try. The ancient bramins, however, may be fuppofed to have cultivated science with much greater fuccefs than their defcendants can boast of, confidering the ruinous wars and revolutions to which the country has been fubjected. Metaphyfics, as well as moral and natural philofophy, appear to have been well understood among them; but at prefent all the Hindoo knowledge is confined to thofe whom they call PUNDITS, i. e. doctors, or learned men. These only understand the language, called Shanferit or Sanferit, (from two words fignifying perfection); in which the ancient books were written. The METAPHYSICS of the bramins is the fame with that of fome ancient Greek philofophers. They believe the human foul to be an emanation from the Deity, as light and heat from the fun. Gowtama, an ancient metaphyfician, diftinguishes two kinds of fouls, the divine and vital. The former refembles the eternal spirit from which it came, is immaterial, indivifible, and without paffions; the vital foul is a fubtile element which pervades all things, diftinct from organised matter, and which is the origin of all our defires. The external fenfes, according to him, are reprefentations of external things to the mind, by which it is furnished with materials for its various operations; but unless the mind act in conjunction with the fenfes, the operation is loft, as in that of abfence of mind which takes place in deep contemplation. He treats likewife of reafon, memory, perception, &c. He is of opinion, that the world could not exit without a firft caufe; chance being nothing but the effect of an unknown caufe: he fays, however, that it is folly to make any conjectures concerning the beginning or duration of the world. In treating of providence, he denies any immediate interpofition of the Deity; maintaining that the Supreme Being, having created the fyftem of nature, allows it to proceed according to the laws originally impreffed upon it, and man to follow the impulfe of his own defires, restrained and conducted by his reafon. His doctrine concerning a future ftate is not different from the belief of the Hindoos in general. (See 13.) According to Bp. Wilkins, many of them believe that this world is a ftate of rewards and punishments as well as of probation; and that the good or bad fortune are the effects of good or evil actions committed in a former state. The fcience for which the bramins, however, were most remarkable, is that of ASTRONOMY; and in this their progress was fo great, as even yet to furnish matter of admiration to the moderns. See OBSER VATORY, N° 3. The progrefs of the Hindoos in GEOMETRY has been very great in ancient times, Of this the most remarkable inftance is given by Dr Playfair, in their finding out the proportion of the circumference of a circle to its diameter to a great degree of accuracy. This is determined, in the Ayeen Akbary, to be as 3927 to 1250; and which, to do it arithmetically, in the fimpleft manner poffible, would require the infcription of a polygon of 768 fides; an operation which cannot be performed without the knowledge of fome very curious properties of the circle, and at least 9 extractions of the fquare root, each as far as 10 places of decimals. This proportion of 1250 to

3927 is the fame with that of 1 to 3'2416; and differs very little from that of 113 to 355, difcovered by Metrus. He and Vieta were the firft who furpaffed the accuracy of Archimedes in the folution of this problem; and it is remarkable that these two mathematicians flourished at the very time that the Ayeen Akbary was compofed among the Hindoos. In geography, however, they are much deficient, and it is very difficult to find out the true fituation of the meridians, mentioned by their authors, from what they have faid concerning them. The art of PAINTING among the Hindoos is in an imperfect state; nor are there any remains of antiquity which evince its ever having been more perfect. Their principal defect is in drawing, and being almoft totally ignorant of the rules of perfpective. They are much better skilled in colouring; and fome of their pictures are finished with great nicety. Their SCULPTURES are likewife rude, and greatly refemble thofe of the Egyptians. They are principally remarkable for their immenfe fize, which gives them an air of majesty and grandeur. The MuSIC of the Hindoos is little known to Europeans, and the art seems to have made but little progress among them, in comparison of what it has done in the western countries; though fome of the Indian airs are said to be very melodious. Their mufical inftruments are very numerous: in war they ufe a kind of great kettle-drum, named nagar, carried by a camel, and fometimes by an elephant. The dole is a long narrow drum fung round the neck; and the tam-tam is a flat kind of drum refembling a tabor, but larger and louder. They ufe alfo the cymbal, which they name talan; and they have various forts of trumpets, particularly a great one named tary, which emits a moft doleful found, and is always used at funerals, and fometimes to announce the death of perfons of diftinction. The ufe of fire-arms appears to have been of great antiquity in India. They are prohibited by the code of Gentoo laws, which is certainly of very ancient date. The phrafe by which they are denominated is agneeafter, or wea pons of fire; and there is mention made of het agnee, or the weapon that kills 100 men at once. It is impoffible to guess at the time when those weapons were invented among the Hindoos; but we are certain, that in many places of the east, which have neither been frequented by Mohammedans nor Europeans, rockets are almost univerfally made ufe of as weapons of war. The Hindoo books afcribe the invention of fire-arms to Baefbkookerma, who formed all the weapons made ufe of in a war betwixt the good and evil fpirits. Fire-balls or blue lights, employed in besieged places in the night, to obferve the motions of the befiegers, are met with every where through Hindooftan, and are conftructed in as great perfection as in Europe. Fire-works are alfo met with in great perfection; and from the earliest ages, have conftituted a principal article of amusement among the Hindoos. Gun-powder, or a compofition refembling it, has been found in many other places of the east, particularly China, Pegu, and Siam; but there is reafon to believe that the invention originally came from Hindooftan. Poi

foned

the match is agreed upon; and the celebration of the marriage is attended with much expenfe; mag. nificent proceffions are made, the bride and bridegroom fitting in the fame palanquin, attended by their friends and relations; fome riding in palanquins, fome on horfes, and others on elephants. So great is their vanity indeed on fuch occafions, that they will borrow or hire numbers of thefe expenfive animals to do honour to the ceremony. The rejoicings last several days; during the evenings of which fire-works and illuminations are difplayed, and dancing women perform their feats; the whole concluding with alms to the poor and prefents to the bramins and principal guests, generally confifting of fhawls, pieces of muflin, and other cloths. A number of other ceremonies are performed when the parties come of age, and are allowed to cohabit together. The fame are repeated when the young wife becomes pregnant; when fhe paffes the 7th month without any accident; and when the is delivered of her child. The rela-, tions affemble on the 10th day after the birth, to affift at the ceremony of naming the child; but if the bramins be of opinion, that the afpect of the planets is at that time unfavourable, the ceremony is delayed, and prayers offered up to avert the misfortune. When the lucky moment is difcovered, they fill as many pots with water as there are planets, and offer a facrifice to them; after wards they fprinkle the head of the child with water, and the bramin gives it fuch a name as he thinks beft adapted to the time and circumftances; and the ceremony concludes with prayers, prefents to the bramins, and alms to the poor. Mothers are obliged to fuckle their own children; nor can this duty be difpenfed with, except in cafes of fick nefs. New ceremonies, with prefents to the bramins, take place, when a boy comes of age to receive the ftring, which the three firft cafts wear round their waist.

(13.) HINDOOS, RELIGION OF THE. The religion of the Hindoos is fuppofed to be the fame with that of the ancient GYMNOSOPHISTS. (See that article.) It is contained in certain books named Veda, Vedams, or Beds, written in a language called Shanfcrit, which is now known only to the learned among them. The books are fuppofed to have been the work, not of the fupreme God himself, but of an inferior deity, named BRIMHA. They inform us that Brama, or Brahma, the fupreme God, having created the world by the word of his mouth, formed a female deity named Bawaney, who in an enthufiafm of joy and praise brought forth 3 eggs. From thefe were produced three male deities, named Brimha, Vishnou, and Sheevah. Brimha was endowed with the power of creating the things of this world, Vifhnou with that of cherishing them, and Sheevah with that of reftraining and correcting them. Thus Brimha became the creator of man; and in this character he formed the four cafts from different parts of his own body, the Bramins from his mouth, the Khatry from his arms, the Banians from his belly and thighs, and the Soodera from his feet. Hence, fay they, thefe 4 different cafts derive the different offices affigned them, the Bramins to teach; the Khatry to defend and govern; the Banians to enrich by commerce and agricul

ture; and the Soodera to labour, serve, and obey. Brama himself endowed mankind with paffions, and understanding to regulate them; while Brim ha, having created the inferior beings, proceeded to write the Vedans, and delivered them to be read and explained by the Bramins. The religion of the Hindoos, though involved in fuperftition and idolatry, feems to have been originally pure; inculcating the belief of an eternal and omnipotent Being; their fubordinate deities Brimha, Vishnou, and Sheevah, being only representatives of the wisdom, goodness, and power of the fupreme God Brama. All created things they fuppofe to be types of the attributes of Brama, whom they call the principle of truth, the fpirit of wisdom, and the fupreme being; fo that it is probable that all their idols were at first only defigned to represent these attributes. There are various fects among the Hindoos; the worshippers of Vihnou and those of Sheevah diftinguish themfelves remarkably, the former by painting their faces with an horizontal line, the latter by a perpendicular one. There is, however, very little difference in point of religion between these or any other Hindoo fects. All of them believe in the immortality of the soul, a ftate of future rewards and punishments, and tranfmigration. Charity and hofpitality are inculcated in the strongest manner, and exist among them both in theory and practice. "Hospitality (fay they) is commended to be exercised even towards an enemy, when he cometh into thine houfe; the tree doth not withdraw its fhade even from the wood-cutter. Good men extend their charity even to the vileft animals. The moon doth not withhold her light even from the Chandalah." Thefe pure doctrines, however, are intermixed with fome of the vileft and most abfurd fuperftitions; and along with the true God they worship a number of inferior ones, each diftinguished by a name indicative of his particular attribute. But, besides thefe inferior deities, the Hindoos have a multitude of demigods, who are fuppofed to inhabit the air, the earth, and the waters, and in fhort the whole world; fo that every mountain, river, wood, town, village, &c. has one of thefe tutelar deities, as was the belief of the western heathens. By nature thefe demigods are fubject to death, but are supposed to obtain immortality, by the ufe of a certain drink, named Amruc. Their exploits in many instances refemble those of Bacchus, Hercules, Thefeus, &c. and in a beautiful epic poem named Rancyum, we have an account of the wars of Rain, one of the demigods, with Ravana, tyrant of Ceylon. All thefe deities are worshipped, by going to their temples, fafting, prayers, and the performance of ceremonies to their honour. The Hindoos pray thrice aday, at morning, noon, and evening, turning their faces towards the eaft. They ufe many ablutions, and always wash before meals. Running water is preferred for this purpose to fuch as ftagnates. Fruits, flowers, incenfe, and money, are offered in facrifice to their idols; but for the dead they offer a kind of cake, named Peenda; and offerings of this kind always take place on the day of the full moon. Nothing fanguinary is known in the worship of the Hindoos at prefent, though there is a tradition that it was formerly of this kind; nay, that

even human facrifices were offered; but if fuch a cuftom ever did exift, it must have been at a very diftant period. Their facred writings indeed mention bloody facrifices of various kinds, and even thofe of the human race: but fo many peculiarities are mentioned with regard to the proper victims, that it is almoft impoffible to find them. The only inftance of bloody facrifices we find on record among the Hindoos, is that of the buffalo to Bawaney, the mother of the gods. The Hindoos have two kinds of worship, viz. that of the invifible God and that of idols. The worship pers of the invifible God are, ftrictly fpeaking, deifts: the idolaters perform many abfurd and unmeaning ceremonies, too tedious to mention, all of which are conducted by a Bramin; and during the performance of these rites, the dancing women perform in the court, finging the praises of the Deity in concert with various inftruments. All the Hindoos seem to worship the fire; at leaft they pay a great veneration to it. Bp. Wilkins fays, that they are enjoined to light up a fire at certain times, which must be produced by the friction of two pieces of wood of a particular kind; and the fire thus produced is made use of for confuming their facrifices, burning the dead, and in the ceremonies of marriage. The greatest fingularity in the Hindoo religion however is, that fo far from perfecuting thofe of a contrary perfuafion, they absolutely refuse even to admit of a profelyte. They believe all religions to be equally acceptable to the fupreme being: and infift, that if the author of the universe preferred one to another, it would have been impoffible for any other to have prevailed, than that which he approved. Every religion, therefore, they conclude to be adapted to the country where it is established; and that all in their original purity are equally acceptable.

(14.) HINDOOS, SUPERSTITIONS AMONG THE. Great numbers of devotees are to be met with `everywhere throughout Hindooftan. Every caft is allowed to affume this way of life, excepting the Chandalahs. Those held moft in esteem are named SENIASSES and YOGEYS. The former are allowed no other clothing but what will cover their nakedness, nor have they any worldly goods befides a pitcher and staff; but though they are ftrictly enjoined to meditate on the truths contained in the facred writings, they are exprefsly forbidden to argue about them. They muft eat but once a day, very fparingly, of rice or other vegetables; they muft alfo fhow the most perfect in. difference about hunger, thirst, heat, cold, or any thing whatever relative to this world; looking forward with continual defire to the feparation of the foul from the body. Should any of them fail in this extravagant felf-denial, he is rendered fo much more criminal by the attempt, as he neglected the duties of ordinary life for thofe of another which he was not able to accomplish. The Yogeys are bound to much the fame rules, and both subject themselves to the moft extravagant penances. Some keep their arms conftantly ftretched over their heads till they become quite withered and incapable of motion; others keep them croffed over their breaft during life; while others, by keeping their hands conftantly shut, have them

quite pierced through by the growth of their nails Some chain themselves to trees or particular spot of ground, which they never quit; others refolve never to lie down, but fleep leaning against a tree: but the most curious penance perhaps on record is that of a Yogey, who measured the diftance between Benares and Jaggernaut with the length of his body, lying down and rifing alternately, Many of thefe enthufiafts throw themselves in the way of the chariots of Vifhnou or Sheevah, when brought forth in proceffion to celebrate the feaft of a temple, and drawn by feveral hundreds of men. Thus the wretched devotees are instantly crushed to death. Others devote themselves to the flames, to fhow their regard to some of their idols, or to appease the wrath of one whom they fuppofed to be offended. A certain set of devotees are named PANDARAMS; and another, on the coaft of Coromandel, are named Cory-Patra Pandarams. The former rub themselves all over with cow dung, running about the country finging the praifes of the god Sheevah whom they worship. The latter go about asking charity at doors, by ftriking their hands together, for they never speak. They accept of nothing but rice; and when they have got as much as will fatisfy their hunger, never give themselves any trouble about more, but pafs the reft of the day in the fhade, in a state of fuch fupine indolence as scarce to look at any object whatever. The Tadinums are another fet of mendicants, who fing the incarnations of Vishnou. They have hollow brass rings round their ankles, which they fill with pebbles; fo that they make a confiderable noife as they walk; they beat likewise a kind of tabor.

(1.) HINDOOSTAN, HINDUSTAN, OF INDOSTAN, a celebrated and extenfive country of Afia, bounded on the N. by Great and Little Thibet; on the S. by the hither peninsula of India, part of the Indian Sea, and Bay of Bengal; on the W. by Perfia; and on the E. by Thibet and the farther peninfula. It is fituated between 84° and 102° of lon. E. and between 21° and 36° of lat. N. being about 1204 miles long and 960 broad, though in fome places much lefs. This country was in early times diftinguished among the Greeks by the name of INDIA, the most probable derivation of which is from the river INDUS, though others derive it from Hind, the Perfian name. We are affured by Mr Wilkins, that no fuch words as Hindoo or Hindooftan exift in the Sanfcrit or learned language of the country, in which it is named Bharata, a word totally unknown to Europeans.

(2.) HINDOQSTAN, CLIMATE, SOIL, &C. OF. Towards the north, Hindooftan is very cold and barren; but towards the south, very hot, and fertile in corn, rice, fruits, and other vegetables. The northern provinces are very mountainous and fandy; while the fouthern are for the most part level, and well watered with several rivers. The weather and feasons are, in general, very regular ; the winds blowing conftantly for fix months from the N. with very little variation. April, May, and the beginning of June, till the rains fall, are fo extremely hot, that the reflection from the ground is apt to blifter the face; and but for the breeze, or fmall gale of wind, which blows every day, there would be no living in that country for people bred

in

in northern climates; for, excepting in the rainy feafon, the coldeft day is hotter there at noon, than the hottest day in England. However, very furprising changes of heat and cold sometimes hap、 pen within a few hours; fo that a ftifling hot day is fucceeded by a night cold enough to produce a thin ice on the water, and that night by a noon as fcorching as the preceding. Sometimes, in the dry feafon, before the rains, the winds blow with fuch violence, that they carry vaft quantities of duft and fand into the air, which appear black, like clouds charged with rain; but fall down in dry fhowers, filling the eyes, ears, and noftrils of thofe among whom they defcend, and entering every chest, cabinet, or cupboard, in the houses or tents, by the key-holes and crevices. From Surat to Agra, and beyond, it seldom or never rains, excepting in one feafon of the year; viz. from the middle of June to the middle of Sept. Thefe rains generally begin and end with furious ftorms of thunder and lightning. During thefe 3 months it rains ufually every day, and fometimes for a week together without intermiffion; by which the land is enriched, like Egypt, by the Nile. Although it looks before like the barren fands of the Arabian deferts, yet, in a few days after thofe fhowers begin to fall, the furface appears covered with verdure. When the rainy feafon is over, the fky becomes perfectly ferene again, and scarce one cloud appears all the other 9 months; however, a refreshing dew falls every night during that dry interval, which cools the air and cherishes the earth.

(3.) HINDOOSTAN, DIVISION OF. This vaft country is at prefent divided among the following powers. 1. Timur Shah, fon of Ahmed Shah, or Abdallah, poffeffes an extent of territory to the NW. before we come to the Indus. This country, extending all the way betwixt India and Perfia, is known by the name of Duran, or Turan; and was poffeffed by the Afghans, of whom Abdallah became the fovereign. See AFGHANS, and TURAN. The dominions of this prince extend a very confiderable way to the northward of the Indus, but he poffeffes nothing in Hindooftan except the province of Kashmire. (See CASHMIRE.) 2. The Seiks inhabit a country on the other fide of the Indus, which is a part of Hindooftan proper. (See SEIKS.) 3. The provinces of DELHI have, in the courfe of a few years, frequently changed their mafters, but have fcarce at any period during that time been under the authority of the fovereign. Their laft governor was Nadjiff Khan, under the title of generaliffimo of the emperor. He was involved in the ruin of Mohammed Kouly Khan, coufin to Soujah ul Dowlah; after which he went to Coffim Aly Khan nabob of Bengal; on whofe expulfion he retired with a party of horse to Bundelcund into the fervice of Rajah Coman Sing. He next joined the English; and at last became the general of Shah Allum. With a body of English fepoys who had been put under his command, and fome other troops whom he had taken into his service, he subdued the Countries near Delhi, conquered almost all the territories of the Jauts, reducing the cities of Agra, Dieg, and other principal towns. Thefe conquefts were indeed effected in the name of the

VOL. XI. PART I.

Mogul, but he derived little benefit from them? Nadjiff being the real mafter, and keeping poffeffion of them till his death, which happened in 1782: and fince that time thefe countries have been involved in continual anarchy and bloodshed. (See DELHI, N° 1 and 2.) 4. Next to the provinces of Delhi are the dominions of the independent rajahs, which lie contiguous to one another. The principal are thofe of Joinagar or Jaypour, Joadpour or Marwar, Oudiapour or Cheitore, and Jefalmire. These countries are under a kind of feudal conftitution, and every village is obliged to furnish a certain number of horsemen at the shorteft warning. The people are brave, hardy, and very much attached to their respective chiefs; and their army is very formidable, amounting to about 150,000 horsemen. 5. The JAUTS were a tribe who followed the occupation of agriculture in the northern parts of Hindooftan. About 40 years ago they were formed into a nation by Tackou Souragemul, proprietor of an inconfiderable diftrict. After making himself master of all the. countries dependent on Agra, of the town itself, (fee AGRA,) and many other important places, he was killed in battle with Nadjib ul Dowlah, the Rohilla chief, in 1763. Since that time the power of this people has been fo much reduced by domeftic contentions and foreign wars, that the prefent rajah poffeffes only a ftrong town named Bartpour, with a fmall district around it.' 6. The moft confiderable of all the Hindoo powers are the Mahrattas, with whom the Europeans first became acquainted in their original territories of Malabar. See MALABAR, and MAHRATTAS. Their territories extend about 1000 miles in length and 700 in breadth; and they are governed by a number of feparate chiefs, all of whom acknowledge the Ram Rajah as their fovereign, and all except Moodajee Booflah acknowledge the Paishwa as his vicegerent. The capital of the sovereign was Sattarah; but the Paithwa generally refides at Poonah, one degree to the fouthward, and about 100 miles diftant from Bombay. The country extends along the coaft nearly from Goa to Cambay. On the S. it borders on the ci-devant territories of Tippoo Saib, now in the poffeffion of the British, on the E. it has thofe of the Nizam and the rajah of Berar; and on the N. thofe of the Mahratta chiefs Sindia and Holkar. 7. The Rajah of Berar, befides that country, has the greatest part of Orixa. (See BERAR, and ORIXA, N° 1.) His dominions extend about 600 miles in length from E. to W. and 250 from N. to. S. The eaftern part of Orixa extends along the fea-coaft for about 150 English miles, and divides the British poffeffions in Bengal from those commonly called the Northern Circars. On the W. his territories border upon those of the Paifhwa; on the S. upon thofe of the Nizam, Mahomet Hyat a Patan chief, Nizam Shah, and Ajid Sing. The rajah himself refides at Nagarpour, about midway betwixt Calcutta and Bombay. 8. Madajee Sindia has (or lately had) the greateft part of the government of Malva, together with the province of Cardeish. The remainder is under the government of Holkar; who, as well as Sindia, pretends to be defcended from the ancient kings of Malva. The principal refidence of Sindia is at Ugein near the city of Mundu, for

merly