CHAP. I THE COUNTRY AND PEOPLE 15 The limits of creeds and races which have been Partial mimust not be regarded as permanent, g^^tions of described Throughout India there are constant petty migrations p"os^eV-" of the agricultural population taking place. Political tism in oppression, or droughts, or floods cause the inhabitants religion, of a village, or of a district, to seek more favoured tracts, causes of and there are always chiefs and rulers who are ready migrations, to welcome industrious emigrants and to assign them lands on easy terms. This causes some fluctuation in the distribution of races, and as in India the tendencyis to a distinction or separation of families, the number Recent miof clans or tribes has become almost infinite. Within gration of the Sikh dominions the migrations of the Baluchis up ^^-^ ^3'"the Indus are not of remote occurrence, while the ^^'^^^^^ occupation by the Sindhian Daudputras of the Lower ^^^ ^^ ^^^'^ Sutlej took place within the last hundred years. The Daudmigration of the Dogras from Delhi to Ferozepore, and putras up sutiej. of the Johiyas from IVIarwar to Pakpattan, also on the ^^^ Migrations Sutiej, are historical rather than traditional, while the hard-working Hindu Mehtums are still moving, family '^^^^^ by family and village by village, eastward, away from johiyas. the Ravi and Chenab, and are insinuating themselves and Mehturns. among less industrious but more warlike tribes. Although religious wars scarcely take place among the Buddhists, Brahmanists, and Muhammadans of the present day, and although religious fervour has almost disappeared from among the professors at least of the two former faiths, proselytism is not unknown to any of the three creeds, and Muhammadanism, as possessing still a strong vitality within it, will long continue to find converts among the ignorant and the barbarous. Islamism is extending up the Indus from Iskardo to- isiamism wards Leh, and is thus encroaching upon the more extending worn-out Buddhism; while the limits of the idolatrous in Tibet: 'Kafirs', almost bordering on Peshawar, are daily becoming narrower. To the south and eastward of Kashmir, Muhammadanism has also had recent triumphs, and in every large city and in every Musal- and geneman^ principality in India there is reason to believe that raiiy perthe religion of the Arabian prophet is gradually gaining ^^p^ m ^""^ ground. In the Himalayas to the eastward of Kishtwar, f.^^^ the Rajput conquerors have not carried Brahmanism beyond the lower valleys; and into the wilder glens, ^^^^^^^^ occupied by the ignorant worshippers of local divinities, progressive the Buddhists have recently begun to advance, and in some Lamas of the red or yellow sects are now found where parts of """^ none had set foot a generation ago. Among the forest J^^ ^^^^' continues Brahmans the influence of tribes of India the