DEIFIED WARRIORS are largely worshipped in the Peninsula of India. Rama, one of these, was the leader of an invasion of the southern part of the Peninsula of India and of Ceylon. He advanced into the forests of Dandakaranya, scattering the prior inhabitants as he advanced, whom he described as Rakshasa and demons, driving some of them into the forests and moun tain retreats, where they still reside in a barbarous freedom, and reducing others to the state of predial slavery, in which the Pariah, the Pallar, Cherumar, and other humbled races are now dwelling in the plains. To such invasions is owing the circumstance that each province in India has its "own peculiar helot race ; and each range of mountains and each forest tract its own tribes of wild savages, either wholly independent, or partially subject to their more civilised neigh bours in the open country. We may instance the
Pahari of the Rajrnahal hills on the banks of the Ganges, and from their locality westwards through all the races in the Vindhya hills, the Meena, the Mhair, the Bhil, the Koli, southwards through the Gond races in Bustar and Gondwana. Amongst the Santal, the Gond, the Kond, Chenchwar, Souriah, the Yanady, the Irular, the Kururnbar, the Beder, Kallar, to the Maleali or mountaineers in the south, an infinite succession of races and tribes, with customs and speaking languages differing greatly, from the inhabitants in the plains, besides whom are numerous homeless races, as the Korava Wadawar, Yerkalwar, and Pardi. The ancient 'Sanskrit writers give other names of ancient races with whom the Aryans came in con tact in their advance to the Ganges, some of vvhich cannot now be traced.