Page:A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Description of the District, or Zila, of Dinajpur.djvu/108

96 tion of early marriage, are very apt to do. Husbands are however often difficult to procure, as a woman cannot marry a man younger than herself, and as a large proportion of the men are bought by the parents of low women. If a Barondro Kulin marries the daughter of a Kap, he is degraded to that rank; but his sons and grand-sons are more respected than usual, and are more marriageable. A Barondro Kulin may, however, marry the daughter of a Srotriyo, without any degradation, and all the children of this marriage are Kulins. A Kap also receives money, when his son marries the daughter of a Srotriyo; the children are elevated to the rank of Kap; but the husband must keep his wives and children at home, and provide for them. The Srotriyo men were thus very ill provided with women; and so long as the rales of caste were strictly regarded, a great many of them could not procure wives. But since the deaths of of Rajshahi, and of Raja  of Nodiya, two very pious and powerful landholders, who supported the laws of caste, these men have been let loose, and are not ashamed to give money to procure wives, so that the higher ranks of Kulin and Kap are defrauded both of their due profit and pleasure, for the Srotriyo fathers are not able to resist the temptation of the money, especially as they also save what they must have given to their betters.

A Rarhi Kulin Brahmin may marry as many wives as he pleases, and some have 60, but in general they cannot procure above 8 or 10. They visit them alternately, and give themselves no sort of trouble about the maintenance of either the mothers or children. In other respects, there is little difference between their customs, and those of the Barondros. By a marriage with the daughter of the next rank they are reduced to that order, or at least they are considered as a lower order of Kulin, but their children by women of the lowest order are elevated to their full dignity.

The Brahmins of the five tribes are subject to many other divisions, but I shall at present confine myself to notice a few. Whatever his birth may be, a Brahmin may either become a Pandit, who adheres to the proper duties of his profession, or he may engage in worldly affairs, and take service, in which case he is called Vishoyi. These two terms are analogous to the words Baidek and Laukik of the south; but the distinction is not so widely drawn in the north; and changes from the one kind of life to the other are there less uncommon, which is probably owing to the high pre-eminence given to family rank. It must also be observed, that among the Kulins there are very few Pandits, and most of these learned persons belong to the 3rd rank, or Srotriyos, who having little rank by birth must study, if they are desirous of obtaining respect.

The difference of sect or religious tenet produces much less separation among the Brahmins of Bengal than it does among those of the south, owing probably to the doctrine of the Bedantos having little attracted the notice of the former; so that the greater part of the Brahmins of Bengal, although divided into five sects, have not placed themselves under the banners of any great doctor, such as Songkor,, or ; not but that the writings of several such personages are known, but they have not produced heat enough to generate controversy. Indeed it is not customary with most of the Brahmins of Bengal to declare the sect to which they belong, except to their Gúrú, or spiritual instructor; and it is not considered as civil to ask them the question: whereas those in the south glory in their sect, and take every opportunity of declaring their adherence to it and their aversion to all others.

Among the Barondro Brahmins, however, many of the third rank openly profess themselves of the sect of Vishnu, and are called Odwaito Bongso, or descendants