Page:History of the Indian Archipelago Vol 2.djvu/276

232 ANCIENT RELIGION OF THE found it for their interest not to insist upon a too rigid adherence to them. We may be certain that the Hindu religion was not established in Java with that inveterate and unsociable character which distinguishes it in Western India. The distinction into casts was but barely established; of the third, or mercantile class, I see no mention made at all. In so rude a state of society as that which existed, in Java, we cannot, indeed, contemplate more than three orders; — the priests, — the rulers, or military, — and the people, or servile body. The priests of Hinduism could readily make such an arrangement ; it was, in fact, nearly made to their hands, but the existence of a middle order, or mercantile class, implies a considerable advance in the march of industry and improvement, and such a body, even a religious law could not create. The four casts, it may, to be sure, be alleged, exist in Bali, but in that island the arrangement is of a more modern date, and belongs to a more im- proved period of society ; slavery exists in that island, and slaves are denominated the servile class, while the actual cultivators of the soil are the mer- cantile. In the ancient laws of the Javanese, no distinction, it is singular, is made in the award of punishment in favour of the Brahman, one of the most remarkable features in the laws of the genu- ine Hindus ; but a distinction is always made, on the other handy in favour of the king. This may