Note 23 — Chapter XXIII · SOCIAL ORGANISATION

If we accept provisionally the view that the Todas migrated to the Nilgiris from Malabar, we are next confronted with the problem as to whether they are directly derived from any of the races now living in that district. The most diverse views have been held by those who have considered the racial affinities of the Todas. Leaving on one side the conjectures of those who have supposed them to be Scythians, Druids, Romans, or Jews, we find that the Todas have been supposed by several writers to be of Aryan or Caucasic origin. De Quatrefages23 grouped the Todas with the Ainus of Northern Japan and Keane24 follows him in putting the two peoples together, and regards both as witnesses to the widespread diffusion of Caucasic races in Asia. Deniker25 suggests that they belong to the Indo-Afghan race, with perhaps an admixture of the Assyroid race.