HINDU INFANTICIDE.

CHAP. I.

Summary, by the Honourable Governor DUNCAN, of the measures adopted by him at BENARES, for the suppression of FEMALE INFANTICIDE, practised in that neighbourhood, by the tribe of Ràj-kumàr, and others.

Extract of a Letter from Mr. JONATHAN DUNCAN, when Resident at Benares, to the Governor-General in Council, dated 26th April, 1789.

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THE first class is the tribe of Raj-kumar, who deduce their descent from Raja 'PIT'HAURA, in whom ended, about 600 years ago, the Chauhan dynasty of the princes of Dehli, and from whose stock the present race of the Raj-kumàr (who then also assumed this new family denomination) is believed to be sprung. Their number, it is said, doth not altogether exceed forty thousand; most of whom inhabit, in nearly one society, the opposite line of our boundary in the dominions of his excellency the Vizier'; but unfortunately for the quiet of both countries, they possess lands that pay about 20,000 rupees revenue in the districts of Anglee and Kereeat

Or Raja-kumara, royal children, or princes of the blood royal. E. M. Some notice is taken of this personage in a note at the end of this chapter. E. M.

B

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Mehera on our side. They are originally Raja-Putras; and even exceed that tribe in the wildness of their notions, and peculiarity of their manners; scarcely owning any allegiance, either to the Vizier's or to our Government; and always ready to betake themselves to arms, to which they are from infancy inured, in resentment either of public or private wrongs, real or imaginary. At the same time they have, I am assured, a sense of honour from which they do not deviate; and are noted for faithfully adhering to such engagements as they may contract."

Extract, from the same to the same, dated 2d October, 1789.

"The necessity of using Sepoys in the general business of the collections will, I have every reason to believe, rapidly diminish. The parts of the country now the most disorderly are on the Juanpore frontiers, and these disorders, as already detailed,

Offspring of the royal race: in the MS. written Rauje Poot, as it is generally pronounced in conversation. The tribe of Raja-putra, or Raj-put, is a subdivision of the grand class Kshetriya, commonly pronounced Kehtri, the second of the four grand divisions of the Hindus. The Kehtri, or Kshetri, is the military class, out of which kings and soldiers are, or ought to be, exclusively taken. The tribe of Rajput is again variously subdivided; there being, it is said, not less than a thousand sects or tribes comprehended in it; itself being but one of five hundred sectarial varieties of the class of Kshetri. These round numbers are not, I judge, presumed to be very exact. See Ayin Akbery, Vol. III. p. 87, Calcutta Ed.-"The natural duties of the Kshetri are, bravery, glory, fortitude, rectitude; not to flee from the field; generosity, and princely conduct." WILKINS' Bhagavat Gita, p. 130. See also Gentoo Laws, Introd. p. c. and Hindu Pantheon, p. 380.

In the mythological origin of the Hindu race, the Kshetri is fabled to have sprung from the arm of BRAHMA; and the word means protection. It would perhaps be impossible, and useless probably if otherwise, to trace with any accuracy the sectarial variations among any grand division of the Hindus; differing from each other, as they generally do, in degrees varying from trivial to important; from social and domestic habits, up to moral and theological conduct and speculation. E. M.

arise chiefly from the Rajkumars, concerning whom I am in daily expectation of receiving the instructions with which your Lordship (Earl CORNWALLIS) has signified it to be the intention of Government to favor me; till when I have deferred proceeding to that quarter, and to the adoption of the measures, that I have had the honor of submitting to your Lordship's consideration, for maintaining as much peace among that obdurate and extraordinary race of men, as they seem capable of enjoying-but that portion appears not to be great; for two of them, viz. ZALEM SING (before mentioned in my address of the 26th of April) and 'GURDAT having lately levied their forces with a design to fight each other on our borders, I have been obliged to warn the commanding-officer at Juanpore to be on his guard against their possible inroads. The appearance of peace between these men has since increased, but we must not yet relax our caution against what may happen, for I cannot rely on their moderation; and, besides, what can be ex

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a Some of the warlike tribes of Raja-putra so generally affect the nominal termina tion of Sing, that it has become almost universal among them as a proper name. Singh or Singa, in Sanskrit, is the lion; an apt symbol of the ferocious courage of this race of warriors. Zalem may have a like signification in Sanskrit as in Arabic; in the latter, it is a derivative from , zum; meaning power, tyranny, or oppression: the latter is its most general sense. ZALEM SING, hence designates the mighty or irresistible lion. E. M. Or GooRDUT, as in the MS. It might perhaps be more correctly written Gurdata, or Gurudata, that is, the gift or boon of a guru, or spiritual preceptor; as having been yielded to an unfruitful bed by the generative deity from the efficacious intercessions of a pious pastor. This is not unusual. BRAHMA-DATA, the gift of BRAHMA-DEVA-DATA, the boon of the lord, literally deodand, &c. Thus may be found the origin of some western names. MITHRA-DATA, for instance, slightly altered to MITHRIDATES, or MITHRADATES; in Sanskrit, meaning the gift of the sun; similar to SURYA-DATA, or HELI-DATA: HELI is a name of the sun both in Greek and Sanskrit. See Hindu Pantheon, pp. 192. 287. 322. E.M.

pected of men inured as they are from their birth and by education to the most atrocious deeds? I am well assured, and it is indeed here generally believed (and being so it is my duty not to keep such enormities, however sanctioned by usage, from the knowledge of Government) that it is no unfrequent practice among the tribe of Rajkumar to destroy their daughters, by causing the mothers to refuse them nurture; whence this race of men do often from necessity marry into other Raj-put families. The greatest exception that I can find to this melancholy truth is, that now and then, the more wealthy Rajkumars will sometimes spare, and bring up their female issue; especially where they happen to have none of the male line. This horrid custom is said to exist also among some other tribes, more especially in the Vizier's dominions, and is thought to be founded in the extravagant desire of independency entertained by this race of men; joined, perhaps, to the supposed necessity of procuring a suitable settlement in marriage for these devoted females were they allowed to grow up; and the disgrace which would ensue from any omission in that respect. Nor is this species of atrocity of recent institution: for a similar prejudice, as existing among the Indians, was known by the ancient Greeks and Romans, as is found in the relations they have left of this quarter of the world."

From the same to the same, dated from Gherwarah, in the province of Benares, 26th December, 1789.

"I cannot conclude this address without mentioning, that having been lately through that part of the country where those of the Raj-kumar tribe reside, I have conversed with several of them; and having, from their own confession, found

that the custom of female child-murder has long been, and still continues very prevalent among them, as noticed in my address of the 2d October, I have prevailed on those situated within our frontier, to agree to renounce in future this horrid practice: to which effect they have entered into the engagement which will be found translated in the accompanying extract of my proceedings. As there remain a few names to be yet affixed to this covenant, it is still circulating among the parties, and I shall hereafter mention the number of the names of the subscribers; to increase which, and farther to promote the salutary object in view, I have written concerning it to Lucknow (the capital of the Nawab Vizier's territories, within which, as already noticed, the greatest number of the Raj-kumars reside). And as this baneful habit is not confined to the Raj-kumars, but extends, though not in a degree so prevalent, to the tribe called Raghuvansa, who reside in our Pergunna of Mongra, and Talook of Chandwack, and in other parts, I have taken measures for their signing a separate similar engagement, from which I have very sanguine hopes that this system of Infanticide will be put a stop to, or

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↑ Raghuvansa, means the offspring, or descendants of RAGHU. It is sometimes written Ragvunsy, and so commonly pronounced; or Rugbunsie, as in the MS. The title of Raghuvansa may have been assumed by a sect affecting to be descendants of RAGHU, a great hero, ancestor to RAMA CHANDRA, who is hence called RAGHUVA, and was also a great warrior. A sect of Baudhas may also be so called; BUDHA being the mythological father of a RAGHU. Vansa is farther applied by Hindu mythologists to the fabled descendants of the sun and moon; these great races being respectively called Surya-vansa, and Chandra vansa ;—va, I imagine, as in RAGHUVA, to be an abbreviation of vansa. See Hindu Pantheon, Index, under the names and words that occur in this note. E. M.

The division Pergannak may be compared with the hundreds; the Talook, or Taluka, to a village, in England. The Taluk is written Chundwuck in the MS. I should write it Chandvaka, and imagine it is classically spelled, if of sufficient importance to be so dignified, Chandravaka; bearing some lunar allusion. E. M.