Internal structure. 2. The Barhais have broken up into an enormous number of endogamous sub-castes, of which the last Census returns enumerate eight hundred and fifty-nine in the Hindu and seventy-nine in the Muhammadan branch. Of these locally the most important are in Sahâranpur, the Bandariya, Dholi, Multâni, Nagar, and Tarloiya; in Muzaffarnagar, the Dhalwâl or “shield-makers,” and Lota; in Meerut, the Janghâra, the name of a Râjput sept; in Bulandshahr, the Bhîl; in Aligarh, the Chauhân; in Mathura, the Bâhman or Brâhman sub-caste, and the Sosaniya; in Agra, the Nagar, Janghâra, and Uprautya; in Farrukhâbâd, the Paretiya or “reel-makers”; in Mainpuri, the Umariya; in Etah, the Agwariya, Barmaniyân, Bisari, Jalesariya (from the town of Jalesar), and the Usarbhola; in Bareilly, the Jalesariya; in Ballia, the Gokalbansi; in Basti, the Dakkhinâha or “Southern,” and the Sarwariya, or those who come from beyond the Sarju river; in Gonda, the Kairâti, which is possibly a corruption of Kharâdi, and the Sondi; in Bârabanki, the Jaiswâr. In Mirzapur they name five,—Kokâsbansi, Magadhiya, or Magahiya (from Magadha), Purbiha or Purbiya (Eastern), Uttarâha (Northern), and Khâti (Sanskrit Kshatri; root, kshad, “to cut”). Of these the Khâti specially work as wheel-wrights. In Bareilly we have Mathuriya, Dhanman, and Khâti; in Bijnor, Dahman, Mathuriya, Lahori, and Kokâs; in Basti, Kokâsbans, and Lohâr Barhai. Another enumeration[96] gives Kokâs, Mahur, Tânk, Khâti, Uprautiya, Bâmhan Barhai or Mathuriya, Ojha Gaur, and Chamar Barhai. Of these the Bâmhan and Ojha Gaur claim a Brâhmanical origin, and the Chamar Barhai are perhaps an offshoot from the Chamârs. In Benares,[97] again, we have the Janeûdhâri, [[192]](wearers of the Brâhmanical cord, janeû), who eat no meat, wear the sacred cord, and regard themselves far superior to the others: they are said to come from the Duâb. The Khâti are wheel-wrights. The Kokâs come from Delhi, and make chairs and tables. Those designated Setbanda Rameswar manufacture puppets and dolls, on which they perform in public: they have a character for begging, and are, therefore, not a reputable branch of the caste. In the Hills some Barhais are emigrants from the plains; but most of them are of the Orh division of the Doms.[98] To the west of the Province, the Ojha or Ujhâdon Barhais claim Brâhmanical descent, and wear the Brâhmanical cord. In some of the Western towns they have recently refused to do such degrading work as the repairs of conservancy carts, etc. In Morâdâbâd there is a sub-caste known as Khâti Bishnoi, who make a speciality of making cart-wheels like those of the same name to the east of the Province: in Bulandshahr the Khâti are said to be considered so low that water touched by them is not drunk by the higher castes.[99] In the same district are also found the Tânk, Ukât, and Dibhân, as well as the Jânghra, who claim kindred with the Janghâra Râjputs. In the Central Duâb, again, we have, besides the Ujhâdon Brâhman sub-caste, three others known as Dhîmar, Mâhar, and Khâti. These names illustrate the composite character of the caste, the Ojha claiming to be Brâhmans, the Janghra Râjputs, the Dhîmar Kâhars, the Chamar Barhai, Chamârs, and so on. Akin again to these are the class of turners—Kharâdi (Arabic, kharât, “a lathe”), Kuner, Kundera, and, in the Hills, Chunyâra. In Mirzapur this sub-caste are occupied in making the stems of the huqqa pipe out of the wood of the acacia (khair). They appear to take their name from Sanskrit kunda, a bowl.

Marriage rules. 3. To the east of the Province Barhais marry their daughters usually at the age of seven, nine, or eleven; and boys, at nine, eleven, and thirteen. They will not intermarry with a member of their own family or that of their maternal uncle or father’s sister as long as there is any recollection of relationship. They have four forms of marriage: Charhauwa, which is the respectable form; Dola, for poor people, Adala Badala, when two families exchange brides, and Sagâi, for widows. [[193]]

The levirate is permitted but not enforced, and the widow’s right of selecting her second partner is recognised. The rules of morality are strict, and a woman intriguing with a clansman or a stranger is liable to excommunication. Those who are guilty of an intrigue with a member of the clan can be restored to caste by paying money to Brâhmans, and bathing in a sacred stream: in bad cases a pilgrimage to Prayâg (Allahâbâd), Benares, or Ajudhya, is necessary. When a woman is expelled for an intrigue with a clansman, and conducts herself respectably for some time, she is re-admitted to caste by the council, and allowed to contract a sagâi marriage.

Religion. 4. Barhais who live in cities are usually Saivas, because they are not prohibited from the use of meat and wine. The village Barhais seldom become initiated into any regular sect. Their clan deities in the Eastern Districts are the Pânchonpîr, Mahâbîr, Devi, Dulha Deo, and a deity of rather uncertain functions, known as Bibiha Deva, or the “lady god.” They also worship Viswakarma, their divine ancestor, and he is represented by the wooden yard measure (gaz, gaj). This has a special worship in the month of Sâwan. A square is made in which it is placed, and to it are offered sandalwood, flowers, red lead (rori), and sweetmeats (halwa). This worship is supported by a general contribution. The worship is done by a Brâhman, and the sweets distributed among the worshippers. In the month of Kuâr, the other tribal deities are worshipped. Sweetmeats (halwa), sweet bread, gram, and some sugar balls (laddu) are offered to Mahâbîr on a Tuesday. Bhawâni or Devi receives the sacrifice of a goat or ram, garlands of flowers, and coloured cloth (chunari). Rice milk (khîr), and cakes (pûri) are dedicated to the Pânchonpîr. Only wives married in the regular (charhauwa) form are allowed to share in the worship of the tribal deities. In Basti they worship Mahâbîr, Purabi Deota or “the Eastern godling,” and Phûlmati Bhawâni. Purabi Deota gets an offering of clothes and rude ornaments on a Saturday: Phûlmati and Mahâbîr get, respectively, sweets and flowers on Monday and Tuesday. Mâlis, Gusâîns, and Brâhmans receive the offerings made to Mahâbîr and Phûlmati, while the offerings to Purabi Deota are taken home and consumed by the worshippers themselves. Their priests are Tiwâri Brâhmans, who hold a low rank in the caste. The dead are cremated, and the ashes thrown into the Ganges or one of its tributaries. Water is poured on the ground in honour of [[194]]the sainted dead during the first fortnight of Kuâr: lumps of rice and milk are offered on the thirteenth day, and uncooked grain is given to Brâhmans. Those who die of cholera or small-pox are either buried or their bodies thrown into running water. When the epidemic is over, they, as well as a person dying in a foreign land, are burnt in effigy in the regular way. This must be done within six months after the death.

Occupational and social status. 5. Carpentry is one of the ancient Hindu trades, and is mentioned in the Rigveda.[100] The village carpenter is one of the recognised village menials and receives dues of grain at each harvest from his constituents (jajmân), whose agricultural implements he is bound to keep in order. The rate in Oudh is thirty village sers at each crop from each plough. This is known as tihâi. He also receives one ser of each kind of grain from each cultivator’s threshing floor before it is removed. This is called anjali. For seven months, Jeth to Aghan—May to November, his services are required. For the remaining five months he works at his own business, making cots (chârpai), carts (gâri), domestic utensils, and house carpentry. For this he receives special wages.[101] In the Eastern Districts it is about twelve sers per plough. In Bareilly it is seven-and-a-half to twelve large (pakka) sers per plough per harvest.[102] Some city carpenters who set up workshops and employ workmen do a good business in making conveyances, furniture, etc. They eat pakki or food cooked with butter by all Brâhmans, Kshatriyas, and Vaisyas, except Kalwârs. They eat kachchi cooked by Brâhmans and castemen. All Hindus drink water from their hands. Some Brâhmans will eat pakki cooked by them. Inferior Hindus, such as the Chamâr, Nâi, or Bâri, will eat kachchi cooked by them. In the villages many hold land as tenants in addition to their hereditary trade. [[195]]

Distribution of the Barhais according to the Census of 1891.

District. Ajudhyabâsi. Dhaman. Gaur. Golê. Kanaujiya. Khâti. Kokâs. Maithil. Mathuriya. Ojha. Suthar. Tânk. Others. Muhammadans. Total.
Dehra Dûn … 1,243 … …… 130 65 … … … … … 2,004 65 3,507
Sahâranpur … 12,367 … 7… 198 14 6 … … … … 4,641 1,538 18,771
Muzaffarnagar … 6,954 21 10 102,333 … … … … … … 2,082 3,162 14,572
Meerut … 446 … ……2,719 … … … … … 3,212 4,05913,242 23,678
Bulandshahr … … … …… 164 … … 421 351 … 628 4,82411,473 17,861
Aligarh … … … …… 159 …2,864 … 3,782 … … 12,794 7 19,606
Mathura … … 1,078 4… … 502,2192,855 4,776 … … 3,017 3 14,002
Agra 106 … 1,638…… 4 8 4982,18910,957 … … 3,679 7 19,086
Farrukhâbâd 136 … … … 35 102,874 … 4,580 240 … … 263 2 8,140[[196]]
Mainpuri 904 … 107509 … 4 342 56 1,07210,474… …1,395 … 14,857
Etâwah 1,109 … …… … 154 948 … 2,422 3,430 6 …2,271 … 10,340
Etah … 73 380295 4 20 55 372 8,590 1,268 31 …3,647 … 14,735
Bareilly … … …… … 821,502 …17,284 48… … 691 1,99921,606
Bijnor … 14,496 …… … 75 … … … … … 8 624 2,74617,949
Budâun … 28 …… … … … …13,820 703… …2,114 1,00517,670
Morâdâbâd … 1,133 …… … 213 … 1 1,809 45… 4241,57817,30522,508
Shâhjahânpur 58 3 8… 12 …1,107 … 4,677 32… … 334 3416,228
Pilibhît … … 2… … 1103,754 … 6,011 9… 20 282 17610,364
Cawnpur … … …… 12 519,104 … 83 5… … 760 … 10,015[[197]]
Fatehpur … … … … 11 … 2,920 … … … … … 367 … 3,298
Bânda … … … 48 … 20 6,174 … … … … … 616 … 6,860
Hamîrpur … … 3… … 29 3,366 … … … … … 1,393 … 4,791
Allahâbâd … … … … … 17 1,237 … 3 … … … 566 … 1,823
Jhânsi … … … … … 407 3,617 … … … … … 2,385 2 6,411
Jâlaun … … … … … 1,491 1,984 … … … … … 1,550 … 5,025
Lalitpur … … … … … 2,308 2,507 … … … … … 790 … 5,605
Benares … … … … … … 320 … … … … … 261 … 581
Mirzapur … … … … … … 352 … … … … … 224 … 576
Jaunpur … … … … … … 1,315 … … … … … 70 … 1,385
Ghâzipur … … … … 114 … 947 … … … … … 258 … 1,319
Ballia … … … … 83 … 3,674 … … … … … 947 … 4,704
Gorakhpur 11 … 1… 483 … 23,058 … … … 80 … 1,926 748 26,307
Basti … … … … … … 24,277 … … … 927 … 3,093 … 28,297
Azamgarh … … … … 649 … 8,295 … … … … … 1,625 26 10,595[[198]]
Garhwâl … 32 … … … … … … … … … … … … 32
Tarâi … 434 … … … 8 … … 680 … … 118 127 2,890 4,257
Lucknow … 5 … 21 9 80 6,162 … 244 … 378 … 2,175 81 9,155
Unâo … … … … 20 … 12,335 … … … … … 842 1 13,198
Râê Bareli … … … … 130 … 8,411 … 6 … 1,199 … 1,537 117 11,400
Sîtapur … … … … … … 10,823 … 40 … 358 … 973 2 12,196
Hardoi … … … … … … 11,913 … 519 … 26 … 491 … 12,949
Kheri 13 … … … 7 … 12,296 … 4 … … … 171 … 12,491
Faizâbâd … … … … 207 … 10,029 … … … 2,659 … 291 … 13,186
Gonda … … … … … … 23,190 … … … 5 … 987 2,469 26,651[[199]]
Bahrâich … … … 4 … 3 10,884 … … … 108 … 731 618 12,348
Sultânpur … … … … 69 … 8,268 … … … 1,123 … 1,529 … 10,989
Partâbgarh … … … … … … 843 … … … … … 553 1 1,397
Bârabanki … … … … … … 13,825 … … … 1,082 … 476 180 15,563
Total 2,33937,2143,2328981,85510,789242,8086,01667,30936,1207,9824,41078,01359,899558,884

[[200]]

Barhiya.—A small sept of Râjputs. The last Census shows them only in Hamîrpur and Lalitpur. Sir H. M. Elliot[103] mentions a sept called Barhiya or Barhaiya in the Sikandarpur and Badâun Parganas of the Azamgarh District, and Sayyidpur Bhitri of Ghâzipur. Dr. Buchanan[104] says that they are not numerous in Gorakhpur, north of the Sarju; “but there are said to be many near Kopa in the southern part of the District. They are but a low race.”

Distribution of the Barhiya Râjputs according to the Census of 1891.