II
THE TAMIL PEOPLE—(continued).
The original home of the Dravidians and their place in the human family are still subjects of discussion. The various views that have been held by anthropologists in this connection will be passed in review.
'The Dravidian race,' says Dr. Grierson, 'is commonly considered to be the aborigines of India or at least of Southern India, and we have no information to show that they are not the aboriginal inhabitants of the South.' Sir Herbert Risley says, 'Taking them as we find them now it may safely be said that their present geographical distribution, the marked uniformity of physical characters among the more primitive members of the group, their animistic religion, their distinctive languages, their stone monuments and retention of a primitive system of totemism justify us in regarding them as the earliest inhabitants of India of whom we have any knowledge.'
It will be seen from the above extracts that Dr.
