214

INDIA

conjectured that Western Asia (Media and Mesopotamia)
was the original home of these races of the south, and
that they passed overland by the coast districts of Persia
and Makran (where, indeed, their representatives, the
Brahuis, still flourish) to the western states of India.
Gradually pushed southward by the influx of more highlycivilised
 races from the north, they have spread into
Southern India, and filled up the waste spaces of the
Central Provinces, where they may be found in almost
aboriginal simplicity to this day.
The ancient glory of the Telinga kingdoms of Southern
India has long been dimmed ; gone, too, is that martial
spirit which once animated these southern races, and
made them great in the annals of Hindustan, even to the
days of Haidar Ali and the French occupation of the
Karnatic. Never, perhaps, in the history of the world has
the enervating influence of climate and geographical position
 over the energies of humanity been so fully illustrated
as in the gradual decadence of the military instincts of this
once military people since the early days of our struggle
for supremacy with France.
The Madrasi is a man of peace, an agriculturist, a
shopkeeper, an excellent man of business, and an admirable
 servant rather than a soldier. But there are
races of fishermen and boatmen on the Karnatic coasts,
descendants of the Telingas who crossed the seas and
founded kingdoms in Burma, who are brave and enterprising
 in all that appertains to the calling of the sea, and
who are certainly no whit inferior to the Bengali lascar
as practical sailors.
In physical characteristics these southern races differ
most essentially from the tribes of Northern India. The
Tamil is usually a black-skinned man of small size, but
with no want of muscular development. His features are
of the Tatar type without the strong accentuation of the
Mongol, and he seldom has hair on his face. The Telegu
people differ from the Tamils in their superiority of general
physique, and in the general lighter colour of their skin.
The Telegu makes a better-looking soldier, but he possesses