compulsion and cajolery, they have gotten unto themselves estates. They are not of very long standing (in Jeypore). Every Parja village head is still able to point out the fields that have been taken from him to form the Rona hamlet; and, if he is in antagonism with a neighbouring Parjā village on the subject of boundaries, he will include the fields occupied by the Rona as belonging de jure to his demesne." In the Madras Census Report, 1891, it is noted that "the Ronas are supposed to be the descendants of Ranjit, the great warrior of Orissa. In social status they are said to be a little inferior to the so-called Kshatriyas. Some of them serve as armed retainers and soldiers of the native chiefs, and some are engaged in trade and cultivation.
For the following note I am indebted to Mr. C. Hayavadana Rao. The word rona means battle. According to a tradition current among the Ronas, their ancestors, who were seven brothers, came many generations ago to Nundapūr, the former capital of the Rājas of Jeypore, and made their first settlement in Borra.
The caste is divided into four endogamous divisions, viz.: —
- (1) Rona Paiko.
- (2) Odiya Paiko, said to rank a little higher than the preceding.
- (3) Kottiya Paiko, the descendants of Rona Paikos and women of hill tribes.
- (4) Pattiya Paik, the descendants of Kottiya Paikos and women of hill tribes.
As examples of septs among the Ronas, the following may be cited: — Kōra (sun), Bhāg (tiger), Nāg (cobra), Khinbudi (bear), and Matsya (fish).
When a girl reaches puberty, she is placed apart in a portion of the house where she cannot be seen by males,
