4 
b.—Rajpoots. 
Rajpoot (Raja Pootra, the sons of princes) is the title claimed by all of the Kslmttri, 
or second grade of Hindoos, according to the established four great divisions of Brahmin, 
Kslmttri, Vyse, and Soodra. Of these the Kslmttri are the military dass of warriors! 
and belang to the original stock of the Aryan invaders and conquerors of India. 
Rajpoots are divided into niany classes and clans, some of which can intermarry ; while 
others, as well from the assnmption of exceeding purity of descent, as from degeneracy 
of mixed extraction, can only marry in their own grades. There is no dass of Hindoos 
in India so fastidious upon the score of unblemished descent as the Rajpoots, and, as a 
consequence, none nroie diflicult to satisfy in marriage contracts, As an unhappy con- 
sequence of these prejudices, female infanticide has been very largely practised arnone- all 
Rajpoot clans and families of India. 
In consequence of the persistent efforts of the India Government, however, it may 
now be said, that in most localities of the British provinces, the destruction of Rajpoot 
female children has ceased, that the census return shows a fair proportion of girls to 
boys, and that the difficulties of marriages have been greatly overcome. In native 
Rajpoot states, the engagements of chiefs and princes with us, and the System of register- 
ing female births which has been introduced, have contributed in a large degree to the 
success of this measure ; and thus thousands of lives have been saved which, under 
former custom, would have been infallibly sacrificed. 
Every Rajpoot is master of Ins weapons, and most of them perform daily gymnastic 
exercises, of a diflicult and arduous character, to an advanced period of life. They have 
no objection to agriculture, bnt, on the contrary, are excellent farmers. They refuse 
however, to hold the plough, and only do this office under necessity, and when unable to 
hire a ploughman. In Oude they form the great hereditary proprietary of the country, 
and wherever tribes of them have settled, they have acquired land and retained it. In 
lecent times some of them have taken up education, and are now attending schools, 
filling civil and other situations, for which, from their natural intelligence, hardly less 
than that of Brahmins, they are eminently capable. 
The present tribes of Rajpoots are found for the most part in the independent states 
of Jyepoor, Oodeypoor, Ajmere, Joudpoor, and in the great area between the Sutlej and 
Indus to the west, the Ganges and Jumna to the east and north, and the Nerbudda to 
the south, where they form a large and important portion of the general population. 
The chief clans are the Chohan or Chowhan, the Rahtore, Hara, Jhareja, and Rat och" 
Of these the Chohans are most numerous in Mynpoorie, the Haras in Harowtee, their 
especial province, the Jharejas in Cutch and Guzerat. In Oude the Rajpoots form the 
almost exclusive military population, although engaged in agricultural pursuits ; and it 
was from this province that the Bengal army used chiefly to be recruited. 
Rajpoots are, in by far the greatest number, vegetarians, subsisting upon farinaceous 
food, with vegetables, pulses, ghee, butter, and milk. Nor has this affected their strength 
or endurance. Some of the Rajpoots are decidedly the finest men India produces • many 
among them bemg six feet .and upwards in height, and stout in proportion, with strik- 
mgly handsome features, fair complexions, and grey eyes—the unmistakeable evidence of 
purity of descent from the ancient Aryans. 
No. 11. Maharajah of Benares. 
The present Maharajah has shown himself fully 
alive to the advantages of European civilization; 
and has displayed mach munificence in contributing 
from Ins large revenues to the schools and other 
institutions of the city. 
No. 12. Rajah of Jubal. 
Jubal is one of the many small territories which 
are classed under the denomination of Simla Hill 
States, and yields a revenue of from 8,000/. to 
10,000/. per annum. 
In 1852, the present Rajah was a minor; and 
owing to the maladministration of the property by 
Ins father, he was made a ward of Government,’and 
his estate plaeed under the control of the political 
agent at Simla, until he attained his majority. 
When the mutinyand rebellion of 1857 broke out, 
the hill chieftains, and those of the Punjab, were 
called upon by the Chief Commissioner, Sir John 
Lawrence, to afford their aid in Support of British 
authority; and it was by their prompt and loyal