The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 4
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.
Potter and his wheel
Girls are married at an early age when their parents can afford it, the matches being usually arranged at caste feasts. In Chānda parents who allow a daughter to become adolescent while still unwed are put out of caste, but elsewhere the rule is by no means so strict. The ceremony is of the normal type and a Brāhman usually officiates, but in Betūl it is performed by the Sawāsa or husband of the bride’s paternal aunt. After the wedding the couple are given kneaded flour to hold in their hands and snatch from each other as an emblem of their trade. In Mandla a bride price of Rs. 50 is paid.
The Kumhārs recognise divorce and the remarriage of widows. If an unmarried girl is detected in criminal intimacy with a member of the caste, she has to give a feast to the caste-fellows and pay a fine of Rs. 1–4 and five locks of her hair are also cut off by way of purification. The caste usually burn the dead, but the Lingāyat Kumhārs always bury them in accordance with the practice of their sect. They worship the ordinary Hindu deities and make an offering to the implements of their trade on the festival of Deothān Igāras. The village Brāhman serves as their priest. In Bālāghāt a Kumhār is put out of caste if a dead cat is found in his house. At the census of 1901 the Kumhār was ranked with the impure castes, but his status is not really so low. Sir D. Ibbetson said of him: “He is a true village menial; his social standing is very low, far below that of the Lohār and not much above the Chamār. His association with that impure beast, the donkey, the animal sacred to Sitala, the smallpox goddess, pollutes him and also his readiness to carry manure and sweepings.” As already seen there are in the Central Provinces Sungaria and Gadheria subcastes which keep donkeys and pigs, and these are regarded as impure. But in most Districts the Kumhār ranks not much below the Barhai and Lohār, that is in what I have designated the grade of village menials above the impure and below the cultivating castes. In Bengal the Kumhārs have a much higher status and Brāhmans will take water from their hands. But the gradation of caste in Bengal differs very greatly from that of other parts of India.
R. V. Russell
The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India
Illustrations in Volume IV
Pronunciation
Kumhār
List of Paragraphs
1. Traditions of origin
2. Caste sub-divisions
3. Social Customs
4. The Kumhār as a village menial
5. Occupation
6. Breeding pigs for sacrifices
7. The goddess Demeter
8. Estimation of the pig in India
9. The buffalo as a corn-god
10. The Dasahra festival
11. The goddess Devi
Kunbi
List of Paragraphs
1. Distribution of the caste and origin of name
2. Settlement in the Central Provinces
3. Subcastes
4. The cultivating status
5. Exogamus septs
6. Restrictions on marriage of relatives
7. Betrothal and marriage
8. Polygamy and divorce
9. Widow-marriage
10. Customs at birth
11. Sixth and twelfth day ceremonies
12. Devices for procuring children
13. Love charms
14. Disposal of the dead
15. Mourning
16. Religion
17. The Pola festival
18. Muhammadan tendencies of Berār Kunbis
19. Villages and houses
20. Furniture
21. Food
22. Clothes and ornaments
23. The Kunbi as cultivator
24. Social and moral characteristics
Kunjra
Kuramwār
Kurmi
List of Paragraphs
1. Numbers and derivation of name
2. Functional character of the caste
3. Subcastes
4. Exogamous groups
5. Marriage rules. Betrothal
6. The marriage-shed or pavilion
7. The marriage-cakes
8. Customs at the wedding
9. Walking round the sacred post
10. Other ceremonies
11. Polygamy widow-marriage and divorce
12. Impurity of women
13. Pregnancy rites
14. Earth-eating
15. Customs at birth
16. Treatment of mother and child
17. Ceremonies after birth
18. Suckling children
19. Beliefs about twins
20. Disposal of the dead
21. Funeral rites
22. Burning the dead
23. Burial
24. Return of the soul
25. Mourning
26. Shaving, and presents to Brahmans
27. End of mourning
28. Anniversaries of the dead
29. Beliefs in the hereafter
30. Religion. Village gods
32. Rites connected with the crops. Customs of cultivation
33. Agricultural superstitions
34. Houses
35. Superstitions about houses
36. Furniture
37. Clothes
38. Women’s clothes
39. Bathing
40. Food
41. Caste-feasts
42. Hospitality
43. Social customs. Tattooing
44. Caste penalties
45. The cultivating status
46. Occupation
Lakhera
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice
2. Social customs
3. The lac industry
4. Lac bangles
5. Red, a lucky colour
6. Vermilion and spangles
7. Red dye on the feet
8. Red threads
9. Lac toys
Lodhi
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and traditions
2. Position in the central Provinces
3. Sub-divisions
4. Exogamous groups
5. Marriage customs
6. The gauna ceremoney. Fertility rites
7. Widow-marriage and puberty rite
8. Mourning impurity
9. Social customs
10. Greetings and method of address
11. Sacred thread and social status
Lohar
1. Legends of the caste
2. Social position of the Lohar
3. Caste subdivisions
4. Marriage and other customs
5. Occupation
Lorha
Mahār
List of Paragraphs
1. General Notice.
2. Length of residence in the Central Provinces
3. Legend of origin
4. Sub-castes
5. Exogamous groups and marriage customs
6. Funeral rites
7. Childbirth
8. Names
9. Religion
10. Adoption of foreign religions
11. Superstitions
12. Social rules
13. Social subjection
14. Their position improving
15. Occupation
Mahli
1. Origin of the caste
2. Social customs
Majhwār
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the tribe
2. The Mīrzāpur Majhwārs derived from the Gonds
3. Connection with the Kawars
4. Exogamy and totemism
5. Marriage customs.
6. Birth and funeral rites
7. Religious dance
Māl
Mala
Māli
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice of the caste, and its social position
2. Caste legend
3. Flowers offered to the gods
4. Custom of wearing garlands
5. Sub-castes
6. Marriage
7. Widow-marriage, divorce and polygamy
8. Disposal of the dead
9. Religion
10. Occupation
11. Traits and character
12. Other functions of the Māli
13. Physical appearance
Mallāh
Māna
Mānbhao
1. History and nature of the sect
2. Divisions of the order
3. Religious observances and customs
4. Hostility between Mānbhaos and Brāhmans
Māng
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and traditions
2. Subdivisions
3. Marriage
4. Widow marriage
5. Burial
6. Occupation
7. Religion and social status
Māng-Garori
Manihār
Mannewār
Marātha
List of Paragraphs
1. Numerical statistics
2. Double meaning of the term Marātha
3. Origin and position of the caste
4. Exogamous clans
5. Other subdivisions
6. Social customs
7. Religion
8. Present position of the caste
9. Nature of the Marātha insurrection
10. Marātha women in past times
11. The Marātha horseman
12. Cavalry in the field
13. Military administration
14. Sitting Dharna
15. The infantry
16. Character of the Marātha armies
Mehtar
List of Paragraphs
1. Introductory notice
2. Caste subdivisions
3. Social organisation
4. Caste punishments
5. Admission of outsiders
6. Marriage customs
7. Disposal of the dead
8. Devices for procuring children
9. Divination of sex
10. Childbirth
11. Treatment of the mother
12. Protecting the lives of children
13. Infantile diseases
14. Religion. Vālmīki
15. Lālbeg
16. Adoption of foreign religions
17. Social status
18. Occupation
19. Occupation (continued)
Meo
Mīna
1. The Mīnas locally termed Deswā
2. Historical notice of the Mīna tribe
3. Their robberies
4. The Deswālis of the Central Provinces
Mirāsi
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice
2. Legends of origin
3. Art among the Hindus
4. Antagonism of Mochis and Chamārs
5. Exogamous groups
6. Social customs
7. Shoes
Mowār
Murha
1. Origin of the caste
2. Marriage customs
3. Funeral rites
4. Occupation
5. Women’s song
Nagasia
Nāhal
1. The tribe and its subdivisions
2. Marriage
3. Religion
4. Occupation
5. Social status
Nai
List of Paragraphs
1. Structure of the caste
2. Marriage and other customs
3. Occupation
4. Other services
5. Duties at weddings
6. The barber-surgeon
7. A barber at the court of Oudh
8. Character and position of the barber
9. Beliefs about hair
10. Hair of kings and priests
11. The beard
12. Significance of removal of the hair and shaving the head
13. Shaving the head by mourners
14. Hair offerings
15. Keeping hair unshorn during a vow
16. Disposal of cut hair and nails
17. Superstitions about shaving the hair
18. Reasons why the hair was considered the source of strength
Naoda
Nat
List of Paragraphs
1. The Nats not a proper caste
2. Muhammadan Nats
3. Social customs of the Nats. Their low status
4. Acrobatic performances
5. Sliding or walking on ropes as a charm for the crops
6. Snake-charmers
Nunia
Ojha
Oraon
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice
2. Settlement in Chota Nāgpur
3. Subdivisions
4. Pre-nuptial licence
5. Betrothal
6. Marriage ceremony
7. Special Customs
8. Widow-remarriage and divorce
9. Customs at birth
10. Naming a child
11. Branding and tattooing
12. Dormitory discipline
13. Disposal of the dead
14. Worship of ancestors
15. Religion. The supreme deity
16. Minor godlings
17. Human sacrifice
18. Christianity
19. Festivals. The Karma or May-day
21. The harvest festival
22. Fast for the crops
23. Physical appearance and costume of the Oraons
24. Dress of women
25. Dances
26. Social customs
27. Social rules
28. Character
29. Language
Pāik
Panka
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the caste
2. Caste subdivisions
3. Endogamous divisions
4. Marriage
5. Religion
6. Other customs
7. Occupation
Panwār Rājpūt
List of Paragraphs
1. Historical notice. The Agnikula clans and the slaughter of the Kshatriyas by Parasurāma
2. The legend of Parasurāma
3. The Panwār dynasty of Dhār and Ujjain
4. Diffusion of the Panwārs over India
5. The Nāgpur Panwārs
6. Subdivisions
7. Marriage customs
8. Widow-marriage
9. Religion
10. Worship of the spirits of those dying a violent death
11. Funeral rites
12. Caste discipline
13. Social customs
Pardhān
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice
2. Tribal Subdivisions
3. Marriage
4. Religion
5. Social Customs
6. Methods of cheating among Pathāris
7. Musicians and priests
Pārdhi
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice of the caste
2. Subdivisions
3. Marriage and funeral customs
4. Religion
5. Dress, food and social customs
6. Ordeals
7. Methods of catching birds
8. Hunting with leopards
9. Decoy stags
10. Hawks
11. Crocodile fishing
12. Other occupations and criminal practices
Parja
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice of the tribe
2. Exogamous septs
3. Kinship and marriage
4. Marriage dance
5. Nuptial ceremony
6. Widow-marriage and divorce
7. Religion and festivals
8. Disposal of the dead
9. Occupation and social customs
Pāsi
List of Paragraphs
1. The nature and origin of the caste
2. Brāhmanical legends
3. Its mixed composition
4. Marriage and other customs
5. Religion, superstitions and social customs
6. Occupation
7. Criminal tendencies
Patwa
Pindāri
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the name
2. Rise of the Pindāris
3. Their strength and sphere of operations
4. Pindāri expeditions and methods
5. Return from an expedition
6. Suppression of the Pindāris. Death of Chitu
7. Character of the Pindāris
8. The existing Pindāris
9. Attractions of a Pindāri’s life
Prabhu
1. Historical notice
2. General Customs
Rāghuvansi
1. Historical notice
2. Social customs
Rājjhar
1. General notice
2. Origin and subdivisions
3. Marriage
4. Social Customs
Rājpūt
List of Paragraphs
1. Introductory notice
2. The thirty-six royal races
3. The origin of the Rājpūts
4. Subdivisions of the clans
5. Marriage customs
6. Funeral rites
7. Religion
8. Food
9. Opium
10. Improved training of Rājpūt chiefs
11. Dress
12. Social customs
13. Seclusion of women
14. Traditional character of the Rājpūts
15. Occupation
Rājpūt, Baghel
Rājpūt, Bāgri
Rājpūt, Bais
Rājpūt, Baksaria
Rājpūt, Banāphar
Rājpūt, Bhadauria
Rājpūt, Bisen
Rājpūt, Bundela
Rājpūt, Chandel
Rājpūt, Chauhān
Rājpūt, Dhākar
Rājpūt, Gaharwār
Rājpūt, Gaur
Rājpūt, Haihaya
Rājpūt, Hūna
Rājpūt, Kachhwāha
Rājpūt, Nāgvansi
Rājpūt, Nikumbh
Rājpūt, Pāik
Rājpūt, Parihār
Rājpūt, Rāthor
Rājpūt, Sesodia
Rājpūt, Solankhi
Rājpūt, Somvansi
Rājpūt, Sūrajvansi
Rājpūt, Tomara
Rājpūt; Yādu
Rajwār
Rāmosi
1. General notice
2. Methods of robbery
3. Rāmosis employed as village watchmen
4. Social customs
Rangrez
Rautia
1. Origin of the tribe
2. Subdivisions
3. Marriage
4. Funeral rites
5. Inheritance
Sanaurhia
1. A band of criminals
2. Traditions of origin
3. Methods of stealing
Sānsia
List of Paragraphs
1. Historical notice of the caste
2. Social customs
3. Taboos of relationship
4. Organisation for dacoity
5. Description of a dacoity
6. Omens
7. Ordeals
8. Sānsias at the present time
Sānsia, Uria
1. The caste and its subdivisions
2. Marriage customs
3. Religion and worship of ancestors
4. Occupation
Savar
List of Paragraphs
1. Distribution and historical notices
2. Tribal legends
3. Tribal subdivisions
4. Marriage
5. Death ceremonies
6. Religion
7. Occupation
Sonjhara
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and constitution of the caste
2. Totemism
3. Marriage
4. Customs at birth
5. Funeral rites
6. Religion
7. Social customs
8. Occupation
Sudh
Sunār
List of Paragraphs
1. General notice of the caste
2. Internal structure
3. Marriage and other customs
4. Religion
5. Social position
6. Manufacture of ornaments
7. The sanctity of gold
8. Ornaments. The marriage ornaments
9. Beads and other ornaments
10. Ear-piercing
11. Origin of ear-piercing
12. Ornaments worn as amulets
13. Audhia Sunārs
14. The Sunār as money-changer
15. Malpractices of lower-class Sumārs
Tamera
1. The Tamera and Kasār
2. Social traditions and customs
3. Disposal of the dead
4. Religion
Taonla
Teli
List of Paragraphs
1. Strength and distribution of the caste
2. Origin and traditions
3. Endogamous subcastes
4. Exogamous divisions
5. Marriage customs
6. Widow-remarriage
7. Religion: Caste deities
8. Driving out evil
9. Customs at birth and death
10. Social status
11. Social customs and caste penalties
12. The Rāthor Telis
13. Gujarāti Telis of Nimār
14. The Teli an unlucky caste
15. Occupation. Oil-pressing
16. Trade and agriculture
17. Teli beneficence
Thug
List of Paragraphs
1. Historical notice
2. Thuggees depicted in the caves of Ellora
3. Origin of the Thugs
4. Methods of assassination
5. Account of certain murders
6. Special incidents (continued)
7. Disguises of the Thugs
8. Secrecy of their operations
9. Support of landholders and villagers
10. Murder of sepoys
11. Callous nature of the Thugs
12. Belief in divine support
13. Theory of Thuggee as a religious sect
14. Worship of Kāli
15. The sacred pickaxe
17. Worship of ancestors
18. Fasting
19. Initiation of a novice
20. Prohibition of murder of women
21. Other classes of persons not killed
22. Belief in omens
23. Omens and taboos
24. Nature of the belief in omens
25. Suppression of Thuggee
Turi
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin of the caste
2. Subdivisions
3. Marriage
4. Funeral rites
5. Occupation
6. Social status
Velama
1. Origin and social status
2. Marriage and social customs
Vidur
List of Paragraphs
1. Origin and traditions
2. The Purads, Golaks and Borals
3. Illegitimacy among Hindustāni castes
4. Legend of origin
5. Marriage
6. Social rules and occupation
Wāghya
Yerūkala
Colophon
Availability
Corrections