The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India, Volume 1

Darbānia.—(Door-keeper.) Title of Khangūr.

Darshani.—Title of the most holy members of the Kānphata Jogis.

Darshni.—(From darshan, seeing, beholding, as of a god.) A sub-division of Jogi.

Darwān.—(A door-keeper.) Title of Dahāit.

Darwe or Dalwe.—A subcaste of Gonds in Chānda; the Darwes are also called Nāik.

Darwesh.—Persian name for a Muhammadan Fakīr or religious mendicant.

Darzi.—A caste of tailors. Subcaste of Ghasia.

Dās.—(Servant.) Used as the termination of their names by Bairāgis or religious mendicants. A term applied by Pankas and other Kabīrpanthis to themselves.

Dasa.—(Ten.) A subdivision of Agarwāla and other subcastes of Bania, meaning those of pure blood.

Dasghar.—(Ten houses.) One of the three subdivisions of Kanaujia Brāhmans. They give their daughters to members of the Chheghar or six houses and receive them from the Pānchghar or five houses.

Dasnāmi.—A member of the ten orders. Synonym for Gosain.

Datta or Dutt.—Surname of Bengali Kāyasths.

Daune.—A subdivision of Prabhu or Parbhu in Nāgpur, so called on account of their living in the island of Diu, a Portuguese possession.

Deccani.—See Dakhne.

Dehalwi.—(From Delhi.) A subdivision of Gaur Kāyasths.

Dehri.—(A worshipper.) Subcaste of Sudh.

Dekkala.—(A genealogist.) Subcaste of Mādgi.

Delki.—Subcaste of Kharia.

Deo.—(God.) A hereditary title borne by certain Feudatory Chiefs. A surname of Karhāra Brāhmans in Saugor. A subcaste of Gandli in Chānda.

Deobansi.—(A descendant of a god.) Subcaste of Patwa.

Deogarhia or Rājkunwar.—(From Deogarh.) A subcaste of Pardhān. A subcaste of Audhelia made up of prostitutes. A sept of Dhīmar.

Deokia.—Title used in the Bedar caste.

Deoputra.—(Son of god.) Synonym of Chāran.

Desa or Kota.—Subcaste of Balija.

Desai.—A variant for Deshmukh or a Marātha revenue officer. Title of the Pardhān caste.

Desāwal.—A subdivision of Brāhman in Jubbulpore. They take their name from Disa, a town in Pālanpur State in Bombay Presidency.

Desha, Desaha.—(Belonging to the home country.) The name is usually applied to immigrants from Mālwa or Hindustān. A subcaste of Ahīr, Bargāh, Bāri, Chamār, Dhuri, Gadaria, Kalār, Kol, Kurmi, Lakhera, Lohār, Mahār, Sunār and Teli.

Deshastha.—A subcaste of Marātha Brāhmans inhabiting the country (Desh) above the Western Ghāts. A subcaste of Gurao.

Deshkar.—(One belonging to the country.) A subcaste of Gondhali, Gurao, Kasār, Koshti, Kunbi, Mahār, Māli, Marātha, Nāi, Sunār and Teli.

Deshmukh.—Under Marātha rule the Deshmukh was a Pargana officer who collected the revenue of the Pargana or small subdivision, and other taxes, receiving a certain share. The office of Deshmukh was generally held by a leading Kunbi of the neighbourhood. He also held revenue-free land in virtue of his position. The Deshmukh families now tend to form a separate subcaste of Kunbis and marry among themselves.

Deshpānde.—The Deshpānde was the Pargana accountant. He was generally a Brāhman and the right-hand man of the Deshmukh, and having the advantage of education he became powerful like the Deshmukh. Now used as a surname by Marātha Brāhmans.

Deswāli.—Synonym for Mīna.

Devadāsi.—(Handmaidens of the gods.) Synonym for Kasbi.

Devarukhe.—A subdivision of Marātha Brāhmans. The word is derived from Devarishi, a Shakha (branch) of the Atharva Veda, or from Devarukh, a town in Ratnāgiri District of Bombay Presidency. Among Brāhmans they hold rather a low position.

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. Crooke439 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.

Dhanoj, Dhanoje.—(From dhangar, a shepherd.) Subcaste of Are and Kunbi.

Dhānpagar.—(One serving for a pittance of paddy.) A section of Teli.

Dhanuhār.—(A corrupt form of Dhanusdhar or a holder of a bow.) Synonym of Dhanwār.

Dhānuk.—(A bowman.) A caste. A subcaste of Mehtār.

Dhanushban.—(Bow and arrow.) A sept of Kawar.

Dharampuria.—(Resident of Dharampur.) Subcaste of Dhobi.

Dhare.—Title of Gowāri.

Dhāri.—A subcaste of Banjāra. They are the bards of the caste.

Dharkār.—Subcaste of Basor.

Dharmīk.—(Religious or virtuous.) A subcaste of Mahār and Marātha.

Dhed.—Synonym for Mahār.

Dhengar.—A subcaste of Bharewa (Kasār) and Gadaria.

Dhera.440—A small Telugu caste of weavers, the bulk of whom reside in the Sonpur State, transferred to Bengal in 1905. The Dheras were brought from Orissa by the Rāja of Sonpur to make clothes for the images of the gods, which they also claim to be their privilege in Puri. Their exogamous groups are named after animals, plants or other objects, and they practise totemism. The members of the Sūrya or sun group will not eat during an eclipse. Those of the Nalla (black) sept will not wear black clothes. Those of the Bansethi and Bhanala septs will not use the bandi, a kind of cart from which they consider their name to be derived. The Otals take their name from utti, a net, from which pots are hung, and they will not use this net. Those of the Gunda sept, who take their name from gunda, a bullet, will not eat any game shot with a gun. Marriage within the sept is prohibited, but the Dheras always, where practicable, arrange the marriage of a boy with his maternal uncle’s daughter. Even in childhood the members of such families address each other as brother-in-law and sister-in-law. When the bridegroom and bride go home after the marriage ceremony, the bridegroom’s sister bars the door of the house and will not let them in until they have severally promised to give her their daughter for her son. A girl must be married before arriving at adolescence on pain of permanent exclusion from the caste. If a suitable husband has not therefore been found when the period approaches, the parents marry the girl to her elder sister’s husband or any other married man. She is not bound to enter into conjugal relations with the man to whom she is thus united, and with his consent she may be consequently married to any other man in the guise of a widow. If a bachelor takes such a girl to wife, he must first be married to a sahara tree (Streblus asper). When a betrothal is arranged, an elderly member of the bridegroom’s family proceeds to the bride’s house and asks her people three times in succession whether the betrothal is arranged, and at each reply in the affirmative ties a knot in his cloth. He then goes home and in the bridegroom’s house solemnly unties the knots over another cloth which is spread on the ground. This cloth is then considered to contain the promises and it is wrapped up and carefully put away to keep them as if they were material objects.

Dherha.—(Brother-in-law or paternal aunt’s husband.) Title of Kharia.

Dhīmar.—A caste. Subcaste of Kori.

Dhimra.—Synonym for Dhīmar.

Dhobi.—The caste of washermen. A sept of Bharia and Bhaina.

Dhokhede.—One of doubtful parentage. A sept of Teli.

Dholewār.—(From dhola, a drum.) A subcaste of Bhoyar and Gaoli. A section of Basor.

Dholi.—(A minstrel.) Subcaste of Bhāt.

Dhubela.—Origin perhaps from the Dhobi caste. Subcaste of Basor.

Dhulbajia.—(From dhol, a drum.) A subcaste of Chamār, also known as Daijania.

Dhulia, Dholin, Dholi.—(A player on a dhol or drum.) Synonym for the Basor caste. A subcaste of Gond in Chānda and Betul. A subcaste of Mahār.

Dhunak Pathān.—Synonym for Bahna.

Dhunia.—(From dhunna, to card cotton.) Synonym for Bahna.

Dhunka.—(A cotton-cleaner.) Subcaste of Kadera.

Dhur Gond.—(From dhur, dust.) A subcaste of Gonds. They are also known as Rāwanvansi or descendants of Rāwan.

Dhuri.—A caste of grain-parchers. A subcaste of Dhīmar.

Dhuria.—Subcaste of Nagasia and Dhīmar. They are so called because they mark the forehead of the bride with dust (dhur) taken from the sole of the bridegroom’s foot.

Dhurwa.—The word may be derived from dhur, dust. Dhur is a name given to the body of Gonds as opposed to the Raj-Gonds. One of the commonest septs of Gonds. A sept of Baiga, Kolta, Kalār and Nat. A title of Parja.

Dhūsar.—Subcaste of Bania.

Dhusia.—Subcaste of Murha.

Digāmbari.—A sect of Jain Banias who do not clothe their idols and apply saffron to their feet. Also a class of Bairāgis or religious mendicants.

Diharia or Kisān.—(One who lives in a village or a cultivator.). Subcaste of Korwa.

Dikhit, Dikshit, Dixit.—(The Initiator.) A subcaste of Brāhman. A clan of Rājpūts of the solar race formerly dominant in the United Provinces.

Dila.—(A pointed stick tied to a calf’s mouth to prevent him from sucking.) A totemistic sept of Kawar. They do not use a stick in this manner. A section of Ahīr.

Dillawāl.—A subcaste of Kasār. Those belonging to or coming from Delhi.

Dingkuchia.—(One who castrates cattle and ponies.) Subcaste of Ghasia.

Dipawālia.—(One who supplies oil for the lamps at Diwāli.) A sept of Teli.

Dīpbans.—(Son of the lamp.) Title of Teli.

Diwān.—Title of the members of the Dahāit caste committee.

Dixit.—See Dikhit.

Dobaile.—(One who yokes two bullocks to the oil-press.) Subcaste of Telis in the Nāgpur country.

Dobīsya.—(Two score.) Subcaste of Halwai.

Doda or Dor.—One of the thirty-six royal races of Rājpūts.

Dogle.—Name applied to Kāyasths of illegitimate descent.

Dohor.441—A small caste of Berār, who are really Chamārs; in the Central Provinces the Dohors are a well-known subcaste of Chamārs, but in Berār they appear to have obtained a separate name, under which about 6000 persons were returned in 1911. They work in leather like the Chamārs or Mochis. With the ambition of bettering their social status among the Hindus the caste strictly observe the sanctity of animal life. No Dohor may molest an animal or even pelt it with stones. A man who sells a cow or bullock to butchers is put out of caste, but if he repents and gets the animal back before it is slaughtered, a fine of Rs. 5 only is imposed. If, on the other hand, the animal is killed, the culprit must give his daughter in marriage without taking any price from the bridegroom, and must feed the whole caste and pay a fine of Rs. 50, which is expended on liquor. Failing this he is expelled from the community. Similarly the Pardeshi Dohors rigidly enforce infant-marriage. If a girl is not married before she is ten her family are fined and put out of caste until the fine is paid. And if the girl has leprosy or any other disease, which prevents her from getting married, a similar penalty is imposed on the family. Nevertheless the Dohors are considered to be impure and are not allowed to enter Hindu temples; the village barber does not shave them nor the washerman wash their clothes. A bachelor desiring to marry a widow must first perform the ceremony with a rui or cotton-tree. But such a union is considered disgraceful; the man himself must pay a heavy fine to get back into caste, and his children are considered as partly illegitimate and must marry with the progeny of similar unions. Either husband or wife can obtain a divorce by a simple application to the caste panchāyat, and a divorced woman can marry again as a widow. The caste offer sheep and goats to their deities and worship the animals before killing them. At Dasahra they also pay reverence to the skinning-knife, and the needle with which shoes are sewn. The caste burn the bodies of those who die married and bury the unmarried. Before setting out for a funeral they drink liquor and again on their return, and a little liquor is sprinkled over the grave. When a man has been cremated his ashes are taken and thrown into a river on the third day. The chief mourner, after being shaved by his brother-in-law, takes the hair with some copper coins in his hand and, diving into the river, leaves them there as an offering to the dead man’s spirit.

Dolia.—(Palanquin-bearer.) A section of Dhīmar.

Dom.—An important caste in Bengal. See article Kanjar. Used as a synonym for Gānda in the Uriya country.

Domra.—Subcaste of Turi.

Dongaria, Dongarwār.—(From dongar, a hill.) A sept of Bhīl, Dhobi, Māli, Māng and Sonkar. A surname of Marātha Brāhmans.

Dora.—(Sāhib or Lord.) Title of the Mutrāsi caste.

Dosar.—Subcaste of Bania.

Dravida.—(Southern.) See Pānch-Dravida.

Dūbe.—(A teacher and a man learned in two Vedās.) A common surname of Hindustāni Brāhmans. A subcaste of Banjāra.

Dūdh.—(Milk.) Dūdh-Barai, a subcaste of Barai; Dudh-Gowāri, a subcaste of Ahīr or Gowāri; Dūdh-Kawar, a subcaste of Kawar.

Dūdh Bhai.—(Milk-brothers.) A fraternity of Gonds in Betūl, who are apparently foster-brothers. They do not marry, though they have different septs.

Dukar.—A subcaste of Kolhāti. From dukar, hog, because they are accustomed to hunt the wild pig with dogs and spears when these animals become too numerous and damage the crops of the villagers.

Dukaria.—Title of the officer of the Andh caste who constitutes the caste committee.

Dūlha.—(Bridegroom.) A section of Chadār.

Dumār or Dom.—A low caste of sweepers in Bengal. See Kanjar. Subcaste of Basor, Gānda, Panka and Turi. Synonym and subcaste of Mehtar. A section of Kawar.

Durgbansi.—A clan of Rājpūts in Rāgnandgaon.

Dūsre.—(Second.) A subdivision of Shrivāstab, Gaur and Saksena Kāyasths, meaning those of inferior or mixed origin as opposed to Khare or those of pure origin.

Dwārka.—One of the most holy places in India, situated on or near the sea in Gujarāt. It is supposed to have been founded by Krishna. Site of one of the monasteries (Ashrām) of Sankarachārya, the founder of the non-dualistic or Vedanta philosophy.

Dwija.—(Twice-born.) A title applied to the three higher classical castes, Brāhman, Kshatriya and Vaishya, and now especially to Brāhmans.

Ekbāhia.—(One-armed.) Subcaste of Teli, so called because their women wear glass bangles only on one arm.

Ekbaile.—One who yokes one bullock only to the oil-press. Subcaste of Teli.

Elama, Elma.—Synonym for Velāma. A subcaste of Kāpewār or Kāpu.

Erenga.—Subcaste of Kharia in Bengal.

Erna.—(From Eran, in Saugor district.) A section of Teli.

Fakīr.—A Muhammadan mendicant. Synonym Sain. See article.

Farīd.—Sheikh Farīd was a well-known Muhammadan saint. A section of Panwār Rājpūt.

Fārsi.—Persian. From the Province of Fārs. The term Fārsi is also used by the Hindus to signify foreign or non-Aryan languages like Gondi.

Fidawi.—(A disciple.) An order of devotees of the Khojah sect known to the Crusaders as Assassins. Title of Khojah.

Gadaba.—Synonym of Gadba.

Gadaria.—A caste. Subcaste of Ahīr.

Gadha.—(An ass.) A sept of the Uika clan of Gonds in Betūl, so named because their priest rode on an ass in crossing a river.

Gadhao.—(From gadha, an ass.) Subcaste of Kunbi.

Gadhewāl, Gadhere, Gadhwe, Gadhilla.—(One who keeps donkeys. From gadha, an ass.) A subcaste of Dhīmar, Katia, Koshti, Kumhār and Sonkar. A sept of Gond and Pardhān.

Gadhwana.—(From Garha, near Jubbulpore.) Subcaste of Nai.

Gādiwān.—(A cart-driver.) Subcaste of Dāngri.

Gādri.—(From gādar, a sheep.) A synonym of Gadaria. A subcaste of Dhangar.

Gaharwār, Gaharvāl, Gherwāl.—One of the thirty-six royal races of Rājpūts chiefly found in Bilāspur and Khairagarh. A section of Patwas.

Gahbainya or Gahboniya.—(Those who hid in a village when called by a king to his presence.) A subcaste of Kurmi. A section of Kurmi.

Gahlot or Sesodia.—A famous clan of Rājpūts. A section of Daraiha and Joshi.

Gahoi.—Subcaste of Bania. See article Bania-Gahoi.

Gahra.—Synonym for Ahīr or herdsman in the Uriya country.

Gai-Gowāri.—Subcaste of Gowāri.

Gaiki.—A cowherd. (A subcaste of Gond in Betūl.) A section of Chamār.

Gaikwār or Gaika.—(A cowherd.) A clan of Marātha. A section of Ahīr, Bhīl, Kunbi and Mahār.

Gaita.—Subcaste of Gond.

Gaiwāle.—(Cow-keeper.) A subcaste of Moghia.

Gajarha.—(Gājar, a carrot.) A section of Teli in Mandla.

Gajjām.—A sept of the Dhurwa clan of Gonds in Betūl named after Gajjāmi. (Bow and arrows in Gondi.)

Gānda.—(A messenger.) A low caste of village watchmen. In the Uriya country the Gāndas are known as Dom. A subcaste of Pardhān. Title of Kharia.

Gandhi.—A scent-seller. (From gandh, a Sanskrit word for scent.) Synonym of Atāri. A section of Maheshir Bania.

Gāndli.—The Telugu caste of oil-pressers, numbering about 3000 persons in the Central Provinces, in the Chānda, Nāgpur and Bhandāra Districts. They are immigrants from the Godāvari District of Madras and have been settled in the Central Provinces for some generations. Here many of them have prospered so that they have abandoned the hereditary calling and become landowners, traders and moneylenders. Like the well-to-do Telis they are keenly desirous of bettering their social position and now repudiate any connection with what may be known as ‘the shop,’ or the profession of oil-pressing. As this ranks very low, among the more despised village handicrafts, the progress of the Gāndlis and Telis to the social standing of Banias, to which they generally aspire, is beset with difficulties; but the Gāndlis, in virtue of having migrated to what is practically a foreign country so far as they are concerned, have achieved a considerable measure of success, and may be said to enjoy a better position than any Telis. A few of them wear the sacred thread, and though they eat flesh, they have abjured liquor except in Chānda, where they are most numerous and the proportion of wealthy members is smallest. Here also they are said to eat pork. Others eat flesh and fowls.

The Gāndlis are divided into the Reddi, Chetti and Telkala subcastes, and the last are generally oil-pressers. It is probable that the Reddis are the same as the Redu-eddu or Rendu-eddu subcaste of Madras, who derive their name from the custom of using two bullocks to turn the oil-press, like the Do-baile Telis of the Central Provinces. But it has been changed to Reddi, a more respectable name, as being a synonym for the Kāpu cultivating caste. Chetti really means a trader, and is, Mr. Francis says,442 “One of those occupational or titular terms, which are largely employed as caste names. The weavers, oil-pressers and others use it as a title, and many more tack it on to their names to denote that trade is their occupation.” Marriage is regulated by exogamous groups, the names of which are said to be derived from those of villages. Girls are generally married during childhood. A noticeable point is that the ceremony is celebrated at the bridegroom’s house, to which the bride goes, accompanied by her party, including the women of her family. The ceremony follows the Marātha form of throwing fried rice over the bridal couple, and Brāhman priests are employed to officiate. Widow-marriage is permitted. The dead are both buried and burnt, and during mourning the Gāndlis refrain from eating khichri or mixed rice and pulse, and do not take their food off plantain leaves, in addition to the other usual observances. They have the shāntik ceremony or the seclusion of a girl on the first appearance of the signs of adolescence, which is in vogue among the higher Marātha castes, and is followed by a feast and the consummation of her marriage. They now speak Marāthi fluently, but still use Telugu in their houses and wear their head-cloths tied after the Tulugu fashion.443

Gangabālu.—(Sand of the Ganges.) A family name of Gānda.

Gangābasia.—(Living on the banks of the Ganges.) A section of Ahīr.

Gangāpāri.—(One coming from the further side of the Ganges.) Subcaste of Barai, Barhai, Chamār, Dhobi, Gondhali, Kumhār and Umre Bania.

Gangasāgar.—(Sea of the Ganges.) A section of Chitāri and Kawar.

Gangāvansi.—(Descended from the Ganges.) A clan of Rājpūts. The chief of Bāmra State is a Gangāvansi.

Gangthade.—Dwellers on the banks of the Godāvari and Wainganga. These rivers are sometimes called Ganga or Ganges, which is used as a general term for a great river. A subcaste of Marātha.

Gannore.—Name of a minor Rājpūt clan. Subcaste of Balāhi.

Gānth-chor.—(A bundle-thief.) Title of Bhāmta.

Gaolān.—A synonym of Ahīr or Gaoli, applied to an inferior section of the caste.

Gaoli, Gauli.—(A milkman.) Synonym for Ahīr. Subcaste of Hatkar.

Gaontia.—(A village headman.) Title of the head of the Kol caste committee. Title of Kol.

Garde.—(Dusty.) A surname of Karhāra Brāhmans in Saugor.

Garg or Gargya.—The name of a famous Rishi or saint. An eponymous section of Brāhmans. A section of Agarwāla Banias. Gargabansi is a clan of Rājpūts.

Garhāwāla, Garhewāla, Garhewār.—A resident of Garha, an old town near Jubbulpore which gave its name to the Garha-Mandla dynasty, and is a centre of weaving. A subcaste of Katia, Koshti and Mahār, all weaving castes. A subcaste of Binjhāl.

Garkata.—(Cut-throat.) A section of Koshti.

Garpagāri.—A body of Jogis or Nāths who avert hailstorms and are considered a separate caste. See article. From gār, hail. A subcaste of Koshta and Kumhār. A section of Ghasia.