Cheyenne Wells record., 1922-05-04
Grinding Corn In an Indian Village.

1 expected that there would be general
prosperity and peace In Malabar.
Prosperity is fairly well distributed,
but the motley of religions makes
peace more difficult; and every now
and then 1t brings about such turbu-
lence as is known these days In other
parts of India. The fierce fanaticisn
Of the Mohammedan Moplnhs and the
| stories Of their bloody and furious out
breaks which reach the outside world
may lead to the belief that this Is us
much Mohammedan land as Arabln
! or Persia. The truth Is that barely 30
per cent Of the population are follow
ers of the prophet. while about 68 per
cent are vOtaries Of Hinduism and
some per cent are Christians.
In prestige the Hindus are much the
most important. The Nainbudii Brah-
mans, at the very top Of the caste
scale, number only 10000 In the total
population Of 3,OOO.OOO Of the Malabar
district, but are looked up to with the
greatest reverence. Nearly all Of them
are landholders, many Of very large es-
tates. They hold alOof from public
affairs and scorn modern education,
holding more tenaciOusly, probably,
than their fellow religionlsts In any
other part Of India. to the ancient Gus
toms of their faith. The old cOncep-
tIOn Of ceremonial pollution Is living
thing In Malabar and is strictly ad-
hered to except In the cities. There
are varying distances within which the
mere presence Of member OF a lower
caste is supposed to defile the Brah.
man. A high-caste man returning from
his cleansing bath shouts out that he
is approaching, md the lOw-caste
members humbly retire to the roadside
or into the fields until he hns passed.
Even many Mohammedans follow this
custom lest economic pressure be
brought to bear through boycotts OF
other means to destroy their liveli
hood.
The MOhammedans Of Malabar-the
Moplahs-differ greatly from other In.
dian MOslems. Many OF them are de.
scendants Of Arab traders who came
to the west coast In very early times,
and they have retained all the fanati.
cism of the fiercest Aohammedans Of
the Arabian deserts. To them have
been been added converts from lower
caste Hindus.
.,Mopiahs In Periodic Outbreaks.
For considerable periods the Moplahs
accept their somewhat submerged con.
lttions and live In peace beside the
Hindus. But their lust for turbulence
and blood Is only slumbering, and sud.
denly 1t breaks out with the assassina.
ttOn OF Hindu landowner. the defiling
Of q Hindu temple or the lOoting of q
house. The little group engaged In
these episodes runs riot over the re.
gtOn, their numbers gsowing until O
fanatical mob Is formed. A band us.
uahy Is formed whose members de.
finitely decide to make martyrs OF
themselves, are c0nsecrated, refuse tQ
surrender and sell their lives as dearly
as possible when opposed. In the past
\ battles with bands Of Mopiahs have
smacked of fights OF the Paris police
with the notorious '.apaches" In some
ihstances 1t has been necessary . to
dynamite buildings In which the Mo-
| PiAhA0 AhAu LiAuc tAtlf Atuuu unu ITOIn
which they shot down all who up.
! .prqached lthe1,.-
= One Of tile 'pecuiiarities of the Mala.
bar region is Its system Of inheritance
through the mother. A.man's property
does not go to his. children. hut his
sisters children areshls nearest heirs
The Malnbar district is under direct
| British control buf I'm Trayaucore to
the south, which is a native state, the
succession to the throne, is through,
the sister, md II rulers sons are Of no
political OF family consequence Won.
en-, especially those Of the upper
classes haye n marked degree of In.
dependence, and Iiiay divorce their hus-
bands mt villa privilege, however,
which Is usually exercised with discre-
ffon. - - - ;.--:--- r-''-
When the Portuguese first arrived
ut Calicut the natives were weaving
| cloth Of excellent quality and II became