154 THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY. [May, 1873. CASTES OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY. Dr. H. Y. Carter to his “ Report on the Pre¬ valence and Characters of Leprosy in the Bombay Presidency” has added an appendix giving short notices of all the castes mentioned in the returns. “ The details it supplies,” he remarks, “ aro of the simplest, and without pretence: such of the infor¬ mation as is not commonly available has been obligingly furnished by the Magistrates of Kanara, Khandesh, Thana, Dharwar, &c. and many pro¬ bable discrepancies aro referrible to the varying customs of the same castes in different provinces.” “ The subject of caste,” he adds, “ is full of instruction to the antiquary and the ethnologist: it is a mine as yet little worked, but which holds information sufficient, by analysis of details, to explain many curious anomalies in the opinions and condition of the existing native races, if not to throw light on their origin and descent.” The list is arranged alphabetically, but we extract the accounts of some of the castes without reference to such arrangement:— “ Koli.—A caste of low rank, embracing numer¬ ous tribes who are still most numerous in the mountain ranges running parallel to the sea-coast, and par excellence a hill-people; dwellers in the jungle or forest; most numerous of all such in the Bombay Presidency; they exist in large numbers in Gujarat and the Konkan and in the adjoining central districts of the Dekhan, but not beyond these limits : their proper locale would seem to be the Western Gh&ts and prolongation northwards (18* to 24° N. Lat.); they also occupy the sea¬ board ; it would appear as if their continuity had been disturbed by intrusions of the * Bhills,’ com¬ ing from inland forest hills along the banks of the Tapti and other rivers opening into the Gulf of Cambay; hence in Khandesh ‘Bhills’ occupy the gh&ts and hilly ranges, the ‘Kolis’ being found in the plains, as a reflux from the south. The Kolis of Gujarat are thus almost separated from those of the Yindhya Gh&ts; their history and present condition differ somewhat also ; for a few formed alliances with marauding Rajputs, and their descendants claim the title of Th&kurs; and in this fertile province somo of the Kolis have become admirable and prosperous farmers. Coast¬ wise the race has maintained its place a s fishermen, boatmen, and sailors: they make salt. In Lat. 20* Kolis again predominate on both sides of the gh&$s : they are chiefs in the Dhangs; Patels, &c. in the M&wals; the name ‘ Th&kuP is retained, but is not now associated with any preference apart from means: here, too, in the Dekhan a large section of ‘Kolis’ have become incorporated with the population on the plains; they occupy a humbler position than the Talabdi 1 Kolis’ in Gujarat, but have a recognised place in the village establishment, being watchmen, water-carriers, boatmen, fishermen, messengers, <&c.; these have made the first long stride towards complete civilization. On the hills their brethren are still a rude people, living by selling jungle produce, cultivating a little land, and keeping a few cattle. All are very ignorant, but not unin¬ telligent. Kolis are subdivided into numerous families (or kuls) all of which are perfectly distinct; tho families form orders or classes, which under cli¬ matic and historic influences have acquired their present distinctive characters ; eventually, doubt¬ less, the whole race will become assimilated, with¬ out being decimated in process, for the people are apt. “ Ambtgdr.—A Koli caste of boatmen, watermen, and fishermen, in S. India; they belong to the re¬ cognised and more civilised division of Kolis. “ Patamvaria.—A ‘ Koli* tribe of Gujarat, ori¬ ginally named from Patan-Anhilwad&, the Hindu capital of Gujarat; their rank in the Koli caste is not the highest, as they eat the flesh of buffaloes ; they are cultivators and labourers and sometimes village watchmen. “ Bhui Kahdr.—A widely-spread caste of rather inferior rank, whose occupation is to carry pal- kis, dolis, water-skins, &c.; to act as porters : they also catch and eat fish: they bear some resemblanco to ' Kolis,’ and have latterly been suspected to bo also aborigines ; they eat flesh and drink spirits: they are an ignorant but industri¬ ous class. Buchanan describes them as of Telinga descent: and adds that distillation of rum is one of their proper occupations. “Khdrwi.—A caste in Southern Konkan and Kanara, who are fishermen and palki-bearers, also crews and mates pf native craft: they speak Ma¬ rathi and Kanarese, and in that respect are noted to differ from ‘ Bhllis’ or ‘ K&h&ras ;’ numerous : of rather inferior rank, and partakers of all kinds of food, &c. Tho name is indicative of their con¬ nexion with the sea. “ Dhardld.—In Gujarat; an inclusive term for people who habitually wear arms and pay for the privilege: in most villages they are Kolis and Pagis: in a few only RajpdtB and Sip&his also : some are in independent circumstances : and all are probably the descendants of former successful soldiers. “ Mdchi.—In Surat, of the Koli caste : fisher¬ men, chiefly; a rude, ignorant, and intemperate race, said to be short-lived. “ Wdgri.—An offset, probably, of the Koli tribe, who retain primitive habits, and are mostly hunters and snarerB of game and wild animals, whoso voice and calls they can closely imitate: Borne make earthen toys, &c. They are widely distributed; some are lepers in Gujarat, where they are probably more numerous than in the fcekhan and Southern India. In appearance they are, often at least, of a true aboriginal typo: their language appears to be the vernacular of the pro¬ vince they inhabit.”
