Burma: Census of India 1901 Vol. I - Khamkoo

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4 2 REPORT ON THE CENSUS OF BURMA.
ing 28 males and 20 females, the Plymouth brethren claim the largest number of
;
members.
61. Sikhism was represented in the province on the 1st March 1901 by a total
of 6,596 persons, 5,723 of whom were males and 873
b h,sm '
'
females. The Military Police claims the bulk of the
Sikh population of Burma. The total is 3,236 higher than in 189 1, the femaleshaving
risen in number during the decade to a greater extent than the males. At
the last enumeration the Census Superintendent opined that many persons who
were Sikhs by religion had been included among the Hindus. Experience in the
abstraction office has shown me that Mr. Eales' view was probably correct. Very
frequently I have found in the schedules that persons returned as Sikh by castewere
entered as Hindus in column 4, and constant care was required to ensure that
Sikhs were not shown by the posters on the red slips reserved for the Brahmanic
population. So substantial an increase among the Sikhs is hardly to be looked
for when regard is had to the reduction in the Military Police that has been effected
during the past decade, andl think I have warrant for assuming that the rise
in the strength of the religion is to be accounted for partly by an improved system
of abstraction. The Sikh elements in the Burma regiments must not, however, be
lost sight of in a consideration of the matter. The creation of these bodies has
doubtless largely counterbalanced the dwindling in the Sikh population caused by
the reduction of the strength of the Military Police force.
62. After the Sikhs the Jews come next in point of numbers. The growth
of the latter during the past decade is remarkable. In
Ju a,sm "
1891 they totalled 351 only. They have now reached
an aggregate of 685 souls, of whom 417 are males and 268 females. _
As is to be
expected, the bulk of the Jews (373 males and 253 females) are domiciled in the
towns of the province, and considerably over half their number reside in' Rangoon.
They are a small but well-to-do community.
63. Between the 1881 and the 1891 enumerations the Parsis increased by
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