The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)

Chapter D (6)

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[Death ceremonies.] 13. The infant or unmarried dead are buried. Adults are cremated in the usual way. After the cremation is over the mourners chew leaves of the bitter nîm tree as a sign of sorrow, and touch water, their feet and head with a piece of iron to keep off the Bhût. Then the man who fired the pyre pours a little spirit on the ground in the name of the deceased, and takes a drink himself, which is also distributed to the other mourners. Next day the chief mourner goes to the cremation ground and pours some milk on the ground in the name of the dead man. In the evening the clansmen assemble. A pit is dug in the ground and over it they hold a leaf of the pîpal tree on which they first pour a little milk and a little water, and let it drop into the pit. The death impurity lasts for seven days. On the tenth day, there is a ceremonial shaving of the mourners and clansmen; grain is given to Brâhmans, and the brethren are feasted. They perform the usual srâddha, and some even go from Mirzapur to Gaya for this purpose.

[Religion.] 14. Dusâdhs assert that they are orthodox Hindus. They are very seldom initiated into the ordinary sects; but if this be done, they prefer the Vaishnava cultus. But as appears from their tribal worship, they have retained a large amount of the primitive animistic beliefs. Their tribal deities in Mirzapur are Râhu and Ketu, the ascending and descending nodes, Chhath, Bandi, and Manukh Deva. The legends and worship of Râhu, the eclipse demon, have been considered elsewhere, [374] and Mr. Risley [375] has given a very complete and interesting account of the worship as it prevails in Bihâr. In Mirzapur the worship of Râhu is done in this wise. A pit is dug in the ground, one-and-a-quarter cubits wide and seven cubits long. In this logs of wood are evenly laid, and on them oil is poured. Then a Brâhman is called in who does the fire sacrifice (hom). When the wood in the trench has burnt away until only some hot cinders are left, the worshippers walk one after the other along it followed by the Brâhman priest. In Bihâr, it is a tribal priest known as the Bhakat who presides, and the association of the Brâhman in Mirzapur is a very remarkable fact. Another form of the worship is to fix up two bamboos in the ground a short distance apart. Between the poles a couple of swords are tied and thus a sort of ladder is made. The officiant climbs up these and stands on one of the sword blades with his naked feet and from the top pours some milk on the ground in the name of Râhu. Then he descends and a young pig is brought before him which he kills by repeated thrusts of a sword or spear. Some spirits are also poured on the ground and the meat and the rest of the offerings are consumed by the worshippers.

[Songs in honour of Râhu.] 15. As a further illustration of this very primitive form of worship it may be worth quoting the song sung on this occasion by the Dusâdhs in the Mirzapur District:—

1. Kai hâth bhagata tuiri khanawalê? kai man chailawa bojhai ho?
2. Kai man bhagata ghiu dharkâwalê? Uthelê aginiyân kai dhâr ho?
3. Sâtê hâth bhagata tuiri khanawalê; man das chailwa bojhan ho.
4. Sawa man bhagata ghiu dharkâwalê; uthela aginiyân kai dhâr ho.

“O devotee! How many cubits long is the ditch which thou hast dug? How much wood hast thou laid therein? How many maunds of butter hast thou poured therein that the billows of fire rise in the air? O devotee! seven cubits long is the trench which thou hast dug. Ten maunds of firewood hast thou piled therein. One maund and a quarter of butter hast thou poured thereon that the billows of fire arise.”

1. Beriyânhi heri tonhi barajon maliniyân batiyân dawanawân mati
lâo.
2. Yahi bâten aihen mâlin Râhu kai khatolawa Ketu kai macholawa
dawanawân jani lâo.
3. Awê dehu Râhu kai khatolawa Ketu kai macholwa; ham debê anchara
pasâr.
4. Ghorawa ta bandhâwalê asoka ki dariyân; dhapasi kai paithalen
phulwâr.
5. Kethuen sinchâwali mâlin dawana menrawa, kethuen sinchâwali mâli
arabul kai phûl.
6. Dudhawon sinchâwalon mâlin dawana menrawa Ganga nire arabul ke
phul.
7. Dawana menrawa mâlin benchi khochi khaiha arabul kai phûl, mâlin
rakhiye pratipâl.

“O wife of the gardener! I warn thee bring not thus the marjoram leaves. The great litter of Râhu and the little litter of Ketu will by and by pass this way. Bring not then the leaves of marjoram:—Let the great litter of Râhu and the little litter of Ketu pass this way and I will spread the robe that covers my breast. Râhu tied his horse to the Asoka tree and passed quickly into the garden. Said he—“O wife of the gardener! With what didst thou water the millet and the marjoram; and with what the Arabul?” [376] She answered “With milk did I water the marjoram and the millet; with Ganges water the Arabul.” Said Râhu—Sell the marjoram and the millet and live on what you can make from them; but preserve the Arabul.”

[Worship of Chhath, etc.] 16. They worship Chhath or Chhathi, the sixth, on the sixth lunar day of Kuâr. All the previous day they fast and before sunrise go singing to the river side. They strip and walk into the water where they stand facing the east till the sun rises, when they stand with folded hands and bow in reverence to him, and make an offering of various kinds of cakes (thokwa, gulgula) and any other kind of wood which they can procure. Some offer in addition grain, rice, and sweetmeats. These are afterwards distributed among the friends of the family. The other tribal deities, Bandi and Manukh Deva, who is the “man spirit,” the Bhût of some dead worthy of the tribe, are worshipped on the tenth day of Kuâr in the house temple (deoghar) with a sacrifice of fowls and a young pig and an oblation of spirits. They also offer seven cups of milk and seven pairs of cakes which they range round the earthen mound which is the common abiding place of the tribal gods. They observe most of the ordinary Hindu festivals and take advantage of the Phagua or Holi and the Kajari to indulge in a good deal of drinking and gross sensuality. In fact, on these occasions, the rules of modesty and decency are allowed to fall into abeyance.

[Social rules.] 17. Their oaths are done by standing in water, or on a pîpal tree, or by touching the head of one of their sons. They will not eat beef; but use freely mutton, goat’s flesh, and venison. They are now beginning to abandon the use of fowls. Before eating they put a little food on the ground in honour of Dharti Mâta, the Earth goddess. The women wear the ordinary Hindu dress with thick bangles (mâthi) on the wrist and heavy anklets (pairi). They eat kachchi and pakki cooked by all Brâhmans, Vaisyas, and Kshatriyas, and also by the more respectable lower castes, as the Ahîr. They will not eat anything touched by a Dom, Chamâr or Dharkâr.

[Occupation.] 18. It is said that most of Lord Clive’s army which fought at Plassey consisted of Dusâdhs. Now they do not take military service. Their drunken lazy habits prevent them from rising to the position of occupancy tenants and most of them are ploughmen in the service of other tenants or landlords or they serve as village watchmen (gorait, chaukidâr). They practise no handicraft and some of them live by wood cutting or collecting jungle produce.

DISTRIBUTION OF DUSÂDHS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

============+=========+=======+=======+==========+==========+=========+======+=======+====== Districts. |Bharsiya.|Dhârhi.|Gondar.|Kanaujiya.|Madhesiya.|Magahiya.|Rajar.|Others.|Total. ~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~ Sahâranpur | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 12| 12 Agra | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 82| 82 Bareilly | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 81| 81 Budâun | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 560| 560 Morâdâbâd | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 10| 10 Cawnpur | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 23| 23 Allahâbâd | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 64| 64 Benares | ... | ... | 3,265| 21 | ... | ... | ... | 1,471| 4,757 Mirzapur | ... | ... | 3,444| ... | ... | ... | ... | 4,090| 7,534 Ghâzipur | ... | ... | 11,779| ... | ... | ... | ... | 356|12,135 Ballia | ... | 5,615| 2,474| 3,307 | ... | ... | 26| 9,578|21,000 Gorakhpur | 291 | 7,692| 3,001| 17,293 | 1,714 | 719 | 1,729| 2,815|35,254 Basti | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 8| 8 Azamgarh | ... | 337| 204| 80 | 645 | 14 | ... | 109| 1,389 Hardoi | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1| 1 Kheri | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 1| 1 Partâbgarh | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 2| 2 +~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~ Total | 291 | 13,644| 24,167| 20,701 | 2,359 | 733 | 1,755| 19,263|82,913 ~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~

Dûsar (dûsra, “second”), a sub-caste of Banyas numerous in parts of the Allahâbâd and Lucknow Divisions. In the returns of the Census of 1881 great confusion was caused by the amalgamation of the Dûsar Banyas with the Dhûsar or Bhârgava, who claim Brâhmanical origin. Even in the returns of 1891 it is not certain that this error has been completely eliminated. The Dûsars rank low among Banyas, admit widow marriage, and are said to be a branch of the Ummar sub-caste descended from a second wife, whence their name. From Cawnpur the curious rule is reported that the parents of the bride pay a dowry, the maximum of which is Rs. 211 of the pice current in Râê Bareli, which are worth about eleven annas. From this it is assumed that Râê Bareli was an early settlement of the Dûsars.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE DÛSAR BANYAS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Gadariya; [377] Garariya; Gaderiya; Ganreriya—(Hindi gâdar, “a sheep:” Sanskrit gandhâra, so called because originally brought from the country of Gandhâra or Kandahar).—The caste of shepherds, goat-herds, and blanket-weavers found all over the Province. In many parts they are known as Guâl Gadariya, and there seems strong reason to believe that they are in some way connected with the Ahîr or Guâla race, though their personal appearance indicates a much larger admixture of non-Aryan blood. This is strengthened by the fact noted by Mr. Risley [378] that in Bihâr they will take both kachchi and pakki food from Guâlas.

[Internal structure.] 2. According to the last Census the Gadariyas of these Provinces recorded themselves in twelve sub-castes besides several more whose numbers were too small to find a place in the final returns. These sub-castes are Baghel; Bamhaniya; Chandel; Dhîngar; Haranwâl; Kachhwâha; Nikhar; Phûl-singhiya; Râthaur; Rautela; Sâgar; Saraswâr. Nearly half of these are the names of well-known Râjput septs, and this may possibly go to show that the formation of these endogamous groups, under at least their present names, may be of comparatively modern date. It is asserted from Bareilly that they admit outsiders into the caste: this is doubtful and apparently not the case in the Eastern Districts. In Benares Mr. Sherring [379] gives an entirely different set of sub-castes—Dhîngar; Nikhar; Jaunpuri, or “those from Jaunpur;” Illahâbâdi, “those from Allahâbâd;” Bakarkasâu, or “goat butchers;” Namdawâla, or “makers of felt,” and Chikwa who are usually classed with the Qassâb. He asserts that the first four sub-castes keep sheep and goats, not so the remaining three. They also manufacture blankets. The Bakarkasâu and Namdawâla sub-castes do so likewise. The Chikwas are Muhammadans. He also names two other sub-castes—the Bharariya, who derive their name from bher, a sheep. “Nevertheless they are not employed in tending sheep, but in other kinds of labour. The Baikatas are the lowest in rank among the Gadariyas. They live by begging scraps of hair from the other sub-castes that keep flocks, and selling the proceeds.” Sir H. M. Elliot names also the Taselha or Pachhâdê, “those of the west,” Chak, Bareiya, Paihwâr, and Bhaiyatâr. From Agra it is reported that the women of the Dhîngar sub-caste wear bangles of glass, bore their noses, and do not eat meat; while those of the Nikhar do not wear glass bangles, do not bore their noses, and eat meat. Of the 1,113 sections of Hindu and 8 of the Muhammadan branch included in the detailed Census Returns, those of the chief local importance are the Chandan, Mokha, and Sahla of Sahâranpur: the Ahîr, Chhotisen, Sahla, and Uchahri of Muzaffarnagar: the Bhatti, Ganga, Panwâr, and Râê of Bulandshahr: the Hans, Madâriya, and Sengar of Aligarh: the Vaneli of Mainpuri: the Raikwâr of Etâwah: the Sengar of Bareilly: the Sahla of Bijnor: the Rautelê and Sahla of Morâdâbâd: the Magar and Panwâr of Cawnpur: the Panwâr of Fatehpur: the Rohingar of Hamîrpur: the Darsiya of Ghâzipur: the Sailiya of the Tarâi: the Thengar of Râê Bareli: the Barharwâr, Dokhar, and Panwâr of Hardoi, and the Nikhad of Sultânpur.

[Traditions of origin.] 3. The Western Gadariyas call themselves Marhattas and describe themselves as emigrants from Gwâlior. Some of them still visit Gwâlior to worship the goddess Kâli Devi, and they employ a colony of Gwâlior Bhâts who have come from Gwâlior and settled at Anupshahr in the Bulandshahr District. The Gadariyas fix their emigration from Gwâlior in the time of the Dor or Tomar Râja Buddh Sen.

[Marriage rules.] 4. The Gadariyas usually marry their girls at the age of from seven to twelve. To the west it is a rule among them after marriage to lodge the bride first on her arrival with her husband in a separate room, and then she is not admitted into the house until she pays a sum of money to the men or persons connected with her husband by marriage with women of his family. In the course of this function a mimic struggle goes on between the two parties. Next morning after she is thus received into her husband’s family, the women of the house fill an iron pan with water and place in it two silver rings and some blades of grass. The married couple then struggle to see which of them will secure the rings. The bridegroom’s female relations do their best to help him. Whichever of the pair secures the rings will have the mastery during married life. When the mock struggle is over, the winner pours the contents of the vessel over the loser. There are no marriage brokers; matches are arranged by a member of the caste. He receives a rupee and a turban from the father of the bridegroom; but if he commit any fraud in arranging the match, the council have one side of his moustache shaved in the presence of the brethren, and also impose a fine. A man may discard his wife for infidelity, but such women are not allowed to remarry in the caste. Widow-marriage and the levirate are permitted, and the children by any form of recognised marriage are equal heirs. Illegitimate children are not allowed to intermarry or even smoke with those of pure blood. A man who marries a widow has generally to pay something to her relations, and in any case he has to pay any debts she may have contracted during widowhood.

[Birth customs.] 5. The woman during delivery sits on a stool facing the Ganges. She is attended by a sweeper or Koli midwife for at least three days. When the birth of a male child is announced, one of the mother’s female relations hurries out of the house, and draws all round the walls a line of cowdung as a magic circle to keep off evil spirits. She also makes a rude cowdung figure at each side of the door, and fixes up seven pieces of broomstick near it. When a girl is born, only a piece of a broken earthen pot is put up over the door. On the second day the mother is given a condiment which is supposed to consist of thirty-two drugs boiled together. On the tenth day the mother and child are taken to the nearest well with singing, and she worships the well by marking the platform with turmeric, and placing upon it the cowdung figures which had been fixed up near the house door. They all return, and soaked gram and sweets are distributed.

[Marriage customs.] 6. The marriage ceremonies are of the normal type. There are some observances which may be survivals of marriage by capture. Thus, while the marriage is going on, the women of the bride’s family carry on a mock fight with the relations of the bridegroom, and are allowed to strike them with the kneading roller (belan). If a girl has a particular curl of the hair which is supposed to resemble a female snake (sânpin), she is first married to a camel-thorn bush (jhar beri). If a bachelor in the same way marry a widow, and she bear him a daughter, in order to overcome the evil influence which is supposed to arise from the dhareja form of marriage, he gets himself married to a tree before he gives away the daughter in marriage to another.

[Death customs.] 7. Gadariyas cremate their adult dead, except those who have died of snake-bite or small-pox. If such corpses are cremated, they believe that at the burning a steam arises from them which strikes the mourners blind. On the way to the burning ground a ball (pinda) is offered in the name of the deceased. The son of the deceased fires the pyre, and each of the mourners throws in five cakes of cowdung fuel. Some ashes are sifted and placed the following day on the spot where the death occurred, and next morning from the marks on the ashes they speculate as to the form which the soul will assume in the next birth. They perform the usual srâddha.

[Religion.] 8. Gadariyas are orthodox Hindus, the Musalmân branch of the caste being very inconsiderable. Their chief deity is Kâli. They also worship a local deity known as Châmar. This is more especially done in the Naudurga of Chait and Kuâr and when cholera or other epidemic disease is about. The offerings consist of cakes (pûri), coarse sugar, and sometimes a goat. The last is taken by the Chamâr priest and the former by the local Brâhman priest or Kherapati. Another spirit named Jakhaiya or Jokhaiya is largely worshipped by Gadariyas in the Western Districts. He is said to be the ghost of a Muhammadan Ghosi. His priest is a sweeper, and his offering a young pig. The chief shrine of Jokhaiya, who, according to the last Census, was worshipped by 87,061 persons, is at Pendhat, in the Mainpuri District. He is there said to have been a Bhangi, who was killed during the war between Prithivi Râja of Delhi and Jaychand of Kanauj. His offering is a pig, which is presented by women who long for children and pray for easy delivery. The fair is said also to bring timely winter rain. To the west of the Province they are served by Sanâdh Brâhmans; to the east by low class Brâhmans of various tribes.

[Social status.] 9. In Bihâr, according to Mr. Risley, the Gadariya ranks higher than the Ahîr; but this does not seem to be the case in these Provinces. They are, however, careful about food and drink, and maintain a fairly high standard of personal purity. Their original occupation is keeping and selling sheep and goats and making blankets; but besides this they cultivate and practice various forms of trading. The women have a reputation for untidy habits, as the common proverb runs,—Ek to Garerin, dusrê lahsan khâê—“a shepherdess and eating garlic in the bargain.”

DISTRIBUTION OF GADARIYAS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

==============+==============================================================================+===+======= | Hindus. | | Districts. +~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~~~+ |Total. | Baghel. | | | | Bamhaniya. | | | | | Chandel. | | | | | | Dhîngar. | | | | | | | Haranwâl. | | | | | | | | Kachhwâha. | | | | | | | | | Nikhar. | | | | | | | | | | Phulsinghiya. | | | | | | | | | | | Rautela. | | | | | | | | | | | | Râthaur. | | | | | | | | | | | | | Sâgar. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Saraswâr. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Others. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Muhammadans. | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~~ Dehra Dûn |...| ...| ... | 399| 103|...| 311| ... | ...|...| ...| ...| 590|...| 1,403 Sahâranpur |...| ...| ... | 400| 585|...| 278| 7| ...|...| ...| 92| 10,088|...| 11,450 Muzaffarnagar |...| 50| 483| 489|1,226|...| 422| 455| ...|...| ...| 324| 12,104|...| 15,553 Meerut |...| ...| ... | 473| 34|...| 9,088| 50| ...|...| ...| ...| 6,717|...| 16,362 Bulandshahr |...| ...| 129| 453| ... |...| ... | 37| ...|...| ...| ...| 15,480|...| 16,099 Aligarh |...| ...| 398|12,281|3,109|...| 1,060| ... | ...|...| ...| ...| 18,831|...| 35,678 Mathura | 47| ...| 177|11,726| ... | 92| 227| 10| 145|616| 160| 160| 4,485|...| 17,847 Agra |431| ...| 164|30,616| ... |352| 335| ... | 78|...| 776| 13| 4,448|...| 37,113 Farrukhâbâd |...| ...| ... | 2,009| 329|...| 26,130| 24| 5|...| ...| ...| 1,692| 1| 30,190 Mainpuri |...| 172| 31| 9,545| ... |...| 13,809|4,385| 33|145| ...| 180| 1,794|...| 30,094 Etâwah | 52| ...| 224|15,535| ... |407| 4,178| 367| 92|162| 223| 233| 6,597|...| 26,070 Etah |...| 277| 17|14,459| 250| 47| 8,807| ...| 370|...| 69| 26| 3,082|...| 27,404 Bareilly |...| ... | ... | 7,943| ...|...| 5,202| 390| 91|...| ...| ...| 2,309|...| 15,935 Bijnor |...|12,851| ... | 4,272| 65|...| ... | ...| ...|...| ...| ...| 407|...| 17,595 Budâun |...| ... | 52|12,914| 40|...| 12,729| ...| ...|...| ...| ...| 2,659|...| 28,394 Morâdâbâd |...| ... | 209| 5,171| 59|...| 7,882| 13| 81|...| ...| 38| 11,879|...| 25,332 Shâhjahânpur |...| ... | ... | 1,091| ...|...| 7,483| 70| ...|...| ...| ...| 787|...| 19,431 Pilibhît |...| ... | ... | 112| 16|...| 6,699| 1| 6|...| ...| ...| 384| 6| 7,224 Cawnpur |...| 141| 354| 6,732| ...|...| 27,872| ...| 28|...| ...| 531| 10,036| 3| 45,697 Fatehpur |...| 372| 886| 4,136| ...|...| 13,267| ...| ...|...| ...| 291| 5,650| 1| 24,603 Bânda |...| 5| 508| 294| ...|...| 7,428| ...| ...|...| ...| 35| 3,593|...| 11,863 Hamîrpur |...| ... | 202| 2,254| ...|...| 3,215| 25| ...|...| ...| 30| 4,983| 9| 10,718 Allahâbâd |...| ... | 50|11,108| ...|...| 28,950| ...| ...|...| ...| ...| 1,356| 20| 41,484 Jhânsi |...| ...| 189| 2,168| ...|...| 7,097| 25| 82|...| ... | ...| 963|...| 10,524 Jâlaun |...| 86| 178| 9,492| ...|...| 578| 6| 16|...| ... | ...| 2,823|...| 13,179 Lalitpur |...| ...| 5| 247| 96|...| 4,218| 26| 39|...| ... | ...| 1,431|...| 6,062 Benares |...| ...| ...| 223| ...|...| 9,898| ...|2,583|...| ... | ...| 1,266|...| 13,970 Mirzapur |...| ...| ...| ...| ...|...| 20,187| 285| ... |...| ... | ...| 3,163|...| 23,635 Jaunpur |...| ...| ...| 94| ...|...| 21,660| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 3,241| 32| 25,027 Ghâzipur |...| ...| 25| ...| 40|...| 5,382| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 4,370|...| 9,817 Basti |...| ...| ...| 174| ...|...| 10,499| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 199|...| 10,872 Ballia |...| ...| ...| ...| ...|...| 2,152| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 1,314|...| 3,467 Gorakhpur |...| ...| ...| 5,732| ...|...| 7,749| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 2,686|...| 16,167 Azamgarh |...| ...| 18| 243| ...|...| 7,715| ...| ... |...| ... | 28| 1,484|...| 9,488 Kumâun |...| ...| ...| ...| ...|...| ... | ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 4|...| 4 Garhwâl |...| ...| ...| ...| ...|...| ... | ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 20|...| 20 Tarâi |...| ...| ...| 440| 14|...| 1,030| ...| ... |...| ... | ...| 1,780|...| 3,264 Lucknow |...| ...| 4| 3,868| ...|...| 6,822| ...| ... |...| ... | 4| 1,516| 72| 12,286 Unâo |...| 507| 479| 13,444| ...|...| 4,430| ...| 415|...| ... | 317| 5,663|...| 25,255 Râê Bareli |...| ... | 81| 25,069| ... |...| 4,233| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 391|...| 29,774 Sîtapur |...| 50| ... | 16,083| 329|...| 617| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 1,685|...| 18,435 Hardoi |...| 2,641| ... | 310| ... |...| 34,610| 24| ... |...| ... | 711| 4,356|...| 42,981 Kheri |...| ... | ... | 15,726| ... |...| 299| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 520|...| 16,545 Faizâbâd |...| ... | ... | 2,658| ... |...| 13,743| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 119|...| 16,520 Gonda |...| ... | ... | 6,128| ... |...| 12,274| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 451|234| 19,087 Bahrâich |...| ... | ... | 15,586| ... |...| 2,215| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 530|...| 18,331 Sultânpur |...| ... | ... | 7,948| ... |...| 14,970| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 2,158|...| 25,076 Partâbgarh |...| ... | ... | 15,311| ... |...| 15,790| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 638|...| 31,739 Bârabanki |...| ... | ... | 10,824| ... |...| 2,795| ... | ... |...| ... | ... | 754|...| 14,373 +~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~+~~~~~~~ Total |530|17,152|4,763|304,180|6,295|898|406,337|6,200|4,064|923|1,228|3,013|173,476|378|929,437 ==============+===+======+=====+=======+=====+===+=======+=====+=====+===+=====+=====+=======+===+=======

Total Hindus 929,059
Total Muhammadans 378
~~~~~~~
Grand Total 929,437

Gaddi.—The caste of Muhammadan cow-herds. They have been separately enumerated at the last Census, but they are often regarded as a sub-caste of Ghosis. They are probably closely allied to the Ahîrs; in fact many of them are almost certainly Ahîrs who have embraced Islâm. In the Panjâb [380] there are two quite distinct classes of people known by this name—the Musalmân Gaddis of Karnâl and its neighbourhood, who are identical with the Gaddis of these Provinces, and a hill tribe inhabiting the mountain range between Kangra and Chamba. Some of them, again, are believed to be of Khatri origin, and these General Cunningham is inclined to identify with the Gandaridae or Gangaridae. In parts of these Provinces, according to Sir H. M. Elliot, [381] it is not unusual to call any converted Hindu a Gaddi, which is looked on by a true Musalmân as a term of reproach. They, with other low caste tribes, were old occupiers of Oudh, and they were powerful enough to make invasion costly to the advancing Râjputs. According to one authority the women in Oudh are notorious for immorality, and the men for the filthiness of their persons and stupidity. [382]

2. The complete returns of the last Census show 255 sections of the tribe. These are of the usual type: some territorial, such as Aharwâr, Audhiya, Bahrâichi, Balapura, Gorakhpuri, Kanaujiya, Mathuriya, Purbiya, Saksena, Sarwariya, and Shâhpuri. Others are derived from the names of well-known castes or septs, as Ahîr, Bâchhar, Bais, Bhadauriya, Bhangi, Bhatti, Bisen, Chamarbans, Chandela, Chauhân, Chhatri, Domar, Ghosi, Gûjar, Hurakiya, Jât, Kamboh, Kori, Mewâti, Pathân, Râthaur, Sayyid, Shaikh, Tânk, Teli, Tomar, and Turkiya.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE GADDI ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Gaharwâr.—An important sept of Râjputs. Their name is spelt Gahadawâla in the grants, and an eminent authority, Dr. Hoernle, connects it with the Sanskrit root gah, in the sense of “dwellers in caves or deep jungle.” [383]

[Tribal tradition.] 2. The tribal tradition, as told by the family bards of the head of the sept, the Râja of Kantit, in the Mirzapur District, is as follows:—From Chandrama the moon came Buddh, and from Buddh came Pururavas. Some generations later was born Yayâti, who, when he reached an old age, longed to recover his youthful vigour. With this view he called his sons, born of his two wives, Devayâni and Sarmishtha, and asked them to make over their youth to him. They all refused except the youngest, the son of Sarmishtha. So Yayâti cursed them all, and prayed that they might never enjoy royal power. One of them, Yadu, was the ancestor of the Yaduvansis, none of whom have ever gained sovereignty. Yayâti reigned many years, and finally abdicated the throne and crowned his youngest son in his room and became an ascetic. After many generations in his line Deva Dâsa reigned at Kâshi or Benares. He was famous for his good works, and hence incurred the envy of the malignant deity Sani or Saturn. He endeavoured to divert Deva Dâsa from his life of piety, but he failed, and the good king gained the title of graha-vâra or “overcomer of the planet,” of which Gaharwâr is a corruption. He worshipped Mahâdeva so fervently that the deity abandoned Kâshi and retired to the summit of Kailâsa. But he became tired of his life of seclusion, and incited the other gods to mislead Deva Dâsa. All failed, but the Dhundhê Râja Ganesa, who overcame the piety of Deva Dâsa, who was obliged to retire to Kanauj, which was then called Râshtradesa, and becoming lord of that land, his descendants were known as Râthaur. His descendant was the famous Râja Jaya Chandra, whose dominions are recorded in the Hindi verse:—

Kara, Kâlpi, Kamaru, Kashmîr lawa desa:
Khud, Kâshi, Kanauj dhani Sri Jaya Chandra naresa.

“Jaya Chandra, lord of men and powerful sovereign, was ruler of Kara, Kâlpi, Kamaru, Kashmîr, Kanauj, and Benares.” After his defeat by Shahâb-ud-dîn Ghori, Jaya Chandra’s nephew is said to have fled to Rohtâsgarh; another to Krishnagarh, in Mârwâr; a third to Jodhpur, and a fourth to Juâlamukhi. The son of the King of Rohtâsgarh was granted by Shîr Shâh the Pargana of Kera Mangraur, now in the Mirzapur District, and became a Musalmân. The younger fled to Kantit, in the same district, and, with the aid of a Sukla Brâhman of Dhaurahra, near Bijaypur, overcame the Bhar Râja of that place and founded the family of the Gaharwâr Râjas of Kantit-Bijaypur. All the other Gaharwârs trace their lineage to Benares or Bijaypur. Those in Hardoi say that the country was held by Thatheras, whom they defeated and expelled. [384]

3. Sir H. M. Elliot thinks it doubtful whether they preceded the Râthaurs at Kanauj, or, after being incorporated with them, were dispersed with them at the final conquest of Kanauj by Muhammad Ghori. Even now the Cawnpur branch derive their name from Gharbâhar, because they were turned out of house and home after the fall of Kanauj. [385]

4. The Gaharwârs hold a high rank among Râjput septs. They give daughters to the Baghel, Chandel, and Bisen, and take brides of the Bais, Râjkumâr, Maunas, Gautam, Palwâr, Chauhân, Parihâr, Sombansi, Sirnet, and Dikshit.

In Farrukhâbâd they give brides to the Chauhân, Râthaur, Bhadauriya, and Kachhwâha, and take girls from the Nikumbh, Chandel, Raikwâr, Solankhi, Gaur, Chamar-Gaur, Parihâr, and Ujjaini. They claim to belong to the Bharadwâja gotra. In Unâo they receive brides from the Dhâkrê, Janwâr, and Parihâr; and give their girls to the Gaur, Bais, Chandel, and Sombansi.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE GAHARWÂR RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Gahlot.—A sept of Râjputs also known as Sisodiya and Ahariya. One derivation of the name Gahlot is from Sanskrit guha, “a cave.” It is said that when the ancestors of the Râna of Mewâr were expelled from Gujarât, one of the queens named Pushpavati found refuge among the Brâhmans of the Maliya mountains: she was shortly after delivered of a son, whom she called from the cave (guha) in which he was born, by the name of Gahlot. Others derive the name from gahla, “a slave girl,” in allusion to their supposed descent. One derivation of the name Sisodiya is Siva sudhiya, “a devotee of the god Siva;” another is from sîsa, “lead” as one of the tribe once drank melted lead with impunity. A third is from sasa or sussa “a hare,” which is supposed to have been the tribal totem. But it seems safer to regard the name as a local appellation, derived from the town of Sisodha, the first home of the sept, as Ahariya is taken from the town of Anandpur Ahâr, near Udaypur. The name Gahlot was changed to Ahariya when the sept migrated to Nagindra. The throne of Chithor was recovered in 1201 A.D. by Bharat, who was succeeded by Rakûp. Two great changes were introduced by this prince—the first in the title of the sept to Sisodiya; the other in that of its prince from Râwal to Râna.

2. According to Colonel Tod [386] they migrated from Kosala under Kanak Sen, and became rulers of Ballabhi and Gajni, from which the last prince Siladitya was expelled by Parthian invaders in the 6th century. “A posthumous son of his, Grahaditya, obtained a petty sovereignty at Edar. A change was marked by his name becoming the patronymic, and Grahilaut or Gahlot designated the Sûryavansa of Râma. With reverses and migrations from the wilds of Edar to Ahâr, near the modern Udaypur, the Gahlot was changed to Ahâriya, by which name the race continued to be designated till the 12th century, when the elder brother, Rakûp, abandoned his claim to the throne of Chithor, obtained by force of arms from the Mori, and settled at Dungarpur, which they yet hold, as well as the title Ahâriya; while the younger, Mahûp, established the seat of power at Sisodha, whence Sisodiya set aside both Ahâriya and Gahlot.” There seems to have been always a prejudice against the tribe, and in ancient times they had a reputation for cowardice. Their name has been identified with the Gallitalutæ of Ptolemy’s lists. [387]

[The Gahlots of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh.] 3. One branch of so-called Gahlots, who are now known as Chirâr, were in the service of the Râja of Mainpuri, but their claims to pure Gahlot blood are not admitted. In Farrukhâbâd [388] the sept claims to have come from Chithor. Govind Râo, the founder of the colony, is said to have come with Prithivi Râja, the Delhi prince, in his expedition against Jay Chand of Kanauj, and to have received one hundred and eighty villages in this and the neighbourhood of Cawnpur as a reward for the valour he displayed. From him they have preserved a pedigree down to the modern representative of the sept; but this shows but thirteen or fourteen generations from Govind Râo, while it would require over forty years a generation to make him a contemporary of Prithivi Râja. It is most probable that some names have dropped out of the list. In Unâo [389] the sept were emigrants in the time of Aurangzeb and dispersed the original Kori inhabitants. In Mathura [390] they are classed as pure, because they do not practise widow-marriage. The families there call themselves Sâh, Chaudhari, and Râo. In Bulandshahr [391] they are supposed to have given their name to the town of Gulâothi. In Cawnpur [392] they are said to have turned out the Gaurs from Pargana Bilhaur, where their territory acquired unenviable notoriety which gave rise to the name Tisâh or “three harvests”—kharîf, rabi, and plunder. They have a very remarkable legend that Partâp Chand Gahlot, the conqueror of Chithor, was married to a daughter or grand-daughter of the famous Nausherwân, and hence the tradition that the Rânas of Udaypur are of Persian descent.

4. In Sultânpur they are reported to take brides from the Bilkhariya, Tashaiya, Chandauriya, Kath Bais, Bhâlê Sultân, Raghubansi, Gargbansi, Râjkumâr, Bachgoti, and Bandhalgoti; to receive brides from Tilokchandi Bais, Mainpuri Chauhâns, Sûrajbansis of Mahul, Gautams of Nagar, and Bisens of Majhauli. In Bulandshahr they receive brides from the Chauhân, Bargûjar, Pundîr, Panwâr, Solankhi, Tomar, Bhatti, and Râthaur, and give brides to the Dhâkrê, Chauhân, Bâchhal, Kachhwâha, Bargûjar, and Tomar. They call their gotra Sûrajbansi Sanoha of Chithor and Udaypur. In Unâo they usually marry their daughters to the Kachhwâha, Râthaur, Chandel, and Panwâr; and select wives from the Chauhân, Dikhit, Parihâr, Chandel, and Sengar septs. In Ballia they take brides from the Donwâr, Sengar, Karchhuliya, Banâphar, Raghubansi, Kâkan, Bhrigubansi, Barhauliya, Ujjaini, Sombansi, and Kinwâr. They give brides to the Raghubansi, Nikumbh, Kausik, Sûrajbansi, Gautam, Drigbansi, Maunas, Sirnet, Râjkumâr, Jâdon, and Baghel septs. In Agra they claim to belong to the Kasyapa gotra.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE GAHLOT RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

==============+=======+============+======
Districts. |Hindus.|Muhammadans.|Total.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~
Sahâranpur | 173| 8 | 181
Muzaffarnagar | 401| 165 | 566
Meerut | 10,189| ... |10,189
Bulandshahr | 3,140| 1,200 | 4,340
Aligarh | 2,827| ... | 2,827
Mathura | 2,177| 173 | 2,350
Agra | 3,056| 26 | 3,082
Farrukhâbâd | 1,699| 6 | 1,702
Mainpuri | 669| ... | 669
Etâwah | 1,456| 14 | 1,470
Etah | 2,070| 32 | 2,102
Bareilly | 40| ... | 40
Budâun | 399| 63 | 462
Morâdâbâd | 234| 13 | 247
Shâhjahânpur | 346| 15 | 361
Pilibhît | 27| ... | 27
Cawnpur | 2,536| 6 | 2,542
Fatehpur | 25| ... | 25
Bânda | 38| ... | 38
Hamîrpur | 150| ... | 150
Allahâbâd | 5| 3 | 8
Jhânsi | 73| ... | 73
Jâlaun | 353| 4 | 357
Benares | 103| ... | 103
Jaunpur | 150| 115 | 265
Ghâzipur | 349| 99 | 448
Ballia | 766| ... | 766
Gorakhpur | 167| ... | 167
Basti | 87| ... | 87
Azamgarh | 457| 7 | 464
Lucknow | 112| ... | 112
Unâo | 921| ... | 921
Râê Bareli | 552| ... | 552
Sîtapur | 81| 5 | 86
Hardoi | 69| ... | 69
Kheri | 174| ... | 174
Bahrâich | 22| ... | 22
Sultânpur | 37| 19 | 56
Partâbgarh | 21| ... | 21
Bârabanki | 97| ... | 97
+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~
Total | 36,245| 1,973 |38,218
==============+=======+============+======

Gahoi.—A sub-caste of Banyas, found chiefly in Bundelkhand and Morâdâbâd.

2. The Gahois of Mirzapur, who do not appear in the Census lists, say that they are emigrants from Bundelkhand in the commencement of this century, whence they were driven by the pressure of the Pindâri raids. One Biya Pânrê Brâhman protected their families in their misfortunes, and divided them into twelve gotras and seventy-two als. He is said to have been a schoolmaster and their tribal priest; after marriages his services to them are commemorated by the bridegroom pouring some butter and laying flowers and consecrated rice before a rude image of him painted on the house wall. The twelve gotras as given by them in Mirzapur are—Basil, Gol or Goil, Gangal, Bandal, Jaital, Kaunthil, Kâchhil, Bâchhal, Kassab or Kasyapa, Bharal, and Patiya. The last or Patiyas act as a sort of Bhâts or genealogists to the others, and are feasted and rewarded at marriages and other entertainments. They eat and drink on equal terms with their constituents. None of them can give any trustworthy list of their als.

3. Their rule of exogamy is that they do not marry within their own gotra or the al of the maternal uncle, father’s maternal uncle and mother’s maternal uncle. Widow-marriage is prohibited.

4. The Gahois are Vaishnavas; none have adopted the tenets of the Sarâogi or Jaina faith. Their tribal deity is Srikrishna, whom they worship under the name of Bihâri Lâl. They rank high among Banyas, and are said to be considered as respectable as Agarwâlas and Parwâls. They abstain from meat and spirits. Their priests are Bhârgava Brâhmans from Bundelkhand. They will eat pakki cooked by their clients. The Gahois will eat kachchi cooked by their clansmen and priests.

5. They are traders in country produce, commission agents, money-changers, and bankers.

DISTRIBUTION OF GAHOI BANYAS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Gandharb; Gandharv. [393]—A caste of singers and prostitutes. Of the original Gandharvas Professor Dowson [394] writes:—“The heavenly Gandharva of the Veda was a deity who knew and revealed the secrets of heaven and divine truths in general. He is thought by Goldstücker to have been a personification of the fire of the sun. The Gandharvas generally had their dwelling in the sky or atmosphere, and one of their offices was to prepare the heavenly soma juice for the gods. They had a great partiality for women, and had a mystic power over them. The Atharva Veda speaks of 6,333 Gandharvas. The Gandharvas of later times are similar in character; they have charge of the soma, are skilled in medicine, regulate the asterisms, and are fond of women. Those of Indra’s heaven are generally intended by the term, and they are singers and musicians who attend the banquets of the gods.”

[Marriage rules.] 2. The Gandharbs of these provinces are found in small numbers only in Benares, Allahâbâd and Ghâzipur. They address themselves by the title of Râê. They name seven exogamous gotras—Arakh, Sîtal, Ramsi, Shâhimal, Hîwan, Pachbhaiya, and Udhomana. The detailed Census Returns give the gotras as Anrukh, Arakh, Bacha, Bahajbana, Bajbhân, Banal, Baturha, Bhakwa, Chhatri, Gandwâr, Kanaujiya, Kashmîri, Khodari, Manho, Namahrin, Namin, Rabisi, Ramsan, Râwat, Sahmal, Saliyâli, Shâhi, and Somal. A man must marry outside his own gotra, that of his father, mother, and their ancestors, to the fifth degree. He, moreover, cannot marry in the gotra of his sister’s and brother’s father-in-law. He cannot marry two sisters at the same time; but if he marry the elder of two sisters and she die, he can marry her younger sister.

[The rules of prostitution.] 3. Beautiful girls or those who show from their childhood a taste for music are selected for prostitution and not allowed to marry in the caste. A meeting of the brotherhood is held before the girl comes to maturity, and it is settled that she is to be allowed to have intercourse with no one but a Hindu of high caste. If she does not abide by this rule, she is at once expelled from the caste. When the matter is thus settled, some sweets are distributed, and she is formally declared to be a prostitute. The first man who engages her services is regarded as her quasi-husband. On such an occasion all the ordinary ceremonies of a Hindu marriage are performed at the house of the girl, except the walking round the fire (phera). Other girls not selected for prostitution are married in the tribe in the ordinary way. But if a man take to any low or degrading occupation, not sanctioned by tribal usage, he is not allowed to marry.

[Tribal traditions.] 4. The Gandharbs of Benares ascribe their origin to Delhi. They tell the following legend to account for their emigration. The fort of Chandrâvati was built by Râni Chandrâvati. This is possibly the place of that name in the Jhallâwar State in Râjputâna. She was a Chhatri by caste and married the Muni Uddâlaka. Their descendants reigned there for many generations, until they were driven out by the Raghubansi Râjputs, and were obliged to retreat to the banks of the river Tons. Khemrâj was the first Raghubansi king of Chandrâvati, and he was succeeded by his son, Doman Deo. He had a groom named Shîru, who one day went out to cut grass in the jungle and fell asleep. While he slept a cobra raised its hood over his head and a wagtail (khanjarît) kept flying over him. Doman Deo happened to observe these signs which pointed to his groom becoming a king, so he sent for him and asked what he would do for him if he ascended the throne. Shîru for a long time could not understand his meaning. At last he promised to make Doman Deo his prime minister. So he went to Delhi, the throne of which happened to be vacant at the time, and, as was the custom, an elephant was given a garland which it was to lay on the neck of the fittest. [395] Three times, to the astonishment of everyone, the elephant laid the garland on the neck of Shîru, and he became Emperor of Delhi under the name of Shîr Shâh, and according to his promise, he made Doman Deo his prime minister. It need hardly be said that there is no historical foundation for the story.

5. Doman Deo continued to hold the office of Wazîr for some time, and at last had a quarrel with his master, because he bought a horse which his master was anxious to secure. So he was banished and had to return to Chandrâvati, and with him came a Gandharb, named Nandu, with his wife Arjuni, the former of the Ramsi and the latter of Arakh gotra, and from them were descended the present Gandharbs.

[Marriage.] 6. They do not admit outsiders into their caste. In most cases marriage is infant; but there have been occasional instances of the marriage of adults. Sexual license before marriage of these girls selected for a respectable life is strictly prohibited. The prostituted girls are never allowed to marry. Polyandry is totally forbidden, and polygamy is allowed only when the first wife is barren or suffering from some loathsome or contagious disease. A man can marry as many wives as he can afford to keep; but they never have more than two or three. Their marriage ritual is of the usual high class type. Widow-marriage is strictly forbidden; but it appears that the keeping of widows as concubines is not unknown; such are known as Suraitin; they have no rights, and their children are illegitimate and not admitted to caste privileges. If a man suspect his wife of adultery, he brings the matter before the tribal council (Panchâyat) which, if the case be proved, permits a divorce, though in some cases a stipend is assigned to the woman. A divorced woman cannot be remarried, but she often lives with some one as a concubine.

[Inheritance.] 7. They follow the Hindu law of inheritance. Among the married people (grihasth) the daughter has no rights of succession; among the dancing classes, on the contrary, the shares of a daughter and a son are equal, and if a dancing girl lives with her friends and dies among them, the uncle, mother, son, daughter, and brother would share equally. On this question the Hindu law, as laid down by Mr. Mayne, [396] is clear. “It is hardly necessary to say that as under the ordinary Hindu law an adoption by a widow must always be to her husband, and for his benefit, an adoption made by her to herself alone would not give the adopted child any right, even after her death, to property inherited by her from her husband, nor indeed to her own property, however acquired, such an adoption being nowhere recognised as creating any new status, except in Mithila, under the Kritima system. But among dancing girls it is customary in Madras and Western India to adopt girls to follow their adoptive mother’s profession, and the girls so adopted succeed to their mother’s property. No particular ceremonies are necessary, recognition alone being sufficient. In Calcutta, however, such adoptions have been held illegal, and it seems probable that the recognised immorality of the class of dancing girls might lead the courts generally to follow this view.”

[Religion.] 8. Gandharbs are Hindus of the Vaishnava sect. The women who are married specially worship Mahâdeva, while Ganesa is the special patron of the dancing girls, since he is regarded by them as the author of music. They offer wreaths of flowers, and a sweetmeat made of sesamum and sugar called til-ka-laddu, to him on Wednesdays. Mahâdeva is worshipped on no particular day with the leaves of the bel (aegle marmelos). They also worship a deity known as Thâkur Deota, who is probably some form of Vishnu. In the city of Benares these offerings are taken by a class of Brâhmans called Panda; in villages by Bhanreriyas or Husaini Brâhmans. The Gandharb women keep a fast exclusive to them in the month of Bhâdon, known as the Tij bharat, in honour of the goddess Pârvati. Their special tribal deity is Bâba Kinnarâm, who was a famous ascetic. His shrine (asthân) is at Râmgarh, in the Chandauli Tahsîl of the Benares District, and it is largely frequented by barren women who come to pray for children, and by dancing girls in hope of success in their profession. [397] They always employ Brâhmans for ceremonial and seldom for religious purposes. Such Brâhmans are treated on an equality by other Brâhmans: for their funeral ceremonies they employ Mahâbrâhmans. The dead are cremated in the orthodox way and the ashes consigned to the Ganges. They practice the usual srâddha and feeding of Brâhmans after a death in the family.

[Occupation.] 9. The Gandharbs believe dancing and singing to be their tribal occupation. A few have settled down in the Benares District as agriculturists. Some live with their dancing girls and accompany them to entertainments, where they play on the sâz, which consists of the tambourine (tabla) and fiddle (sârangi). Half of the dancing fees are received by these men and distributed in the following way:—Two tambourine men get two annas each; the drummer three annas; one tuner of the instruments one anna. Some, again, act as trainers of dancing girls in music and dancing. Those in the villages are often tenants; but it is a peculiarity among them that they will never sublet their land to a person of their own caste. In Benares the sowing of poppy is one of their favourite occupations.

[Social rules.] 10. They will eat the flesh of goats and sheep and scaly fish and drink spirits. A good many who consider themselves specially pious abstain from the use of meat and spirits. They will not eat kachchi from the hands of any but Brâhmans and clansmen; and they will smoke with no other caste but their own. The lowest caste that they can take pakki from or drink with is the Ahîr. Another peculiarity of them is that they will not eat pakki with any Hindu landlord of their village.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE GANDHARBS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

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The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)Chapter D (6)

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