COORG, a British province between lat. 11° 56' and 20° 50' N., long. 75° 24' and. 76° 13' E., area 1580 square miles, and, in 1881, a population of 178,302, of whom 100,439 were males and 77,863 females. Its prominent inhabitants are the Kodaga or Coorg mountaineers, who were ruled over by the Haleri polygars ; but Vira Rajendra, the last raia. was dethroned bv the British in 1834, and ho died in 'Britain in 1862. The Kodaga had successfully opposed Hyder Ali and his son Tipu ; but Vim Rajendrn (Dodda), who died in 1809, was guilty of about 5000 summary executions ; his successor, Linga, died 1820, was greedy, cunning, and cowardly. The aspect of Coorg (Kurg or Kodagu, meaning steep mountain), presents an entire forest; the long and narrow cul tivated valleys enclosed within it servebut to render the vast woods more striking. The country is inter sected in every direction by cuddungs or breast works, estimated at 600 miles in extent, many 12 feet deep and 10 or 15 feet across the ditch. They cross the ranges of hills and each other with little appearance of order, and defy conjecture as to their object. The prevailing languages are Coorg, Kodaga, Canarese, Malealam, Tamil, Tulu, Hin dustani, and English. There are about 40,000 native Coorgs (Kodaga) scattered throughout the country. They are a tall, muscular, broad-chested, well-favoured race of mountaineers, far superior in physique to the inhabitants of the plains, whom they greatly despise. They are far advanced in civilisation, and very intelligent. The vice of drinking has a deep and widely-spread hold upon them. They marry at a ripe age, but the wives of brothers are considered as common property. They generally retain the old devil-worship of the Dravidian race. The raja's palace is supposed to have been built by an Italian, who is said to have been bricked up in a wall as soon as the building was finished. The tribes and races of the population in 1881 was 178,302 souls, com prised, besides the Coorg or Kodaga proper,— .Amma or Ammo. Kodaga or Kaveri Brahmans. Aimbkula, goala or herds.
Higgade, cultivators.
Ainaya Badage, artisans in iron and wood.
Kavati, jungle cultivators.
Paleya, farm labourers from the Tulu and Maleala districts.
Kurubar, two tribes, the Jenn ancl Bettu.
Yerawa, slave emigrants from Malealam.
Meth, umbrella makers.
Holeya, viz. Keinbati Holeya, who speak Kodaga, and 'Maga Holeya, who speak Canarese.
There are also some Mahrattas, Rajputs, Bache war, and Rajpinde, the last being connections of the late rulers. The out-eastes number 31,100, and the wild tribes 14,783.
In 1837 there was a rebellion in the British district of Canara, adjoining Coorg. The Coorg,s at once marched there, quelled the rebellion, and recaptured for the British the treasures carried off by the insurgenta. The Governor-General directed that the recovered treasure should, as a reward, be divided amongst the Coorgs, but they to a man refused to receive it, and proudly declared that they had not fought for loot. The British Government, awakened to a sense of the spirit of these rude warriors, then directed jaghirs and oomli lands to be conferred on them, and pre sented their chiefs with horses, rifles, khillats, and other rnarks of honour. Later still, when British supremacy in India had been shaken to its foundation, a body of Coorgs, armed to the teeth, suddenly made their appearance at Periya patna in Mysore, under the secret instructions of the late Sir Mark Cubbon, and by their presence tended to suppress the growing insolence and disaffection of the .Mahomedan classes of Seringa patarn and the adjacent parts of that province.
In the vicinity of the palace, are settled the descendants of the private guards and executioners of the rajas. These men aro ealled Kapalarus, and were the principal instruments in carrying out the mandates dictated by the last raja. The Amma Coorg, the Sauna Coorg, the Melia Coorg, and the Boddhu Coorg differ chiefly in the matter of marriages. The right of choosing a huslmnd
for the girl vests with her father. Should he have demised, it devolves in succession upon her paternal grandfather, mother, and brothers. in their absence, on the head of the house, whoever he may be. There are only two kinds of nutrriagc.s among,st the Coorgs,—the 13mhman,based on disin terested motives, and which is not brought about on account of pecuniary considerations, and the Gandharva, which is founded in reciprocal desire. The former is the more prevalent. A Coorg is justified in taking to himself a plurality of wives, supposing his first one for the period of ten years produces only daughters. Re-marriage of women is permitted, under certain restrictions. In the event of there being no male issue in a house, a daughter is retained to represent the name, and a husband is procured for her from another house. This husband does not become alienated from his own family, but can take a wife for his own family also, thus raising up seed for both houses. These marriages must take place for the purpose expressed at the time, and the tuTangement cannot be made after marriage. This is termed amongst the Coorg a Makka Parje marriage, or for the rights of the children. Their women have large eyes, and are not very dark. Their hair, en chignon, has splendid gold ornaments on it, and bunches of white flowers. White jackets with short sleeves, embroidered with red cotton, with muslin skirta embroidered with a narrow gold lace, and very short. Their legs and feet bare ; round their tinkles massive silver bands, froin which hang a number of little bells, with a silver chain from the band to each toe, holds a number of rings. Their arma covered with bracelets, and round their necks a number of gold chains with jewel ornaments. In their national dance Coorgs form into a circle. The first figure of the dance is ealled Balakata, and is a slow movement, the men all dancing round, singing, and gracefully waving about chowris (long whisks of hair), with All accompaniment of drums. This is followed by the second figure, called Kolhata, or stick dance, m which each man is provided with a couple of sticks. They all move round as before, beginning slowly, with a sort of prancing step, which gets; picker and quicker. They keep tapping their neighbours' sticks in time, getting more and more excited and hitting harder, as if they were to have a fight, but at a given signal they all instantly stop. The third figure consists of a single combat. One man leaps' into the circle with a war-whoop, armed with a long switch and a metal shield, challenging the ring. Then out springs another, and both dance. At last they rush together, hitting hard. The laws of the game do not allow hitting above the knees, although some, in their excitement, certainly trans,gress. The ankles, however, suffer most, and must smart terribly after tux encounter, When one of the combatants gives in, the other embraces him, to show there is no ill-will. At the end of the third figure, the assembly dance.
leaping vigorously into the air. The Coorg or 1 Kodaga language has been regarded as Canarese, inodified by the Tulu. But Mr. Moegliug states that it is more nearly allied to the Tamil and Malealam than to the Canarese. Cairns or tumuli are in great numbers. They conceal kistvaens. There are also Kolle KaIlu, or sculptured tombstones in honour of warriors slain in battle. Raja Vira Rajendra's daughter Gauramma, whom he brought with him to London, was baptized as Victoria, Queen Victoria being the sponsor, and she married a British army officer, but shortly after he and her daughter disappeared, and she died in 1864. —Cole's Coorg ; Bowring's Eastern Ex-periences ; Rice, Coorg ; Coorg Gazetteer ; Moegling's Coorg.