गुलामगिरी १३३ this intensely selfish and tyrannical sect. The Indian Ryot (the Sudra and Atisudra) has been in fact a proverbial Milch Cow. He has passed from hand to hand. Those who successively held sway over him cared only to fatten themselves on the sweat of his brow, without caring for his welfare or condition. It was sufficient for their purpose that they held him safe in their clutches for squeezing out of him as much as they possibly could. The Brahmin had at last so contrived to entwine himself round the Sudra in every large or small undertaking, in every domestic or public business, that the latter is by custom quite unable to transact any concern of moment without his aid. This is even true at the present time. While the Sudra on the other hand is so far reconciled the Brahmin yoke, that like the American slave he would resist any attempt that may be made for his deliverance and fight even against his benefactor. Under the guise of religion the Brahmin has his finger in every thing, big or small, which the Sudra undertakes. Go to his house, to his field or to the court to which business may invite him, the Brahmin is there under some specious pertext or other, trying to squeeze out of him as much as his cunning and wily brain can manage. The Brahmin depoils the Sudra not only in his capacity of a priest, but does so in a variety of other ways. Having by his superior education and cunning monopolized all the higher places of emolument the ingenuity ofhis ways is past finding out as the reader will find on an attentive perusal of this book, In the most insignificant village as in the largest town, the Brahmin is the all in all; the be all the end all of the Ryot. He is the master, the ruler. The Patil of a village, the headman, is in fact a nonentity. The Kulkarni, the hereditary Brahmin villlage accountant, the notorious quarrle-monger, moulds the Patil according to his wishes. He is the temporal and spiritual adviser of the ryots, the Soucar in his necessities and the general referee in all matters. In most instances the plans active mischief by advising opposite parties differently, so that he may feather his own nest well. If we go up higher, to the Court of Mamlutdar, we find the same thing. The first anxiety of Mamlutdar is to get round him, if not his own relatives, his castemen to fill the various offices under him. These actively foment quarrles and are the media of all corrupt practices prevailing generally about these Courts. If a Sudra or Atisudra repairs to his Court; the
