feasts and fireworks that his grandmother was married with.[5] Notes: 1. The author's figure of 'eighty millions' was a mere guess, and probably, even in his time, was much below the mark. The figures of the census of 1911 are: Total population of India, excluding Burma . . . . 301,432,623 Hindus . . . . 217,197,213 The proportions in different provinces vary enormously. 2. See _ante_. Chapter 1, note 3. 3. The word _amoka_ is corrupt, and even Sir George Grierson cannot suggest a plausible explanation. Can it be a misprint for _anka_, in the sense of 'stamp'? 4. Akbar levied a tax on marriages, ranging from a single copper coin (_dâm_ = 1/40th of rupee) for poor people to 10 gold mohurs, or about 150 rupees, for high officials. Abûl Fazl declares that 'the payment of this tax is looked upon as auspicious', a statement open to doubt (Blochmann, transl. _Aîn_, vol. i, p. 278). In 1772 Warren Hastings abolished the marriage fees levied up to that time in Bengal by the Muhammadan law-officers. But I am disposed to think that a modern finance minister might reconsider the propriety of imposing a moderate tax, carefully graduated. 5. Extravagance in marriage expenses is still one of the principal curses of Indian society. Considerable efforts to secure reform have been made by various castes during recent years, but, as yet, small results only have been attained. The editor has seen numerous painful examples of the wreck of fine estates by young proprietors assuming the management after a long term of the careful stewardship of the Court of Wards. CHAPTER 7 The Purveyance System,