SUDRA or Sutler is the caste appellation of the mass of the Hindu inhabitants of India. This word is of very rare occurrence in the Vedas. The Aryans connnonly styled their native foes Dasya, but in several passages of the Atharvan, sudra or eudra is directly contrasted with arya. Lassen recognises the name in that of the town 1'eAoo; ou the Lower Indus, and especially in that of the nations of the Sudroi in Northern Ara chosia, and he supposes them to have been, with the Abhira and Nishada, a black long-haired race of aborigines, sulxlued by the Aryans. It cannot be doubted that by the Aryans the term was extended in course of time to all who occupied or were reduced to a dependent condition, whilst the term Al'hlecha continued to be the appellation of the unsubdued tm-Aryanized tribes. Lassen and Max Muller suppose that the whole of the Sndra or primitive servile classes of Northern India belonged to a race different from their Aryan conquerors ; but Dr. Caldwell thinks it probable that a considerable portion of thern consisted of the slaves, servants, dependents, or followers of the high caste Aryans, and, like the latter, belonged to the Aryan race. And tbe fact that the Brahman, Kshatriya, Vaisva, and Sudra are all represented as having sprunglrom Brahma's body, though from different parts of it, is in favour of the idea that the Sudra differ from the twice-born Aryans in rank onlyr, not in blood.
Swint are fanners, gardeners, mechanics, artisans, and labourers of every description. But in these Stulra avocations will be found persons of the second and thirtl tribes, castes or classes, but of the first comparatively few. Aiccording to Menu, the natural duty of the Sudra is servitutle. Many sections and sub.castes of Sudra burn their dead like other Hindus. Others inter them decently clad, and in a horizontal positiou, while others, as the Lingaets, artisan goldstnith caste, etc., put their dead in a sitting attitude. The Sudra have numerous subdivisions in their castes, and the tendency of the Aryan 13ralmian races has been to recognise RS of the Swim caste all the ab original races who adopt Brahmanism. In the Peninsula of India, the great Vallalar, Idiga, and Reddi races, the Balja, Pakinati, Mootati, Vella nati, all with the titles of Rao, Naidoo and Sitti, all the Kunbi, Kunni,.all the Hindu 'barber and mutton butchers, claim to be of Sudnt origin. Part of the Sudra have by some authors been believed of a Cushite or Caucasa race, who invaded Jndia anterior to the Aryan immigration. If other employments fail a Swint, says Menu, he should subaist by writing.—Oriental Linguistic .51i:flies.