In July 1838, Lieutenant Hill, of the Survey Department, described the practice of human sacrifice as existing in the Kandh Mahal of Gumsur, in Daspala, Boad, and Sohnpur, just south of the Mahanadi, and in Chinna Kimedy, Pedda Kimedy, Jeypore, and Bastar. The Bastar raja had the credit of having himself organized the most extensive sacrifice that had ever been heard of, on which occasion 27 adult males had been immolated •, in fact, it was not supposed that any Kandh Mahal was free from the stain.
The number, however, it was said, had dimin ished from hundreds to ten or a dozen yearly ; but this improvement was not general, and the Kandhs of Boad had promised acquiescence in the wishes of Government, but as a final sacrifice they offered Tani, before they gave it up, a sacri fice comprising 125 victims. On the 1st April 1848, Colonel Campbell reported that, with one or two exceptions, all the influential men of Boad had pledged themselves by the most solemn oaths (sworn on a tiger skin and on some earth) thenceforth to abandon human sacrifices, and in earnest of their sincerity 235 Meriahs were given up.
Chinna Kimedy was found to be divided into seven districts, each under a Hindu chief or Pater, subdivided into Mfittahs (groups of vil lages or parganas) and villages, each under a Kandh headman called Maji. The country is described as in steppes. Throughout this hilly region human sacrifice and female infanticide generally prevailed, the only exceptions being in the districts of Sarangad, Chandraghari, and Degi of Kosadah. The annual season for the sacrifice was about to commence when the agent marched into this country, but 206 Meriahs were given up.
In Jeypore, human sacrifices had been annually offered to Maniksoro, the god of war, as well as to the earth-goddess. The victim was tied to a post by his long hair, assistants to the officiating priest holding out his arms and legs so that the body was supported over a narrow grave, with the face downwards. The priest, standing on the right side, prayed for success in battle and preser vation, and as he prayed he at intervals hacked at the neck of the victim, whom he addressed in consolatory words, assuring him that he would soon have the honour of being devoured by the great god Maniksoro for their benefit, and that his obsequies would be performed decorously, and reminding him that they had bought him for this special purpose from his parents. He was then decapitated, the body falling into the rave, and the bleeding head remained suspended rout the post till the birds devoured it.
Colonel Campbell, in Jeypore, succeeded in )sciting 77 Meriah males and 117 females. .fter tho suppression of human sacrifices in the faint's of Jeypore, it was found that the practice xiated in the low country amongst relatively ivilised and educated men. The victims were enerally of the Tura class, purchased from their arents. At the town of Mulcagherry, 100 of hese children reserved for sacrifice were found nd were surrendered.
Of the numerous Meriahs recovered from the Zandhs, a largo proportion were young girls, rho, becoming wards of Government, were rought up with care, and were more or less ducated. It was deemed good policy to give ome of these damsels in marriage to Kandh achelors of respectability ; but Colonel Campbell scertained that these married wards had no mole children, and, on being closely questioned, hey admitted that at their husbands' bidding hey had destroyed them. Captain found hat in the districts of Pntiadeso, Sorabisi, Kor apatah, Jhumka, and Ryaghada, infanticide, loth male and female, prevailed to an appalling xtent. Colonel Dalton says that many of the tura worshippers practised female infanticide. The Kandh have serfs, and follow the practice f blood revenge. Over each village an elder 'resides called an Abbaye, and a number of ,djacent villages form a district under a dis rict Abbey°. In each village there is a house ssigned to the bachelors as their dormitory and lub, and another for the maidens. In Boad, the ;iris' dormitories are under charge of an elderly natron, who sleeps inside and locks the door. t one of the Kandh festivals, held in Novem or, all the lads and lasses assemble for a spree, .nd a bachelor has then the privilege of making iff with any unmarried girl whom he can indu CI o go with him, subject to a subsequent arrange nent with the parents of the maiden.
Kandhs are as fond of dancing as the Oraons, ind, like them, have a dancing-place in every Tillage, surrounded by stones or wooden seats, :nd shaded by venerable trees. The dancers pay >articular attention to their dress and to the arrangement of their hair. The hair, which is vorn very long, is drawn forward and rolled up ill it looks like a horn projecting from between he eyes. Around this is wrapped a piece of red :loth, and feathers- inserted of favourite birds. ['he clothing of the women is nearly as limited as hat of the males. The bosom is invariably >xposed, and a kilt-like cloth round the loins, scarcely reaching to the middle of the thigh, is he sole Dalton, Ethnology of Bengal, p. 290; Imp. Gaz.'