Christian missions in the Telugu country - Uecf.net

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MISSIONS IN THE TELUGU COUNTRY
better than others. In some cases, probably, the higher
rank was due to the caste occupation appearing cleaner
than in others. Thus the shepherd stands high, while
the fisherman, who takes life, is ranked low. But in
other cases it is difficult to see any reason in the nature of
things why some should be high and others low. It
does not appear on the surface why the potter should
be high in the list, and the tank-digger very low. But
as the higher castes are marked by the superior use they
make of the services of the Brahmans, it is possible
that at a critical period, when the Sudras were being
admitted into caste, their more or less complete sub-
servience to the Brahmans determined their rank
thenceforth.
The most important class of Sudras, from the Mission
point of view, is the farmer class, and this for several
reasons. They are important, in the first place, from
their numbers and their character. They are by far the
most numerous class of Sudras, physically the most
sturdy of their tribe, and not without the appearance of
having the makings of a fine race in them. Then, in
the next place, they are socially independent, not
carrying on their occupation by the wiU of others.
Indeed, were they to lead in the direction of Christianity,
most of the other elements of society would be likely to
follow. Besides this, their relation to our Christians
makes them important ; for, as is explained above, in
most cases they are the masters, our Christians are the
servants. They are very ignorant of things outside
their own sphere. Few of them are literate, but when
there is a school in the village with a good master, even