Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1883-10-26
HINTS FROM HINDOSTAN.
Graphic Description OF thu Life, Manners
and Customs OF the Indian Brahmans
~<<iYss, p :, 3 Told by a Woman
How They Regard Their Women-Zanana
Work in Detail-Ceremonies and Ira
ditions of the People.


ditions of the People.
+r --e- e~..~~-
The Nfissinnary Field "
Among the most interesting features Of the
anniversary meetings during the recent Free
Baptist conference in Minneapolis was the
graphic account given by Mrs. T. c. Griffin of
the native life and mission work in the Bengal
presidency ic Hindostan. Mrs. Griffin has
been for years an active laborer in the East
Indian field, especially in the zenana
or women's department of evan
gelizing work, and though recently obliged
to return to this country TO recuperats her
wasted health, is now expecting to sail, on Sat-
urday for her former field of labor and self
sacrifice She is located at Midnapore, & town
of some 10000 people, situated in the great
jungle or plain Of the Ganges, some distance
westerly from Calcutta. and Inhabited by
Brahmaus. lower caste Hindoos, Nohamme ed
ans and some English. Describing her life
there, she said: =
CONSIDERATIONS OF CASTE
The caste distinctions Of India furnish tho
key to lndan society and customs, and, as they
are essentially relgiouslu their nature, are the
most important element in the problem Of sue
cessful evansell.z:ng. The Brahmane are the
highest CASTE, aud are followed ia order by the
ksAatriyas, Eaisyas, Sudras or members of
the serylle caste, and the Parlabs, or Outcasts
who have no caste at all. The lines of
denlarcation between the several castles are
very distinctly drawn, and are ntiexiLle
III their opcratioD: transition from one casta
to another is uNheard Of. Tue Brahnans' i'll
Guide all the educated men; men Of other
castles and the women Of all castles are utterly
without learning. Among them social ameni-
ties are fonnd in the greatest perfection, and
they nlonopoliz7 the wealth Of the country
ntyr . !S01 no nd oil \. L., Il
holders, owning the land as absolutely as any
feudal lord, subject to a certain titLing in the
the nature of government fees. This land
they sub!et to teuauts among the lower classes,
manual labor being considered an ineffaceable
disgrace by a Branman. Mokammedaus are
also frequently found in the capacity OF ser
wants, esuecial!y as domestcs about the houses
Of the aristocracy, though the influence OF the
Brahmanlc religion makes itself felt even Ga
them. the Moslems being more strict with their
women here than elsewhere. Mission work ls
largely confined to the Brahmans, both be-
cause they are more fitted to receive it under
standingly, and because their influence once
gained, is paramount with the lower classes,
though the latter are reached IN the ragged aud
Jungle schools, 7 he Pariahs are almost be-
yond roach, and but little work is done among
them,
HOME LIFE ILLUSTRATED.
The domestic life Of the Brahms na is pecul AZ
to themselves, and in Its customs and re-
stratus very interesting to Caucasians. The
houses are all OF b: lex and d single sorry high,
the walls very thick and neatly plastered and
whiewasheu, both Inside and out Their OUT
ward ASPECT is pcison-like in the extreme, there
beng no windows upon the street, and only Que
door; the reasons Of this architecture Will ap-
pear hereafter Within, the house is found to
be built generally in quadrangular form about a
courtyard, TIE prison rooms or zenana open
ing through doors and windows upon sur
TaTanHS which tho
year, is really the living apartment Of the
house. The houses are seldom neat or in good
repair--the climate, predsposing to Incidence,
accounting for the former fact: while the eX-
planatlon of the latter is found in the vast
array Of white auts aud other destructive in
sects wbicn abound Oh all sides aud cause ruin
everywhere.
The ctI,:t yard is sometimes paved, but more
generally tloored sparsely with grass and ex-
tensively with earth and dirt In the center
is always placed the particular family idol, and
around il are planted flowers and sacred trees,
especially the pomegrauate and the tulsie q
pant sacred peculiarly to women. Each house
has also here it's well or water tank for dones-
tic supply; fountains are unknown, and the
cooling sound of the falling spray never breaks
upon the torrd air. The summer Temperature
here is something terrible, the thermometer
often marking 50 deg. in q cool (?) room, as the
lowest for SIX weeks 1t time The yearly
range is about from S5 to 100 deg. III the
shade. The furniture Of the houses is gener-
ally Of the simplest kind, consisting principally
of mating, which answers all the purposes Of
tables, chairs and BEDS Of which, il the En-
glish eDse, there are rome. The meals are
eaten from the floor, and with the time hon
ored implements, the fingers, the men eating
first alone and the women and children after
ward. The food is of q character we'll suited
to the tropical climate, consisting mainly Of
rice, curry, dates, and other fruits Flesh and
fowl arc rlg!dy eschewed. as contrary to the
Brahuanic dogma of the transmigration Of
souls. Fish, however, il freely partake of,
sub-a0ueous life having no soul to migrate
according to the faith.
THE WOMEN
The government OF tue house Of the Drahman
is strictly in the hands If the men: Of tue
father during lhe youth Of the family: of the
eldest son when he marries. The sous always
bring their wives homes to the parental roof,
and a. the number of families thus increases,
ADDITIONS are BIZ 1t to the house until tbs essab-
lishment often forms quite a village
in itself In this place the women
ara imprisoned, literally buried alive Ihs
dead outer wallis of the Zenana are unpierced,
save by one door, and tpis merely opens into a
room communicating with the inner court, bnt
which tbs B, aLnlau women never eutHr. From
the day Of their marriage, which is at very
early age, their eyes never behold more OF the
outer world than the narrow eHpanse of sky
and cloud which looks down upon them be-
tween the stern wallis of their prison home. No
men arc allowed to enter the house except
the members OF the family and the priest, ex-
cept upon very rare occasions, and then I'M
seen by the zcnana women. There are q very
few times when the child wife is permitted after
marriage, to visit her fathers house or the
sacred temple Then the zenana women are
all hustled ont Of the way and locked up
securely while the bearers bring in the
palauquin aud .set it down in the court re-
firing Immediately after. The wife is then
released and. placed in the paIanquln, which is
locked tightly, and wound about several times
with bright scarlet cloth, SO as to prevent
the occupant from pesping out between the
stats. The bearers then. return and carry
their burden to her destination, when they
again retire until she has been taken out, had
her visit, and been reinprisoned for her ride
homeward.. The scarlet wrapping Of the
by to restrain their curiosity, but 40 infre-
quently are wives thls permitted to go abroad,
that its bright color is u rarity upon the Streets
HOW THEY LIVE AND DIE
Thus CUT off from all intercourse with their
fellow creatures, and unable 10 read OF write,
the life. Of the Brahuan women can DO easily
conceived. Married at ten years {for spinster-
hood is aborninable), naothers at twelve they
are faded and old at tho beginning Of theii
fifth iustrum, aud die Of sheer age A. about
thirty. Their time is; passed most ainalessly III
the care Of their children and the mysteries Of
the toilet. They dress, as a rule, richly. es-
pecially in the matter Of jewels. Diamonds
aud pearls are the fayorite ornaments Brace
Let's and auklets; aaorn their arms and legs
and nose rings. finger rings and toe rings arc
abundant; but, by queer contrast, they all
go barefoot, sandals being arrogated to their
l own exclusive use by the men.
Numerically, women are minus quantities in
India When proud father enuiaerates his
family to his friends he only counts the sons.
His daughters are hailed at their birth with
disgust, for ,here is no family honor in theft
being, and their marriage implies no inconsid-
cradle expense for dowry; in fact. the inno-
cent unfortunates are lucky il the father does
not cast them out into the jungl
to die of exposure or to be de
voured by passing carnivora. Female infanti-
| eide ia a very con,aon crime all through