Page:A Geographical, Statistical, and Historical Description of the District, or Zila, of Dinajpur.djvu/125

Rh and then the Dolpoti determines, whether or not this can be done, and on what terms; and the re-admission is always accompanied by an entertainment for the company. The power of the Dolpoti however is not arbitrary, as his decisions must be guided by the consent of the principal people of the company, which in Bengal is called a session (baitok). His influence however is very considerable, as he expends much money in entertaining the company. Frequently indeed his profits are great in proportion, especially in large towns, where breaches of the law are common, and where the people are rich; and there he sometimes procures great wealth. Should the Dolpoti become poor, and unable to entertain, he is deprived of his office, and another is elected. No transaction of importance that can affect caste, such as a marriage or feast, should be undertaken without informing the Dolpoti, in order that he may know, whether any thing improper is going forward. The number of assessors does not seem to be fixed, nor is there any regular election. From 5 to 10 of the men, who are most esteemed for learning, wisdom, or riches, assemble to assist the Dolpoti. Among the higher castes they are called Visishtos; but among the lower castes they are called Prodans, or Raymaniks; and in many castes every head of a family obtains these titles.

In large places there are two or three principal Dolpotis, whose companies in general quarrel, and endeavour to do each other all the ill offices that they can. Each caste, when it is numerous in any place, has besides one or more Dols or companies, for enforcing the observance of its rules. Each kind of Brahmin, and each caste of Sudros, has its own, and most of those castes are subdivided into several branches, that dispute about precedence and purity, and that cannot intermarry, and each of these subdivisions has usually a separate chief. In the various castes the chiefs of companies are called by various names, the most common is Poramanik. His authority is similar to that of the Dolpoti. In some of the lower tribes, such as basket-makers (Patonis), the office of Poramanik is elective, and his power is restrained by that of the Guru, whose confirmation is necessary to render the election valid; nor can any person be excommunicated or fined without his consent. These two last rules are generally observed, wherever all the members of a company have the same Guru.

The faults usually punished by these sessions are eating forbidden things, or with forbidden persons, and cohabiting with those who are impure or forbidden: persons also, who have been convicted by the magistrate of theft or perjury, must pay, according to circumstances, before they are received into their company.

The followers of Muhammed and of the Brahmins compose almost the whole population of Dinajpúr, so that I shall have little or no room to say any thing concerning other religious opinions.

Among the natives Christianity may be said to have made no progress. There are no native Portuguese, and no trace remains of the labours of Mr., although he resided for some years in this district, and his zeal and abilities are well known. His successor in the mission, Mr. Fernandez, a native of Portugal, who I believe was once intended for a popish priest, has had very little success, although he is a person of very good address, with some propensity to turn every thing into the wonderful, which cannot fail to be of use with such a people. His converts are five, and two are married and have families. One of them can read the Scriptures in the language of Bengal, and endeavours to instruct his countrymen; but the conduct of the converts is beheld with the utmost abhorrence by the other natives.