The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 2
The articles which are considered to be of most general interest are shown in capitals
The plural of caste names and a few common Hindustāni words is formed by adding s in the English manner according to ordinary usage, though this is not, of course, the Hindustāni plural.
Note.—The rupee contains 16 annas, and an anna is of the same value as a penny. A pice is a quarter of an anna, or a farthing. Rs. 1–8 signifies one rupee and eight annas. A lakh is a hundred thousand, and a krore ten million.
The name probably signifies a worker with āg or fire. An Agaria subcaste of Lohārs also exists, many of whom are quite probably Gonds, but they are not included in the regular caste. Similar Dravidian castes of Agarias are to be found in Mīrzāpur and Bengal. The Agarias are quite distinct from the Agharia cultivating caste of the Uriya country. The Raipur Agarias still intermarry with the Rāwanbansi Gonds of the District. The Agarias think that their caste has existed from the beginning of the world, and that the first Agaria made the ploughshare with which the first bullocks furrowed the primeval soil. The caste has two endogamous divisions, the Patharia and the Khuntia Agarias. The Patharias place a stone on the mouth of the bellows to fix them in the ground for smelting, while the Khuntias use a peg. The two subcastes do not even take water from one another.
Their exogamous sections have generally the same names as those of the Gonds, as Sonwāni, Dhurua, Tekām, Markām, Uika, Purtai, Marai, and others. A few names of Hindi origin are also found, as Ahindwār, Ranchirai and Rāthoria, which show that some Hindus have probably been amalgamated with the caste. Ahindwār or Aindwār and Ranchirai mean a fish and a bird respectively in Hindi, while Rāthoria is a gotra both of Rājpūts and Telis. The Gond names are probably also those of animals, plants or other objects, but their meaning has now generally been forgotten. Tekām or teka is a teak tree. Sonwāni is a sept found among several of the Dravidian tribes, and the lower Hindu castes. A person of the Sonwāni sept is always chosen to perform the ceremony of purification and readmission into caste of persons temporarily excommunicated. His duty often consists in pouring on such a person a little water in which gold has been placed to make it holy, and hence the name is considered to mean Sonāpāni or gold-water. The Agarias do not know the meanings of their section names and therefore have no totemistic observances. But they consider that all persons belonging to one gotra are descended from a common ancestor, and marriage within the gotra is therefore prohibited. As among the Gonds, first cousins are allowed to marry.
R. V. Russell
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India
Illustrations in Volume II
Pronunciation
Agaria
1. Origin and subdivisions.
2. Marriage.
3. Birth and death ceremonies.
4. Religion and social customs.
5. Occupation.
Agharia
1. Origin.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Marriage customs.
4. Religious and social customs.
5. Occupation.
Aghori
1. General accounts of the caste.
2. Instances of cannibalism.
Ahīr
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice.
2. Former dominance of the Abhīras.
3. Ahīr dialects.
4. The Yādavas and Krishna.
5. The modern Ahīrs an occupational caste.
6. Subcastes.
7. The Dauwa or wet-nurse Ahīrs. Fosterage.
8. Exogamy.
9. Marriage customs.
10. Birth customs.
11. Funeral rites. Bringing back the soul.
12. Religion. Krishna and other deified cowherds.
13. Caste deities.
14. Other deities.
15. The Diwāli festival.
16. Omens.
17. Social customs.
18. Ornaments.
19. Occupation.
20. Preparations of milk.
Andh
Arakh
Atāri
1. General notice.
2. Marriage customs.
3. Religion.
4. Social customs.
Audhelia
1. Origin.
2. Marriage.
3. Religion, birth and death.
Badhak
List of Paragraphs
1. Introductory notice.
2. The Badhak dacoits.
3. Instances of dacoities.
4. Further instances of dacoities.
5. Disguise of religious mendicants.
6. Countenance and support of landowners.
7. Pride in their profession.
8. Caste rules and admission of outsiders.
9. Religion: offerings to ancestors.
10. The wounded haunted by spirits.
11. Pious funeral observances.
12. Taking the omens.
13. Suppression of dacoity.
14. The Badhaks or Baoris at the present time.
15. Lizard-hunting.
16. Social observances.
17. Criminal practices.
Bahna
1. Nomenclature and internal structure.
2. Marriage.
3. Religious and other customs.
4. Occupation.
5. Proverbs about Bahnas.
Baiga
List of Paragraphs
1. The tribe and its offshoots.
2. Tribal legends.
3. Tribal subdivisions.
4. Marriage.
5. Birth and funeral rites.
6. Religion.
7. Appearance and mode of life.
8. Dress and food.
9. Occupation.
10. Language.
Bairāgi
List of Paragraphs
1. Definition of name and statistics.
2. The four Sampradāyas or main orders.
3. The Rāmānujis.
4. The Rāmānandis
5. The Nīmānandis.
6. The Mādhavachāryas.
7. The Vallabhachāryas.
8. Minor sects.
9. The seven Akhāras.
10. The Dwāras.
11. Initiation, appearance and customs.
12. Recruitment of the order and its character.
13. Social position and customs.
14. Bairāgi monasteries.
15. Married Bairāgis.
Balāhi
1. General notice.
2. Marriage.
3. Other customs.
Balija
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Marriage.
3. Occupation and social status.
Bania
List of Paragraphs
List of Subordinate Articles on Subcastes
1. General notice.
2. The Banias a true caste: use of the name.
3. Their distinctive occupation.
4. Their distinctive status.
5. The endogamous divisions of the Banias.
6. The Banias derived from the Rājpūts.
7. Banias employed as ministers in Rājpūt courts.
8. Subcastes.
9. Hindu and Jain subcastes: divisions among subcastes.
10. Exogamy and rules regulating marriage.
11. Marriage customs.
12. Polygamy and widow-marriage.
13. Disposal of the dead and mourning.
14. Religion: the god Ganpati or Ganesh.
15. Diwāli festival.
16. Holi festival.
17. Social customs: rules about food.
18. Character of the Bania.
19. Dislike of the cultivators towards him.
20. His virtues.
21. The moneylender changed for the worse.
22. The enforcement of contracts.
23. Cash coinage and the rate of interest.
24. Proprietary and transferable rights in land.
25. The Bania as a landlord.
26. Commercial honesty.
Bania, Agarwāla
Bania, Agrahari
Bania, Ajudhiabāsi
Bania, Asāthi
Bania, Charnāgri
Bania, Dhūsar
Bania, Dosar
Bania, Gahoi
Bania, Golapūrab
Bania, Kasarwāni
Bania, Kasaundhan
Bania, Khandelwāl
Bania, Lād
Bania, Lingāyat
Bania, Maheshri
Bania, Nema
Bania, Oswāl
Bania, Parwār
1. Origin.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Exogamy.
4. Marriage customs.
5. Religion: Hindu observances.
6. Disposal of the dead.
7. Social rules and customs.
Bania, Srimāli
Bania, Umre
Banjāra
List of Paragraphs
1. Historical notice of the caste.
2. Banjāras derived from the Chārans or Bhāts.
3. Chāran Ranjārans employed with the Mughal armies.
4. Internal structure.
5. Minor subcastes.
6. Marriage: betrothal.
7. Marriage.
8. Widow remarriage.
9. Birth and death.
10. Religion: Banjāri Devi.
11. Mīthu Bhūkia.
12. Siva Bhāia.
13. Worship of cattle.
14. Connection with the Sikhs.
15. Witchcraft.
16. Human sacrifice.
17. Admission of outsiders: kidnapped children and slaves.
18. Dress.
19. Social customs.
20. The Nāik or headman. Banjāra dogs.
21. Criminal tendencies of the caste.
22. Their virtues.
Barai
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Caste subdivisions.
3. Marriage
4. Religion and social status.
5. Occupation.
Barhai
List of Paragraphs
1. Strength and local distribution.
2. Internal structure.
3. Marriage customs.
4. Religion.
5. Social position.
6. Occupation.
Bāri
Basdewa
Basor
List of Paragraphs
1. Numbers and distribution.
2. Caste traditions.
3. Subdivisions.
4. Marriage.
5. Religion and social status.
6. Occupation.
Bedar
1. General notice.
2. Subdivisions and marriage customs.
3. Funeral rites.
Beldār
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice.
2. Beldārs of the northern Districts.
3. Odias of Chhattīsgarh.
4. Other Chhattīsgarhi Beldārs.
5. Munurwār and Telenga.
6. Vaddar.
7. Pāthrot.
8. Takāri.
Beria, Bedia.
1. Historical notice.
2. Criminal tendencies in the Central Provinces.
3. Social customs.
Bhaina
List of Paragraphs
1. The tribe derived from the Baigas.
2. Closely connected with the Kawars.
3. Internal structure: Totemism.
4. Marriage.
5. Religious superstitions.
6. Admission of outsiders and caste offences.
7. Social customs.
Bhāmta or Bhāmtya
1. Occupation.
2. Subdivisions and marriage customs.
3. Religion and social customs.
Bharbhūnja
1. General notice
2. Social customs.
3. Occupation.
Bharia
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and tribal legend.
2. Tribal subdivisions.
3. Marriage.
4. Childbirth.
5. Funeral ceremonies.
6. Religion and magic.
7. Social life and customs.
8. Occupation.
Bhāt
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the Bhāts.
2. Bhāts and Chārans.
3. Lower-class Bhāts.
4. Social status of the caste.
5. Social customs.
6. The Bhāt’s business.
7. Their extortionate practices.
8. The Jasondhis.
9. The Chārans as carriers.
10. Suicide and the fear of ghosts.
11. Instances of haunting and laying ghosts.
12. The Chārans as sureties.
13. Suicide as a means of revenge.
15. Casting out spirits.
16. Sulking. Going bankrupt.
17. Bhāt songs.
Bhatra
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice and structure of the caste.
2. Admission of outsiders.
3. Arrangement of marriages.
4. The Counter of Posts.
5. Marriage customs.
6. Propitiation of ghosts.
7. Religion. Ceremonies at hunting.
8. Superstitious remedies.
9. Occupation.
10. Names.
Bhīl
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice. The Bhīls a Kolarian tribe.
2. Rājpūts deriving their title to the land from the Bhīls.
3. Historical notice.
4. General Outram and the Khāndesh Bhīl Corps.
5. Subdivisions.
6. Exogamy and marriage customs.
7. Widow—marriage, divorce and polygamy.
8. Religion.
9. Witchcraft and amulets.
10. Funeral rites.
11. Social customs.
12. Appearance and characteristics.
13. Occupation.
14. Language.
Bhilāla
1. General notice.
2. Marriage.
3. Social customs.
4. Occupation and character.
5. Character.
Bhishti
Bhoyar
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Subcastes and sections.
3. Marriage.
4. Occupation.
5. Social status.
Bhuiya
List of Paragraphs
1. The tribe and its name.
2. Distribution of the tribe.
3. Example of the position of the aborigines in Hindu society.
4. The Bhuiyas a Kolarian tribe.
5. The Baigas and the Bhuiyas. Chhattīsgarh the home of the Baigas.
6. The Baigas a branch of the Bhuiyas.
7. Tribal sub-divisions.
8. Exogamus septs.
9. Marriage customs.
10. Widow-marriage and divorce.
11. Religion.
12. Religious dancing.
13. Funeral rites and inheritance.
14. Physical appearance and occupation.
15. Social customs.
Bhulia
Bhunjia
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Marriage.
4. Religion.
5. Social rules.
Binjhwār
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and tradition.
2. Tribal subdivisions.
3. Marriage.
4. The marriage ceremony.
5. Sexual morality.
6. Disposal of the dead.
7. Religion.
8. Festivals.
9. Social customs.
Bishnoi
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the sect.
2. Precepts of Jhāmbāji.
3. Customs of the Bishnois in the Punjab.
4. Initiation and baptism.
5. Nature of the sect.
6. Bishnois in the Central Provinces.
7. Marriage.
8. Disposal of the dead.
9. Development into a caste.
Bohra
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the sect.
2. Their religious tenets.
3. The Mullahs.
4. Bohra graveyards.
5. Religious customs.
6. Occupation.
7. Houses and dress.
List of Paragraphs
List of Subordinate Articles on Subcastes
1. Origin and development of the caste.
2. Their monopoly of literature.
3. Absence of central authority.
4. Mixed elements in the caste.
5. Caste subdivisions.
6. Miscellaneous groups.
7. Sectarian divisions.
8. Exogamy.
9. Restrictions on marriage.
10. Hypergamy.
11. Marriage customs.
12. Polygamy, divorce and treatment of widows.
14. Funeral rites and mourning.
15. Religion.
16. Daily ritual.
17. The sacred thread.
18. Social position.
19. Titles.
21. Rules about food.
22. Dress.
23. Tattooing.
24. Occupation.
25. Character of Brāhmans.
Brāhman, Ahivāsi
Brāhman, Jijhotia
Brāhman, Kanaujia, Kanyakubja
Brāhman, Khedāwāl
Brāhman, Mahārāshtra
Brāhman, Maithil
Brāhman, Mālwi
Brāhman, Nāgar
Brāhman, Nāramdeo
Brāhman, Sanādhya
Brāhman, Sarwaria
Brāhman, Utkal
Chadār
Chamār
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice of the caste.
2. Endogamous divisions.
3. Subcastes continued.
4. Exogamous divisions.
5. Marriage.
6. Widow-marriage and divorce.
7. Funeral customs.
8. Childbirth.
9. Religion.
10. Occupation.
11. The tanning process.
12. Shoes.
13. Other articles made of leather.
14. Customs connected with shoes.
15. The Chamār as general village drudge.
16. Social status.
17. Character.
Chasa
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Exogamous divisions.
3. Status and customs of the caste.
Chauhān
Chhīpa
1. Constitution of the caste.
2. Its origin and position.
3. Caste subdivisions.
4. Marriage and other customs.
5. Occupation.
Chitāri
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Social customs.
3. Birth and childhood.
4. The evil eye.
5. Cradle-songs.
6. Occupation.
Chitrakathi
Cutchi
1. General notice.
2. Origin of the caste.
3. Social customs.
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the caste.
2. Internal structure: totemism.
3. Marriage and other customs.
4. Social position.
5. Former occupations: door-keeper and mace-bearer.
6. The umbrella.
7. Significance of the umbrella.
Daharia
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Sept and subsept.
3. Social customs.
Dāngi
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Caste subdivisions.
3. Marriage.
4. Religious and social customs.
5. Occupation and character.
Dāngri
Darzi
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Sewn clothes not formerly worn.
4. Occupation.
5. Religion.
Dewār
1. General notice.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Marriage customs.
4. Religion and social practices.
5. Occupation.
Dhākar
1. Origin and subdivisions.
2. Marriage.
3. Funeral rites.
4. Occupation and social status.
Dhangar
1. Traditions and structure of the caste.
2. Marriage.
3. Religion.
4. Birth, death and social status.
5. Occupation.
Dhānuk
1. Original and classical records.
2. Marriage.
3. Social rank and customs.
Dhanwār
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Exogamous septs.
3. Marriage.
4. Festivities of the women of the bridegroom’s party.
5. Conclusion of the marriage.
6. Widow-marriage and divorce.
7. Childbirth.
8. Disposal of the dead.
9. Religion.
10. Magic and witchcraft.
11. Social rules.
12. Dress and tattooing.
13. Names of children.
14. Occupation.
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice.
2. Subcastes.
3. Exogamous groups.
4. Marriage.
5. Childbirth
6. Disposal of the dead.
7. Religion.
8. Occupation: fisherman.
9. Water-carrier.
10. Palanquin-bearer and personal servant.
11. Other occupations.
12. Social status.
13. Legend of the caste.
Dhoba
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice.
2. Exogamous divisions.
3. Marriage customs.
4. Funeral rites.
6. Occupation and social customs.
Dhobi
List of Paragraphs
1. Character and structure of the caste.
2. Marriage customs.
3. Other social customs.
4. Religion.
5. Occupation: washing clothes.
6. Social position.
7. Proverbs about the Dhobi.
8. Wearing and lending the clothes of customers.
Dhuri
1. Origin and Subdivisions.
2. Marriage.
3. Religious beliefs.
4. Occupation and social status.
Dumāl
1. Origin and traditions.
2. Subdivisions.
3. Marriage.
4. Religious and social customs.
Fakīr
1. General notice.
2. Principal orders.
3. Rules and customs.
Table of Contents
Colophon
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