পৃষ্ঠা:অসমীয়া ব্যাকৰণ আৰু ভাষাতত্ত্ব.djvu/৪৮

৫৪ অসমীয়া ব্যাকৰণ আৰু ভাষাতত্ত্ব They are pure Aryans. They are, I suppose, as pure as, if not purer than, the Kayasthas. There is a tradition current in Assam that Parasurama exterminated the Ksatriyas during his wanderings round the world 21 times wiping out the Ksatriyas from the face of the earth and that some of the Assam Ksatriyas saved themselves from the axe of that great Brahman Warrior by concealing their caste and calling themselves Kula-lupta (devoid of caste) or Kalita. It would appear that the Kalias were the earliest Aryan immigrants. We find mention made of the Brahmanical influence in Assam as early as the period of Satapatha Brahmana. Brahman influence was also unquestionable in the time of Narakasur as we find in the Maha- bharata and Ramayana. Later Brahman immigrants added to their strength. But although Brahmanical supremacy was later firmly established the Brahmans adapted themselves to the new environments. tolerated the ancient manners and customs of the Kamrupis and admitted them into their social system. I think everybody will now admit that Col. Dalton came near the correct conclusion when he made the following observations :- | “The Kalitas are to be found in every district of Assam and as no one appears to know how they got there or where they came from, we may infer that they are the remnant of the earliest colonists of the valley. “They are not only themselves a good-looking race, but they are , the people to whom the Assamese population generally owe the of feature which has so improved those of Mongolian descent. The Kalitas exhibit a greater variety of complexion, and, on the whole, are not so fair as the Ahoms and Chutias or as the people of the hills. but they have oval faces, well-shaped heads, high noses, large eyes, well-developed eye- lids and eyelashes, and the light, supple frame of the pure Hindu. Colonel Hannay observes in the note above alluded to, that many kalitas have the grey eye so frequently found amongst the Rajputs of Western India. “I do not know of any castes corresponding to them in the western districts; but I find Buchanan Hamilton says that the Kalitas once had great sway in Rungpur, and many of those remaining there have assumed the title of Kaists. As Rungpur was once part of the Kingdom of Kamrup, we might expect to find Kalitas there; but a Hindu tribe, in every way resembling them and having the same name, Kalita, is to be found in the Sambalpur district and some of the Cuttack and Chota Naspur Tributary mahals. 1Dalton's Enthology of Bengal, pp. 17-82.