Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 8.djvu/111

 TODA MEN. (433)

TODA WOMEN. (434)

HE Todas are in many respects the most interesting local tribe on the Nilagiris or Neelgerry hills, and, in consequence of their Caucasian features, peculiar habits and ceremonies, fine forms, and supposed lordship of these mountains, have given rise to many speculations as to their origin, and position in ethnology. By some they have been claimed as descendants of Scythian invaders of India, who, as a remnant, retreated to the fastnesses of the mountains, and have resided there from an unknown period. Others have assumed them to be the last original remnant of the Aryan invasion of India. In short, there have been many speculations upon the Todas, and there are many works extant which describe this small remnant of an ancient race, and the cairns and cromlechs which are supposed to be connected with them. The forthcoming work of the late Mr. J. W. Breeks, previously mentioned, affords much information in regard to the Todas, which we propose to incorporate in this article; "but in regard to their history and traditions," he observes, "the Todas have hardly a tradition or legend, by which information of any sort in regard to their former condition can be obtained. They believe that their ancestors always inhabited these hills; that is (for their ideas on the subject seem chiefly negative), they have no knowledge or belief of their having migrated from elsewhere. Dr. Metz thinks thc Todas came from the neighbourhood of Kaligal (Collegal), because he has often been asked for news of the relatives, who, they believe, still reside there. I cannot find, however, that any Todas are now known in that neighbourhood. Mr. Minchin informs me that there are three colonies of Todas in Wainaad, one at Devala, and two on the eastern slope of the Neligalam peak range. . . . They are Peikis, and say that they left the Nilagiris sixty years ago,