And here, at the outset, I wish it to be clearly understood that an immense divergence has taken place between the town and country populations of India.  The former have advanced with rapid strides on the paths of enlightenment and progress, while the latter, it is hardly too much to say, have remained almost universally stationary.  To argue, therefore, from one to the other is not only impossible, but absurd; and it is merely a waste of time to point out, at any length, that what may be admirably suited to one set of people may be a positive nuisance to another.  With reference, then, to this question of caste, instead of treating India as a whole, I shall divide it into town and country populations.  In the first place, I shall treat of the effects of caste on the country populations, amongst whom I have lived; and, in the second place, I shall offer some considerations regarding the effects of the institution amongst the people of the towns.

And, first of all, as to its effects on the rural population.

In these observations on caste I shall not commence with any attempt to trace its origin, nor shall I endeavour to enumerate the countless forms it has assumed amongst the peoples of the great peninsula.  My aim is to direct the attention of the reader not to the dry bones of its history so much as to the living effects of the institution.  It is certainly a matter of interest to know something of the peculiar customs of the various tribes and races; but it is to be regretted that people generally have rested content with information of that sort, and have seldom attempted to investigate those points which are, I conceive, mainly of use and interest.  What Indians may or may not do—­what they may eat, what they may drink, and what clothing they may put on—­are not matters on which inquirers should bestow much time.  The information most needed, and which has not yet, or only in the most imperfect sense, been acquired, is as to what caste has done for good or evil.  It shall be my endeavour to solve that question; and I imagine the solution would be in a great measure effected if I could, in the first instance, answer the following questions: 

1.  How far has caste acted as a moral restraint amongst the Indians themselves?

2.  How far advantageously or the reverse in segregating them socially from the conquerors who have overrun their country?

On the first of these points I may observe, without the slightest exaggeration, that very few of our countrymen indeed have had such opportunities as myself of forming a correct opinion; for very few Englishmen have been so entirely dependent on a native population for society.  For the first four or five years of my residence in Manjarabad[31] there were only three Europeans besides myself, and we were all about twelve miles apart.  The natural consequence was that the farmers of the country were my sole companions; and, as I joined in their sports and had some of them always about me,