Indian Antiquary Vol 60

SR No.: 032552
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Richard Carnac Temple, Charles E A W Oldham, S Krishnaswami Aiyangar, Devadatta Ramkrishna Bhandarka
Publisher: Swati Publications
Publication Year: 1986
Total Pages: 394
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 19 MB

Page 82

68
[APRIL, 1931
as well as platyrrhyny. We may therefore safely reject Risley's hypothesis as to the nasal index being an indication of the caste.
Of the other anthropological measurements the cephalic index is another of great impor. tance. Here, too, we have the same difficulty of assigning any particular type to any particu lar caste. Among the Brahmanas of Bengal we have, according to Risley, 29 the following percentages of cephalic and nasal indices:
Cephalic Index:
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
Hyper-dolichocephalic (-700)..
Dolichocephalic (70-0-74.9) Mesaticephalic (75-0-79·9) Brachycephalic (80·0 and over)
Nasal Index:
Leptorrhynian (less than 70.0) Mesorrhynian (70-0-84-9) Platyrrhynian (85 and over)
Hyper-dolichocephalic (-70-0).. Dolichocephalic (70-0-74.9) Mesaticephalic (75-0-79.9) Brachycephalic (80·0 and over)
Nasal Index:
Leptorrhynian (less than 70-0). Mesorrhynian (70-0-84.9) Platyrrhynian (85 and over)
: : : :
..
:::
100%
And among the Dravidian Santals we have the following figures obtained from the same Source 30:
Cephalic Index:
0%
13%
::::
52%
35%
100%
46%
53% 1%
1%
36%
49% 14%
100%
0%
31%
69%
100%
The results we obtain from these figures are that the Brahmanas are principally mesati. cephalic, but mesorrhyny and leptorrhyny are fairly well balanced among them. On the other hand the Santals are distinctly platyrrhynic; they are also mesaticephalic, but there is a large percentage of dolichocephalism among them. These results, however, do not agree. with Datta's biometrical analysis of the measurements given by Risley in his Tribes and Castes of Bengal; an Ethnographic Glossary. Though rather lengthy, I have thought fit to reproduce in a condensed form Datta's figures here as his paper 31 may not be available to all. According to Datta, the somatological type most prevalent in India is the dolichoid-mesorrhynian.
39 (Bir) H. H. Risley, The People of India, p. 382; B. Bonnerjes, L'Ethnologie du Bengale, Appen. dix B, No. 3.
30 (Sir) H. H. Risley, The People of India, p. 272; B. Bonnerjea, L'Ethnologie du Bengale, Appendix B, No. 5.
$1 Bhupendranath Datta, "Das indische Kastensystem," Anthropos, vol. xxii (1927), pp. 150-153, I have spelt the names of the different castes as Datta has spelt them, and have not taken any notice of how they should be spelt in transcription.