Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 4.djvu/145

 RAJPOOTS. (199)

LLUSTRATIONS of Rajpoots as single figures, have occurred (ante Nos. 119, 120, and 137). The present group is one of Chohan Rajpoots, of which tribe No. 137 was a single specimen, and with it a sketch was given of the legendary history of the Chohans, who arrogate to themselves the highest position among all Rajpoot clans; nor, except perhaps by the Haras, is this disputed. It is not necessaiy to recapitulate the particulars of the Chohans already given; but a sketch of the distribution of the Rajpoots of the North- Western Provinces of India, and of the tribe in general, may be useful for reference on future occasions.

Brahmms assert that the Kshatryas, or Kshuttries, are extinct. Rajpoots, however, consider themselves of this grade, which is next to that of Brahmins in the original scale, or four divisions of Hindoo castes, and there is no indication, either from feature, form, or character, that the present Rajpoots of the highest clans, Chohans, Haras, &c., are in any way debased from the original stock. They are still essentially warlike and exclusive ; preserving then traditions of descent by the strictest rules of intermarriage, and the rules of their caste as it appears to have been originally established, as far as was possible under the progressive alterations of social existence and polity. They profess in general but a small reverence for Brahmins in the abstract, and the quarrel between the Rajpoots, or Kshuttries, and the Brahmins, is as old as the Mahabharat, or older. In social rank the Kshuttries claim the highest grade. When Brahmins were only priests, the Kshuttries were rajahs, or lords. They were the conquerors and rulers of kingdoms. As they subdued the aboriginal races and founded local states, the Brahmins followed them, served them in a priestly capacity, and were the depositaries of learning, which the Kshuttries despised. In the Mahabharat, the record of a war between two Kshuttrie races, the rivals are members of a ruling family, the combatants are of then own tribes, and the Brahmins are mere spectators, counsellors, or priests of national sacrifices and ceremonies, evidently holding their original position, which