OCR Rendition - approximate

316 Sin H. B. FRERE -On the Laws affecting the They accommodated their own religious beliefs, more or less to fit into the dominant religion of their Aryan conquerors. The Tiger God, Wagya, became an incarnation of the orthodox Siva. Murri, the goddess of small pox, or cholera, was localised as a manifestation of the Brahminical Bowani or Kali, and generally the fetishism and demon worship of the aborigines was fitted into the nomenclature of the more philosophical Brahminical pantheon. Physically some change took place, partly owing to changes in the conditions of life, such as the use of clothing, however scanty, and the habit of living in houses. All the Helot races, in the Deccan, for instance, are darker than the Aryan Hindus, but seldom so dark as the unchanged aboriginal races, and sometimes clear traces are to be seen among the Helots of crisped hair, rarely if ever seen in a pure Aryan race. But there was little if any visible change from admixture of races, owing to the strictness of rules of caste. Intermarriage between a pure Aryan and a Helot was peremptorily and effectually forbidden. Concubinage was restricted within the narrowest limits, and as a domestic institution was rendered, by severe caste penalties, nearly impossible to any but men of high rank and great influence, and thus it happens that when all the Helot castes and sub-divisions of a large Deccan village are assembled, it is easy to recognise a general difference in colour and physical characteristics from one another, as well as from the various Aryan castes living within the same village. In some cases, from various reasons, the changes caused in aboriginal tribes by contact with the Aryan races are less marked than in others. Thus the village Bhils and Ramoosis, and Mangs of the Deccan are less fixed to settled habitations than other Helot castes or races living side by side with them in the same villages. They more readily revert to nomadic life ; and if it is reported in the Deccan that the Mangs or Ramoosis have left their houses in the little hamlets of Helots outside the village walls, and are living in temporary booths in the distant fields and jungle, the experienced Brahmin Administrator will look out for disturbances, organised gang robberies, preluding insurrection. He will say, " It is always the way with these wild people ! They are but evil spirits half tamed, or wild beasts, and will return to their lawless ways whenever the hand of Government is slackened." There are scattered among the Aryan populations of the open plain country a few aboriginal tribes who have never been settled down in fixed habitations, and have not lost all traces of their aboriginal tongue. Such, for instance, are the Wuddars, who under various names are found as nomad quarrymen and