Parasuraman investing them with the sacred thread.

......... the most wealthy and numerous of whom were the Chetties and Goundas,— a vile servile race of mortals, who are strangers to every honest sentiment, and whom nothing but one uniform system of severity ever will prevent from the commission of every species of deceit and treachery.

Kiriyathil Nayars. These belong more to Cochin and British Malabar than to Travancore and are supposed to represent the highest class.

I have had that aid from all sides — officers of Government, retired public servants, vakils, journalists, private individuals, land-lords, planters, bankers, merchants, agriculturists, Vydians, Mantravadis, Christian metrans, bishops and missionaries and numerous other correspondents of divers sorts.