obable that the army
of aborigines may have been accompanied by outlying bands of monkeys
impelled by that magpie-like curiosity and love of plunder which are the
peculiar characteristics of the monkey race; and this incident may have
given rise to the story that the army was composed of Monkeys."

WHEELER'S _History of India. Vol. II. pp. 316 ff._

Page 342. The Fall Of Bali.

"As regards the narrative, it certainly seems to refer to some real event
amongst the aboriginal tribes: namely, the quarrel between an elder and
younger brother for the possession of a Raj; and the subsequent alliance
of Rama with the younger brother. It is somewhat remarkable that Rama
appears to have formed an alliance with the wrong party, for the right of
Bali was evidently superior to that of Sugriva; and it is especially
worthy of note that Rama compassed the death of Bali by an act contrary to
all the laws of fair fighting. Again, Rama seems to have tacitly
sanctioned the transfer of Tara from Bali to Sugriva, which was directly
opposed to modern rule, although in conformity with the rude customs of a
barbarous age; and it is remarkable that to this day the marriage of both
widows and divorced women is practised by the Marawars, or aborigines of
the southern Carnatic, contrary to the deeply-rooted prejudice which
exists against such unions amongst the Hindus at large."

WHEELER'S _History of India, Vol. II. 324_.

Page 370. The Vanar Host.

"The splendid Marutas form the army of Indras, the red-haired monkeys and
bears that of Ramas; and the mythical and solar nature of the monkeys and
bears of the Ramayanam manifests itself several times. The king of the
monkeys is a sun-god. The ancient king was named Balin, and was the son of
Indras. His younger brother Sugrivas, he who changes his shape at pleasure
(Kamarupas), who, helped by Ramas, usurped his throne, is said to be own
child of the sun. Here it is evident that the Vedic antagonism between
Indras and Vishnus is reproduced in a zoological and entirely apish form.
The old Zeus must give way to the new, the moon to the sun, the evening to
the morning sun, the sun of winter to that of spring; the young son
betrays and overthrows the old one.{~HORIZONTAL ELLIPSIS~} Ramas, who treacherously kills the
old king of the monkeys, Balin, is the equivalent of Vishnus, who hurls
his predecessor Indras from his throne; and Sugrivas, the new king of the
monkeys resembles Indras w