Orleans independent standard. [volume] (Irasburgh, Vt.) 1856-1871, 1857-10-02
THE COUNTRIES AND RACES
OF INDIA.

all Europe to constitute single nation,
in ignorance Of such varieties of race as
the Saxon, the Sclavie, the Magyar and
others. There is in India quite as much
diversity of native governments, religions,
social institutions and popular character /
/ istics.
But, in the first place, let US take a
brief glance at the territorial divisions of
the region now under British sway
Most are familiar with the fact that their
possessions include the three Presiden-
cies of Bengal, Bombay, and Madras
each having its Governor-but the
whole being under the Governor Gener-
al, who is Governor of Bengal, and re-
sides at Calcutta. Of Bengal, the most
extended and populous of these provin-
ces, there are four great subdivisions
Bengal proper, lying about the lower
Ganges, and reaching from Calcutta TO
Benares, has a population of more than
fifty millions, and is the centre of British
power in India. The Northwestern
Province, belonging TO the Bengal Pres
idency, embraces the regions on the up
per Ganges, and has a population of
twenty-millions. This province, having
Agra for It's capital and Delhi for its ar
senal, is the sent of the recent mutinies'
and was substantially held, at the last ac-
counts, by the rebel Sepoys. The an
cient kingdom OF Dude is in the same
province. Still further TO the North
west, in the rich region of the five con-
vergent rivers which form the Indus, is
the Puniaub, with an exceedingly vigor-
Gus population OF five millions. The ter
ritory on the east of the Bay of Bengal,
including the recent acquisitions from
Burmah, complete the subdivisions ot
E the Bengal Presidency. But it should
be borne in mind that they are mainly
EnqliM divisions, and cover what were
once many ancient kingdoms of unrela
ted dynasties. The entire population o
! this Presidency is not less than seventy
! six millions.
The Presidency of Bombay lies OF
the west coast of India, and has a popula
ton of ten millions. The Presidency o
Madras includes the eastern coasts an,
i the whole southern portion of the PENN
= sula, and numbers population Of TWEEN
ty-two millions. Adjoining these tw,
provinces are several dependent king
- doms, governed by native princes VIII,
are substantial rulers to a certain degree
y maintaining armies Of their own an,
: keeping up contingent for British ser
vice. The most important of these
:" that of the Nizam, with its capital Hy
- derabad, and a population Of ten mil
d lions. This kingdom is the chief re
u naming fragment of the old Mohamme
- dan empire, and is in the Deccan, 0
- central portion of Souihren India. A
Il, we 90 north, we come to Nagpoor, an
til other of these dependencies, with fv
H. millions inhabitants-to the BundelcunC
OF with five millions-Gwalior, with thre
+ millions-the Rajhoot States, with eigf
ry millons-the Sikh states, Cashmere, an
re Nepaul. The ancient boundaries {
u these kingdoms have been blotted ou
ne except so far as might suit the conven
re ence of the British government. w
: have enumerated only part Of what, i
VI some time in the past, constituted differ
II ent countries, as we usually understan
ne the word, inhabited by different race
We indigenous or foreign, and characterize
o. by diverse dialects, governments and r,
al ligions.
Is In looking to the present populatio
er- of British India, we are met with grei
ny diversity of estimates. Hamilton put
m down at $4,000, 900, and Elphinstone
ler I40, 100000. AS these estimates wei
nd made before the acquisition Of ScinC
lc- and the Punjaub, we may safely assun
." the entire population at lj0,000,000.-
hu OF these the Mohammedans number, a
cording to various estimates, from Il
"s 100000 to 100000. All the rest a
Hindoos, excepting two or three millio
30 Of the indigenous races, known by Il
- most frequent name Of Coolies, and Y
900 Parsees. The latter are the " fir
worsbipers," an intelligent and enterPri
ess ing race, who came into India from Pc
ne sia. The Coolies, or natives proper, "a
we der many names, have their history IN o.
lld scurity, and it Is not known whether the
'de we're originally one people or several
The Hindoos, with their singular inst
tuition of caste, came into India from Il
- Northwest, twelve or fourteen eenturi'
before Christ, oyereame the natives AZ
set up distinct sovereignties. The M