divine being and to have denounced idolatry, sacrifices and caste.  These views were held even more strictly by his successor, Madhab Deb, a writer of repute whose works, such as the Namghosha and Ratnavali, are regarded as scripture by his followers.  Though the Brahmans of Assam were opposed to the introduction of Vishnuism and a section of them continued to instigate persecutions for two centuries or more, yet when it became clear that the new teaching had a great popular following another section were anxious that it should not pass out of sacerdotal control and organized it as a legitimate branch of Hinduism.  While fully recognizing the doctrine of justification by faith, they also made provision for due respect to caste and Brahmanic authority.

According to the last census of India[645] the common view that Sankar Deb drew his inspiration from Caitanya meets with criticism in Assam.  His biographies say that he lived 120 years and died in 1569.  It has been generally assumed that his age has been exaggerated but that the date of his death is correct.  If it can be proved, as contended, that he was preaching in 1505, there would be no difficulty in admitting that he was independent of Caitanya and belonged to an earlier phase of the Vishnuite movement which produced the activity of Vallabha and the poetry of Vidyapati.  It is a further argument for this independence that he taught the worship of Vishnu only and not of Radha and discountenanced the use of images.  On the other hand it is stated that he sojourned in Bengal and it appears that soon after his death his connection with the teaching of Caitanya was recognized in Assam.

At present there are three sects in Assam.  Firstly, the Mahapurushias, who follow more or less faithfully the doctrines of Sankar and Madhab.  They admit Sudras as religious teachers and abbots, and lay little stress on caste while not entirely rejecting it.  They abstain almost entirely from the use of images in worship, the only exception being that a small figure of Krishna in the form of Vaikuntha Natha is found in their temples.  It is not the principal object of veneration but stands to the left of a throne on which lies a copy of the Namghosha.[646] This, together with the foot-prints of Sankar and Madhab, receives the homage of the faithful.  The chief centre of the Mahapurushias is Barpeta, but they have also monasteries on the Majuli Island and elsewhere.  Secondly, the Bamunia monasteries, with a large lay following, represent a brahmanized form of the Mahapurushia faith.  This movement began in the life-time of Madhab.  Many of his Brahman disciples seceded from him and founded separate communities which insisted on the observance of caste (especially on the necessity of religious teachers being Brahmans) but tolerated image-worship and the use of some kinds of flesh as food.  Though this sect was persecuted by the Ahom kings,[647] they were strong enough to maintain themselves.  A compromise was effected in the