Ethnographic Survey in South India

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ABOUT THE BOOK Under the scheme for a systematic ethnographic survey of the whole of India, a superintendent for cach State and Government was appointed to carry out the work of the survey in addition to his other duties.

For the issue of this book the time is not yet ripe, and, as an ad interim, measure, I send forth the present farrago in the hope that it may be of some little use and interest to those who are engaged in the study of ethnological and sociological questions in the arm-chair or the field. For such, rather than for the general public, it is intended.

The chapter devoted to omens, evil eye, etc., is intended only as a mere outline sketch of a group of subjects, which, if worked up in detail, would furnish material for a very bulky volume.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Edgar Thurston was a Retired Superintendent of Madras Government Museum in India. He was also a Superintendent of Ethnography, Madras and Correspondent Stranger, Society anthropology De Paris.

PREFACE It has been well said that "there will be plenty of money and people available for anthropological research, when there are no more aborigines. And it behavior our museums to waste no time in completing their anthropological collections," Under the scheme for a systematic ethnographic survey of the whole of India, a superintendent for each Presidency and Province was appointed in 1901, to carry out the work of the survey in addition to other duties. The other duty, in my particular case-the of a large local museum-luckily makes an excellent blend with the survey operations, as the work of collection for the ethnological section goes on synchronously with that of investigation.

For many years I have been engaged in bringing the scattered information bearing on 'Manners and Customs in South India, surviving, moribund, or deceased, which lies buried in official reports, manuals, journals of societies, and other publications. The information thus collected has been supplemented by correspondence with district officers and private individuals, and by the personal wanderings of myself and my assistants, Mr. K. Rangachari (from whose negatives most of the illustrations have been made), Mr. V. Govindan and Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao, in various parts of the Madras Presidency, Mysore, and Travancore, in connection with the work of the survey, which demands the, writing of a book on lines similar to Risley's 'Tribes and castes of Bengal. For the issue of this book the time is not yet ripe, and, as an ad interim, measure, I send forth the present farrago in the hope that it may be of some little use and interest to those who are engaged. in the study of ethnological and sociological questions in the arm-chair or the field. For such, rather than for the general public, it is intended, To the many friends and correspondents, European and Native, who have helped me in the accumulation of facts, or whose published writings I have made liberal use of. I would express collectively, and with all sincerity, my great sense of indebtedness, And I would further express a hope that readers I will draw my attention to the errors, such as must inevitably arise when one is dealing with a mass of evidence derived from a variety of sources, and provide me with material for a possible future edition.

"Let those now send who never sent before; And those who have sent, kindly send me more. Some of the articles, originally published in my Museum Bulletins, are now reproduced with additions.

I may add that the chapter devoted to omens, evil eye, etc., is intended only as a mere outline sketch of a group of subjects, which, if worked up in detail, would furnish material for a very bulky volume.

**Contents and Sample Pages**