Page:The People of India — a series of photographic illustrations, with descriptive letterpress, of the races and tribes of Hindustan Vol 8.djvu/206

KHONDS. the kidnapping of children and adults in the plains became known, as also the sacrifices they were intended for, were called upon to suppress them, which they refused to do; and this, and other acts of defiance of British authority, led to the Khonds being attacked by a British expedition in the year 1836. It would be out of place here to give details of the war which ensued, and of the difficulties which attended a war against savages among mountains covered with almost impenetrable and most unhealthy jungles, only opened by partial clearings. The Goomsoor hills were found to be only from 2,000 to 3,000 feet high, and therefore subject to the most deadly malaric influences. When the first campaign had apparently brought about the submission of the Khond chieftains, and engagements to discontinue the Meria sacrifices, the troops were withdrawn; but it was soon proved that the measures taken were inefficient, and that human sacrifice was renewed. A second war was therefore commenced, and, with a better knowledge of the Khond country, the military operations were ultimately, though not till a good many years had elapsed, successful. From time to tune some hundreds of persons, destined for sacrifice, were given up, both males and females, and the Khond chieftains, as well as their Hindoo princes, were bound under severe penalties to repress the horrible practice within their several jurisdictions. Colonel Campbell’s personal narrative of service among the wild tribes of Khondistan, published in 1864, gives full particulars of the tribe of Khonds, and of the measures taken to effect the discontinuance of the old sacrifices, and in all respects will be found most interesting to the general reader.

The motive for human sacrifice would appear to be the propitiation of the earth goddess for the grant of favourable crops, averting calamity, and insuring general prosperity. The earth goddess in Goomsoor, and Boad is worshipped under the form of a bull; in Chinna Kinedy, as an elephant. "In Jeypoor, the blood—red god of battle, Manik Sooroo (thus they style him), is the deity whom they seek to propitiate by human victims. Thus, on the eve of a battle, or when a new fort or even an important village is to be built, or when danger of any kind is to be averted, this sanguinary being is to be propitiated with human blood.” Captain Campbell proceeds to give details of the sacrifice, and of the Merias, as follows, p. 52:—

"Irrespective of the sacrifices offered by the community as a body, it is not an uncommon thing for private individuals to make special offerings on their own account, in order to secure the attainment of any particular object.

"Both the motive and manner of sacrifice differ among the various tribes. The rite itself, however, is performed with invariable cruelty. The victims, called Meria, must be bought with a price: this condition is essential. They may be of any age, sex, or caste; but adults are most esteemed, because they are most costly, and therefore most acceptable to the deity. They are sometimes purchased