Dewangan.—(From the old town of this name on the Wardha river.) Subcaste of Koshti.
Dhaighar.—(2½ houses.) A subcaste of Khatri.
Dhākan.—(A witch.) Subcaste of Bhāt.
Dhākar.—Name of a caste in Bastar. A clan of Rājpūts. A subcase of Barai, Bania and Kirār. A sept of Halba.
Dhālgar.—A small occupational caste who made leather shields, and are now almost extinct as the use of shields has gone out of fashion. They are Muhammadans, but Mr. Crooke[32] considers them to be allied to the Dabgars, who make leather vessels for holding oil and ghī and are also known as Kuppesāz. The Dabgars are a Hindu caste whose place in the Central Provinces is taken by the Budalgir Chamārs. These receive their designation from budla, the name of the leather bag which they make. Budlas were formerly employed for holding ghī or melted butter, oil and the liquid extract of sugarcane, but vegetable oil is now generally carried in earthen vessels slung in baskets, and ghī in empty kerosene tins. Small bottles of very thin leather are still used by scent-sellers for holding their scents, though they also have glass bottles. The song of the Leather Bottél recalls the fact that vessels for holding liquids were made of leather in Europe prior to the introduction of glass. The Dhālgars also made targets for archery practice from the hides of buffaloes; and the similar use of the hides of cattle in Europe survives in our phrase of the bull’s eye for the centre of the target.
Dhāmonia.—(From Dhāmoni, a town in Saugor.) A subcaste of Sonkar. A territorial sept of Darzi and Dhobi.
Dhanak Sammāni.—(One who reverences the bow.) A section of Barai.
Dhandere.—(Probably from Dhundhar, an old name of Jaipur or Amber State.) A sept of Rājpūts.
Dhangar.—(A farmservant.) Synonym of Oraon.
Dhanka.—Perhaps a variant for Dhangar. Subcaste of Oraon.