Page:A Statistical Account of Bengal Vol 1 GoogleBooksID 9WEOAAAAQAAJ.pdf/87

72 96,260 males and 36,871 females; total, 133,131, or 29.7 percent. of the population. The Buddhists number 622 males and 247 females; total, 869, or .2 per cent. of the population. The Christian community (European and Native) consists of 12,917 males and 8439 females; total, 21,356, or 4.8 per cent. of the population. Other denominations number 636 males and 415 females; total, 1051, or .3 per cent. of the population.

Including, therefore, the town of Calcutta and the general District, the 24 Parganás contain a total population of 2,657,648 souls, namely 1,455,616 males and 1,202,032 females, the proportion of males throughout the entire District being 54.8 per cent. Of the total population thus given, 869,430 males and 728,851 females are Hindus, making a total of 1,598,281; the proportion of males being 54.4 per cent., and the proportion of Hindus to the total population 60.2 per cent. The Muhammadans number 563,377 males and 457,607 females; total, 1,020,984; the proportion of Musalmán males being 55.2 per cent., and of Musalmáns to the total population 38.4. The Buddhist inhabitants consist of 711 males and 301 females; total, 1012. Proportion of Buddhist males, 70.3 per cent.; proportion of Buddhists to total population, .04 per cent. The Christians consist of 20,763 males and 14,360 females; total, 35,123. Proportion of males, 59.1 per cent.; proportion of Christians to total population, 1.3. ‘Others,’ 1335 males and 913 females; total, 2248. Proportion of males, 59.4 per cent.; proportion to total population, .08 per cent.

, as shown above, are the most numerous section of the community. The Census Report returns their number, including those of the town of Calcutta, at 1,598,281, the proportion of males being 54.4 per cent. A brief description of two prominent sects of Hindus, who differ considerably from their fellow-Hindus, inasmuch as they professedly abjure caste, may be convenient here.

.—I have already treated of the Vaishnavs (or Baishnabs) from the social point of view in my list of castes, pp. 66 and 67. The following is a brief description of them from a religious point of view. The sect was founded by Chaitanya, who was born in Nadiyá, in 1485 A.D., of Bráhman parents. He lost his father as a child, and continued to live at home till he attained the age of twenty-four, when he went on a pilgrimage to Mathurá and Jagannáth, and became a worshipper of Krishna. He then promulgated his doctrines, denouncing the