The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1876-08-03
HUMAN SACRIFICES.
The Hlndostun Tribe who Worship Priests
--TheIr Unnatural Rites.

The Hlndostun Tribe who Worship Priests |
--TheIr Unnatural Rites.
In the early portion of the present |
year, says the Times of India, it was
brought to the notice of the govern
ment that infanticide and secret murder |
prevailed to considerable extent |
among the tribe of aborignals known as
Brinjaries, who reside on the borders of
Hyderabad and the central provinces.
Spreading north and south of the
boundary, many of them having their
homes in the territory OF the Nizam,
and others in the central provinces,
but nearly three-fourths of their time
is occupied in carrying grain and salt
about the country. Their social char
acteristics are somewhat peculiar, and
they seem to retain some of the most
ancient forms of superstitious belief.
Idolatry is unknown among them, but
each society of Brinjaries, called atanda,
has high priest, who, like the llama OF
Thibet, or the more ancient chief OF the
Babylonian hierarchy, is an object of
reverence and alteration. The societies
into which the tribe is thus divided
travel about the country to and from
the Kistna and Canaan districts to the
Hyderabad territory and central prov
inces, each priest accompanying the So
ciety of which he is the spiritual head.
He lsads very reserved, contemplative
and sacred life, preserving strict cell
bacy. The influence exercised by him
is, of course, very considerable, as he
is believed to be omnicient, and any
transgression of his wish is supposed to
involve punishment in this and in the
world to come. Whatever idea of fu-
ture state and of Supreme Being they
may possess, it does not interfere with
the religious worship with which each
priest Is regarded.
The object of the several groups into
which the tribe is divided is not definite
ly understood, but their origin is very
likely the necessity experienced by such
people travelling in bands, and the con-
sequent association of interest has no
doubt impaired stability to the institu-
tion. Each band thus forms a small
travelling community, with its head
quarters at a village which is visited
once or twice q year, the members of
which have common interest in the
traffic in salt, wheat, etc. which they
carry on between the coast countries and
the interior. This represents their sole
means of livelihood, as they are not re-
garded as turbulent or dishonest tribe.
The earthly wants of the sacerdotal
Office are of course but few, and these
are supplied by the people. The priest
in return prophecies, grants prayers,
aud punishes, and Processes to perform
number of other divine duties. AS it
very frequently happens, however, that
these prophesies and ordinations are not
fulfilled, resort is always had to the ex-
cuse of counteracting evil influences,
which is said to be represented by some
unfortunate victim, who is not, however,
sacrificed as in Druidical days, but is
simply destroyed, because he is sup
posed to be the incarnation of some evil
power.
the failure of a crop, the approach of
pestilence, or the approach OF any mis-
fortune, the priest is Immediately resort
ed to, who, after pretended meditation,
oracularly signifies certain individual
of the tribe as being the responsible
cause of the evil The person implicated
is, of course, Immediately regarded as
the enemy of the community, and is
summarily sentenced to death by the
unanimous voice of the people, who re-
gard the opinion of the priest as final
and emphatic. The relatives of tho vic,
tim are then called upon to deliver him
up, and of course readily do so, as any
. opposition would incur divine displeas-
ure, which, under such circumstances
would be considered equivalent to the
disposal of half a dozen other lives.
If the victim happens to be q man OF
responsibility, his relatives prefer taking
the execution into their own hands, and
depute Que OF their own number either
to behead, strangle, Or spear him tc
death in presence of the assembly. II
an individual OF ordinary rank, he is
L surrendered to the assembly, who com
mission o certain number to execute the
sentence. These executions are carried
out with the utmost secrecy, and the
relatives of the deceased, as well as al
: members OF the Tanda, preserve the
most scrupulous silence on the sub
ject. No one dares divulge it, and those
u residing in the locality in which the
: deed is committed, if ever they chance
u to meet with evidence of the murder
I are too ignorant and too apathetic t.
. take any serious notice of the matter
This preservation of secrecy, although
it may have hitherto been successful
u suggests that these people are not quite
ignorant of the adherence with whicl
! such crimes are regarded by an enlight
p ened government. The obligation, how
ever, seems to be growing lighter ant
less respected, and we trust the govern
ment will soon be able to interfere witt
advantage. As regards infanticide, it i
pretty generally known that these peo
Pile are averse to having more than on
T. or two female children, that conse
>: quently this crime prevails among ther
u to considerable extent. The usua
cause is assigned, that of the expens
). which the marriage of girl involves
5; Government has called upon the polio
Ie department to take steps in the matter
and as the Brinjaries are not a wild an
intractable tribe, it is probable we sha
!. soon hear of the suppression of thes
~ practices.
. Tho Maauact WOmon