Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 2.djvu/787

Rh 

The of the entire province number nearly two and a half millions, of whom more than one million and three-quarters are Hindus; 250,490 are Muhamma- dans, 1788 are Christians, and the remaining third of a million are hill tribes, professing aboriginal faiths. The native population is so exceedingly sparse that the demand for labour on the tea gardens has given rise to a system of importing coolies from western Bengal. A series of laws regulate the terms of the contract between the planter and the imported labourer, prevent abuses in recruiting coolies among the ignorant peasantry of the west, and provide for their health and comfort during their transit to the distant districts of Assam. Under these Acts 4988 labourers were imported into the tea districts of Assam (including Cachar) in 1871, the total number of imported labourers employed on the tea plantations at the end of that year being 39,426. A large proportion of the native inhabitants derive their origin from tribes who came from the Himalayan ranges, from Burmah, or from the Chinese frontier. The most important of these are the Ahams or Ahoms, an off shoot of the Shan race of Northern Burmah. They were the last conquerors of Assam before the Burmese, and they long preserved their ancient traditions, habits, and institutions. Hinduism first made its encroachments among their kings and nobility. Several generations ago they gave up eating beef, and they are now completely Hinduised, except in a few remote recesses of Assam. Hinduism has also impressed its language upon the pro vince, and the vernacular Assamese possesses a close affinity to Bengali, with the substitution of s for the Ben gali ch, of a guttural h for the Bengali h or sh, and a few uther dialectic changes. Indeed, so close was the resem blance that during the last thirty years Bengali was xised as the court and official language of the province under our rule. But with the development of the country the Assamese tongue has asserted its claims to be treated as a distinct vernacular, and a late resolution of Government (1873) re-established it as the language of official life and public business. The Assam peasant, living in a half -populated province, and surrounded by surplus land, is indolent, good-natured, and, on the whole, prosperous. He raises sufficient focd for his wants with very little labour, and, with the excep tion of a few religious ceremonies, he has no demar.d made upon him for money, saving the light rental of his fields. Under the peaceful influences of British rule, he has completely lost his ancient warlike instincts, and for gotten his predatory habits. In complexion he is a shade or two fairer than the Bengali. His person is in general short and robust, but devoid of the grace and flexibility of the Hindu. A flat face, with high cheek-bones, presents a physiognomy resembling the Chinese, and suggests no idea of beauty. His hair is abundant, black, lank, and coarse, but the beard is scanty, and usually plucked out, which gives him an effeminate appearance. The women form a striking contrast to the men ; there is more of feminine beauty in them than is commonly seen in the women of Bengal, with a form and feature somewhat approaching the European. In most parts of the country the women of rank go about in public, without that artifi cial modesty practised by native ladies in other parts of India. Although the ancient ruling classes originally came to the province across the Himalayas or from Burmah, a stream of immigration also went on from Ben gal, and the Nadiyals or Doms, who originally emigrated from the Delta, are said to be the most numerous tribe ill Assam. Their original employment was that of fishermen. Although a very low caste, and indeed one of the out- castes among the Hindus of Bengal, they observe in As sam various rules of purity in eating and drinking, with a greater strictness than even the Brahmans. They have not, however, taken a Brahman as their spiritual guide, but follow the instructions of the Kalitas, the ancient priests of the Ahams. The habits of life of the Assamese peasantry are pre-eminently domestic. Great respect is paid to old age ; when parents are no longer capable of labour they are supported by their children, and scarcely any one is allowed to become a burden to the public. They have also in general a very tender regard for their offspring, and are generous and kind to their relations. They are hospitable to people of their own caste, but to no others. The use of opium is very general among the Assamese.

