The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)

Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

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[The religion of the Hindu Bhâts.] 8. The Hindu Bhâts are orthodox Hindus. They are usually either Vaishnavas or Sâktas. In Mirzapur, they worship, in addition to the ordinary gods, of whom the most venerated is Siva in the form of Gauripati, Barê Bîr, Mahâbîr, and Sârda. Barê Bîr, who appears to be the deified ghost of some worthy of the tribe, is honoured by making a plastered square in the court-yard and placing within it a lighted lamp. To Gauripati they offer a burnt sacrifice (hom) and some sweets (laddu) on the last day of Baisâkh in the family kitchen. Mahâbîr is worshipped on a Tuesday in the month of Baisâkh by painting a representation of him on the back of a brass tray with red lead. This is placed on a stool, and the eldest male or female member of the family bathes, marks his or her forehead with sandal, and offers to the god sweet cakes (rot), laddu sweetmeats, a Brâhmanical thread (janeû), garlands of flowers, a small loin cloth (langoti), and a head-dress (pâta). Then a fire sacrifice (hom) is made, and the articles offered are distributed among the members of the family. By the Census Returns only 381 persons have recorded themselves as exclusive worshippers of Mahâbîr; but this is made up for by 937,493 worshippers of Hanumân. Sârda is a corruption of the name of the goddess Saraswati, the patroness of learning; she is not worshipped in any systematic way, but is invoked whenever they commence their recitations. The Census shows that Saraswati has 5,311 exclusive worshippers. In common with many of the lower castes, they also worship Birtiya on a Wednesday in the month of Aghan. A Chamâr Ojha is selected, and he in front of the house makes a sacrifice of a young pig and some turmeric. The head of the victim is buried deep in the ground, and the rest of the meat is taken by the Ojha, who also gets some uncooked grain and a few pice. Their other domestic ceremonies are done by Sarwariya Brâhmans. In other parts of the Eastern Districts they worship Bhawâni and Devi, particularly when epidemic disease prevails.

[The Chârans.] 9. No account of the Bhâts would be complete without some reference to the Chârans, though they are hardly to be found in this part of India. In Gujarât they are Vaishnavas, and find employment in the Courts of Native Princes or in the families of private gentlemen. Many go from place to place and earn a living by reciting the pedigrees and family achievements of those from whom they ask alms. They wear on their persons a variety of ornaments, such as the earring, necklace, anklets, etc., and by way of arms they carry a sort of sword. They are cultivators and have enough money to lend at interest. There are not a few who stand security for a consideration. They are a warm-blooded and passionate people, as many acts of theirs in past times testify. [35] They had, some years ago, a ready way of extorting money, or the fulfilment of a pledge made to them. If a man refused to keep a promise made to them they brought a girl or an old woman of their family to the house of the defaulter and threatened to kill or did actually kill her. Not a century ago the faith placed in the word of a Bhât was perhaps the only way of obtaining the feeling of security necessary to conduct business of any kind. All men, from the prince to the peasant, trusted to the Bhât or Châran that he would keep his word or die. Soon after the advent of the British the use of this intermediary collapsed, and the bad points in his character came into relief; but his good work in past times should not be overlooked. By violent threats to kill some member of their family, the Bhâts for a long time, and up to quite recent times, were able to extort money or the accomplishment of any promise made to them; but the late Mahârâja Khandê Râo enacted a special provision of law to meet these cases of extortion, and put an end to them. The Bhât women are as bold, voluble, and ready in retort as the men. When a Bhât woman passes a male caste-fellow on the road, it is the latter who raises a piece of cloth to his face till the woman is out of sight.

10. The Chârans, [36] as they are called, still fill a large place in the society of Western India, though their services as bards and genealogists are less in demand than they were in the old days. They are, nevertheless, considered, from their calling, to bear a sacred character, and any injury done to one of them will bring down an anathema on the head of the evil-doer, which no amount of penance will wash away. The awe they inspire is as great with the Râjput chief as with the illiterate Bhîl. They are also the principal carriers of the country, and as such enjoy immunity from taxation, to which the rest of the community have to submit. When the Châran cannot obtain what he wants, or considers he has been unjustly dealt with, he will resort to what is known as tragya, or self-sacrifice, by cutting or wounding himself, or perhaps taking the life of some member of his family, in order that the blood of the victim may rest upon the head of his oppressor; and so great is the dread inspired by even the mere threat of carrying out this act that a ready acquiescence is generally given to all demands. The death of a Châran by his own hands would be considered by the outside world a sort of excommunication of the chief, against which the latter would find it almost hopeless to contend. Holding such a formidable weapon over the heads of all alike, high or low, the Châran becomes overbearing and avaricious, and consequently they are a class difficult to manage. Members of the tribe are to be found travelling over the length and breadth of India, with their droves of pack-bullocks, by means of which, notwithstanding the increased mileage of railways of late years, a great part of the enormous trade of that vast continent is still transported to its destination. It might have been thought that the railway would have materially reduced their profits, and although it has curtailed the sphere of their operations, it has obliged them to open up fresh lines of traffic, and to become feeders to the various lines of railway. Salt, grain, and seeds form the principal articles of transport by means of their caravans. The loads are carried in strong thick bags thrown across the backs of the bullocks without any rope or strap to fasten them, but merely balanced on them, and after the day’s march is over the bags are piled in stacks, around which the Nâik, his family, and companions keep guard during the night, although the sacred calling of tribe and the dread of their anathema are quite sufficient to insure them immunity from all plunderers. There is no more picturesque sight than one of these large caravans wending its way along the high road. The men and women are invariably on foot and distributed along the drove of bullocks, re-loading a beast which may have thrown his pack, or balancing and adjusting another as the case may be. The men with their large, loosely-folded turbans, white flowing robes, many of them with necklaces, generally of gold, about their person, form a pleasing contrast to the women in their brightly-coloured garments, with large conical caps adorned with gold and silver chains and small bells, from which is pendant a light richly-coloured scarf hanging gracefully over the shoulders. Tall and upright in figure, lithe and active, often with pleasing features and not an over-dark skin, her petticoat of one colour, her boddice of another, but somewhat brighter, her jet-black hair bound up and entwined with gold and silver coins, her arms encased from wrist to elbow in bracelets of white and coloured ivory, bangles of silver on her ankles, and the high conical cap profusely ornamented on her head, the matron presents a picture which once seen is not easily forgotten. As bard of the chief, the Châran occupies an exalted position, and is one of the retainers always about his person, and frequently the medium of communication on difficult and delicate missions, such as an alliance in marriage, when he is the bearer of the cocoanut, which is the emblem sent on such occasions. He used invariably to accompany him in all his expeditions against his enemies, in order that he might transcribe in glowing verse the deeds of prowess done by his chief and the clan. The genealogy of the family is in his keeping, and he can recount from memory all the stirring events connected with the history of the house, which have been orally handed down to him by his father before him. Like the Scald of the ancient Norseman, the bard delights in narrating in open darbâr when called upon by his lord, some inspiring themes connected with the fortunes of the family. It is then, surrounded by an admiring and sympathetic audience, that he will launch out in the flowery language of his country, and with magical effect stir the hearts of his listeners with the thrilling account of how their ancestors fought in defence of their homes and their race, and fell covered with wounds, performing deeds that have left them deathless names, and how by emulating their example and treading in their footsteps they will make resplendent the blood of their ancient line. All this has in these days become utterly unreal, but the respect with which the bard is regarded when he recalls the most stirring memories of the race is not matter for surprise.

11. In social position the Bhât ranks fairly high, and is as particular in eating and drinking as a Brâhman: but he bears an indifferent reputation for volubility and abusive language. One proverb about them is,—

Bhât, Bhatiyâri, Beswa, tînon jât kujât:
Âtê kâ âdar karen; jât na pûchhen bât.

“The bard, the inn-keeper, and the harlot are a bad lot: when you come they are civil; when you go they care nothing.”

Banyak dâta, Thakurak hîn,
Baidaka pût byâdh na chînh,
Bhâtak chup, beswak mail,
Kahen Ghâgh—pânchon ghar gail.

“A generous Banya, a mean Râjput, a physician’s son who cannot diagnose disease, a silent Bhât, and an unclean courtesan—all five, says Ghâgh, are on the road to ruin.”

DISTRIBUTION OF BHÂTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

=============+===========+======+==========+========+======+=======+==========+=======+========+=======+============+======== District. | Bhâradwâj.|Biram.|Dasaundhi.|Gajbhîm.|Jâga. |Keliya.|Mahâpâtra.| Râê. |Râjbhât.|Others.|Muhammadans.| Total. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~ Dehra Dûn | ... | 211| ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 119 | 40 | 370 Sahâranpur | ... | 431| ... | ... | 117 | ... | ... | ... | 80 | 1,003 | 227 | 1,858 Muzaffarnagar| ... | 911| ... | ... | 549 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 214 | 119 | 1,793 Meerut | ... | 1,771| ... | ... | 300 | ... | ... | 58 | ... | 382 | 364 | 2,875 Bulandshahr | ... | 1,173| ... | ... | 62 | 100 | ... | 1 | ... | 2,480 | 223 | 4,039 Aligarh | ... | 799| ... | ... | ... | ... | 14 | 203 | ... | 2,193 | 50 | 3,259 Mathura | ... | 237| 907 | 29 | 20 | 43 | ... | 347 | 8 | 386 | 2 | 1,979 Agra | 5 | 2,151| 13 | ... | 10 | 20 | ... | 14 | ... | 811 | 8 | 3,032 Farrukhâbâd | 5 | 640| 7 | 17 | 175 | 877 | ... | 8 | 2 | 455 | 189 | 2,375 Mainpuri | 24 | 1,263| 15 | ... | 44 | 42 | ... | 23 | ... | 796 | 54 | 2,261 Etâwah | 14 | 637| 36 | 101 | 21 | 852 | 22 | ... | ... | 1,601 | 130 | 3,414 Etah | 3 | 2,313| ... | | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 625 | 46 | 2,987 Bareilly | ... | 832| | ... | 90 | 14 | ... | 44 | | 9 | 151 | 1,180 Bijnor | 4 | 447| ... | ... | 203 | | ... | ... | ... | 210 | 121 | 985 Budâun | 3 | 1,133| ... | ... | ... | | | 16 | ... | 252 | 213 | 1,617 Morâdâbâd | 2 | 396| | ... | 66 | ... | | ... | ... | 739 | 241 | 1,444 Shâhjahânpur | 9 | 1,224| 3 | ... | ... | 157 | ... | 7 | 49 | 295 | 196 | 1,940 Pilibhît | 2 | 396| ... | ... | 2 | 15 | | | ... | 31 | 89 | 535 Cawnpur | ... | 367| 11 | 13 | 58 | 3,883 | 8 | 4 | ... | 2,421 | 121 | 6,886 Fatehpur | ... | 15| 57 | 109 | 1 | 1,290 | 109 | | 5 | 2,030 | 138 | 3,754 Bânda | ... | 85| 137 | 197 | ... | 1,542 | 20 | ... | 25 | 940 | 16 | 2,961 Hamîrpur | 8 | 254| 78 | 69 | 12 | 1,384 | 42 | ... | ... | 1,079 | ... | 2,926 Allahâbâd | 25 | 21| 83 | 24 | 2 | 218 | 6 | 18 | 911 | 3,947 | 1,592 | 6,847 Jhânsi | 55 | 416| 91 | 13 | 3 | 33 | ... | ... | | 809 | ... | 1,420 Jâlaun | 4 | 979| 125 | 58 | ... | 114 | ... | | | 702 | 3 | 1,985 Lalitpur | ... | 344| 24 | 29 | 3 | 12 | 26 | ... | ... | 469 | 2 | 909 Benares | ... | ... | 392 | ... | 2 | 8 | ... | ... | 713 | 848 | 479 | 2,442 Mirzapur | ... | ... | 244 | ... | ... | 3 | ... | ... | 1,397 | 322 | 657 | 2,623 Jaunpur | ... | ... | 2,177 | ... | ... | 185 | ... | ... | 1,363 | 558 | 1,383 | 5,666 Ghâzipur | 53 | ... | 65 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 873 | 560 | 1,086 | 2,637 Ballia | ... | ... | 1 | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | 272 | 179 | 832 | 1,284 Gorakhpur | 9 | 7| 1,316 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 19 | 1,583 | 1,115 | 2,146 | 6,195 Basti | 245 | 559| 1,982 | 47 | ... | ... | ... | 2 | ... | 32 | 2,974 | 5,841 Azamgarh | 6 | ... | 153 | ... | ... | ... | ... | 7 | 756 | 1,354 | 1,631 | 3,907 Tarâi | ... | 1| ... | ... | 2 | ... | ... | 7 | ... | 279 | 20 | 309 Lucknow | ... | 53| 27 | ... | ... | 1,223 | 38 | ... | ... | 649 | 577 | 2,567 Unâo | 19 | 266| ... | 46 | ... | 2,854 | 94 | ... | ... | 2,224 | 657 | 6,160 Râê Bareli | 38 | 11| 46 | 9 | ... | 1,230 | 348 | 10 | 31 | 3,111 | 165 | 4,999 Sîtapur | 4 | 162| 19 | ... | ... | 1,817 | 4 | ... | ... | 1,312 | 2,152 | 5,470 Hardoi | ... | 1,257| ... | ... | ... | 2,185 | ... | 2 | ... | 128 | 900 | 4,472 Kheri | ... | 869| 22 | ... | ... | 590 | ... | 22 | ... | 293 | 1,046 | 2,842 Faizâbâd | 7 | ... | 64 | ... | ... | 103 | 113 | ... | 1,067 | 3,696 | 2,040 | 7,090 Gonda |... | | 2,556 | ... | ... | ... | 21 | 52 | 103 | 1,490 | 320 | 4,542 Bahrâich |... | 1 | 666 | 53 | ... | 255 | 28 | 19 | 1 | 1,585 | 2,737 | 5,345 Sultânpur |... | ... | 257 | ... | | 304 | ... | 316 | 732 | 4,491 | 942 | 7,042 Partâbgarh |... | ... | 100 | 14 | ... | ... | ... | 184 | 155 | 5,482 | 1,194 | 7,129 Bârabanki | 61 | ... | 148 | 56 | ... | 1,262 | 116 | 65 | 1,000 | 2,842 | 1,190 | 6,740 +~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~ Total | 605 |22,631| 11,822 | 884 |1,742 |22,615 | 1,009 | 1,448 | 11,126 |57,588 | 29,463 | 160,933 =============+===========+======+==========+========+======+=======+==========+=======+========+=======+============+========

Bhathiyâra. [37]—(Sanskrit, Bhrishtakâra, “a preparer of roasted and fried meat”).—The keepers of inns and cooking-houses and sellers of tobacco. Their business is the entertainment of travellers, and their functions thus trench on the occupations of the baker (nânbâi), the preparer and seller of fried meat (kabâb farosh), and the tobacconist (tambâkuwâla). They trace their origin to Salîm Shâh, son of Shîr Shâh, who reigned between 1545 and 1552 A.D., and one tradition makes them out to be the descendants of members of the household establishments of Shîr Shâh and Salîm Shâh, who, after the overthrow of their masters by Humâyun, were doomed to servitude as attendants on travellers. The real name of Salîm Shâh was Jalâl or Islâm Shâh, and both he and his father still live in the traditions of the people. One proverb about them is Kya legâya Shîr Shâh? Kya legâya Salîm Shâh?—“In spite of their greatness what has Shîr Shâh or Salîm Shâh taken with him to the grave?”. Another is Shîr Shâh ki dârhi bari yâ Salîm Shâh ki?—“Which had the longest beard, Shîr Shâh or Salîm Shâh?” i.e., “What is the use of arguing over trifles?” The establishment of inns (sarâi) goes, however, back as far as the reign of Chandra Gupta. The traveller Terry writes:—“In this kingdom there are no Innes to entertain travellers; only in great Townes and Cities are faire houses built for their receipt, where any passenger may have roome freely, but must bring with him his Bedding, his Cooke and other necessaries.” [38]

[Tribal organisation.] 2. In memory of their traditional origin they have two sub-divisions known as the Shîrshâhi and Salîmshâhi, who are distinguished by the women of the former wearing petticoats and the latter drawers. Another tradition, which is apparently based merely on the similarity of name, makes them out to be in some way connected with the Bhatti tribe. In the east of the Province there are two sub-divisions—Bhathiyâra and Hariyâra—which differ only in this, that the women of the former wear metal bangles (mâthi), and the latter those made of glass or lac. The Census Returns classify them under fifty-two clans, none of which are of much local importance, and display a curious mixture of Hindu and Muhammadan names, such as Bahlîm, Bhîl, Chauhân, Chiryamâr, Jalkhatri, Madariya, Mukeri, Sadîqi, Nânbâi, Shirâzi, and Sulaimâni.

[Marriage rules.] 3. They profess to follow the ordinary Muhammadan laws of marriage, of which the nikâh is the binding portion. The two divisions, Salîmshâhi and Shîrshâhi, are said to be endogamous, because the women of the latter bear an indifferent reputation; in fact it is alleged that they are prostituted both before and after marriage. Dr. Buchanan [39] says:—“Many of their women, but by no means the greater part, refuse no favour to a liberal customer;” and Forster writes [40]:—“The stationary tenants of the serauee, many of them women, and some of them very pretty, approach the traveller on his entrance, and in alluring language describe to him the varied excellencies of their several lodgings.” The levirate prevails, but is not compulsory on the widow. They follow the usual Muhammadan rules of divorce and inheritance.

[Religion.] 4. They are Muhammadans of the Sunni sect. To the east of the Province they reverence Ghâzi Miyân and the Pânchon Pîr, to whom sweetmeats and garlands of flowers are offered on the first Sunday in the month of Jeth. They bury their dead and offer to the spirits of deceased ancestors vermicelli (siwaiyân), and bread on the ‘Id and the halwa sweetmeat on the Shab-i-barât. In former times, it is said, they used to consult Brâhmans in fixing an auspicious day for marriages—a practice which appears now to be abandoned. They do the usual third day (tîja) and fortieth day (chehlam) ceremony for the repose of the spirits of the dead.

[Occupation.] 5. Besides their special business of entertaining travellers they also catch fish, and are hence in the west of the Province, known as Mahigîr or “fishcatcher.” Their women are known as Mehtarâni, a sort of mock honorific title. Of the Grand Trunk Road Dr. Buchanan writes [41]:—“On the great road more attention is shown to the real convenience of travellers than in any part of India which I have yet visited; and regular inns (sarâi, bhathiyârkhâna) are kept at convenient distances. Each inn consists of a number of distinct chambers, which are let by the night to any traveller or company, eight or ten persons travelling together often occupying one chamber. The chamber usually consists of a wretched straw hut, seven or eight cubits long and five or six wide, and is in general totally destitute of furniture; a few only afford a little straw or a mat to sleep on; but some kept by obliging nymphs have bedsteads, where favourites are received. The Bhathiyâras or keepers are low Muhammadans, such attention to strangers being incompatible with Hindu reserve. Each keeper, according to his means, has a number of chambers, which are usually disposed in a row (alang); and in most inns are several keepers whose rows of chambers surround squares or wide lanes, in which the cattle of carriages of the travellers stand. Hindus pay from one to two pice a night for each chamber, and Muhammadans pay double because the Bhathiyârin cooks for them. The keeper generally retails fire-wood, tobacco, and the charcoal balls used in smoking, and purchases for his guests whatever other article they want. Some of them also retail earthen ware and shoes. Hindus of the highest rank can sleep in such places, when no pure person will give them accommodation; but they, of course, can receive little or no assistance from the keeper, who cannot bring water that his guest will use, nor can the Brâhman cook in the inn. He must go to some pure place, and for that purpose usually selects the side of a river which in this country is the most common abode of Cloacina.” In these inns the Bhathiyâra women are said often to act as go-betweens (saparda). Some add to their income by keeping pony or bullock carts (ekka, bahli).

DISTRIBUTION OF THE BHATHIYÂRAS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

Bhatiya. [42]—A tribe of money-dealers and traders found in these Provinces only in Mathura. Of those in the Panjâb Mr. Ibbetson writes: [43]—“The Bhatiyas are a class of Râjputs, originally coming from Bhatner, Jaysalmer, and the Râjputâna Desert, who have taken to domestic pursuits. The name would seem to show that they were Bhâtis (called Bhatti in the Panjâb); but be that as it may, their Râjput origin seems to be unquestioned. They are numerous in Sindh and Gujarât, where they appear to form the leading mercantile element, and to hold the place which the Aroras occupy higher up the Indus. They have spread into the Panjâb along the lower valleys of the Indus and Sutlej, and up the whole length of the Chenâb as high as its debouchure into the plains, being indeed most numerous in Siâlkot and Gujarât. They stand distinctively below the Khatri, and perhaps below the Arora, and are for the most part engaged in petty shop-keeping, though the Bhatiyas of Dehra Ismail Khân are described as belonging to a widely-spread and enterprising mercantile community. They are often supposed to be Khatris, and in Jahlam they are said to follow the Khatri divisions of Bhari, Bunjâhi, Dhâighar, Chârzâti, etc. They are very strict Hindus, far more so than the other trading classes of the Western Punjâb; and eschew meat and liquor. They do not practise widow-marriage.”

[Tribal tradition of the Mathura Bhatiyas.] 2. The Bhatiyas of Mathura claim to be descended from a personage called Bhâti Sinh, from whom they take their name. He was the founder of the city and kingdom of Jaysalmer. It is related that the Yaduvansis, or descendants of Yadu, engaged in a deadly intestine quarrel, and of them only two escaped the general destruction—Odhu and Bajarnâbh. The latter lived at the time at the house of his maternal grandfather, Râja Bânâsura. In return for the services which Sri Krishna, himself a Yaduvansi, had once rendered to Râja Parikshit, in protecting him while still in his mother’s womb, the latter brought Bajarnâbh from Bânâsura’s house and delivered to him the kingdom of Mathura and Indraprastha. Bajarnâbh ruled wisely and protected his subjects, and raised a temple in honor of Sri Krishna at Dwârika. Eighty of his successors ruled in succession at Mathura; but during the reign of the last, Râja Jay Sinh, Râja Ajaypâl of Biyâna invaded Mathura, and, in the battle which ensued, Jay Sinh was killed, and his three sons, Bijaypâl, Ajây Râj, and Bijay Râj, fled to Karauli. Bijaypâl, the eldest of the three, gained the kingdom of Karauli, but he quarrelled with his brothers, and they retired to a forest in the neighbourhood of Karauli, where they devoted themselves to the worship of Ambâmâna Devi. At the end of a year of devotion, when they failed to propitiate the goddess they determined to gain her favour by offering their heads to her in a furnace (bhatti). Pleased with this final act of piety the deity appeared to them and desired them to crave a boon from her. They answered that as Kshatriyas they needed a kingdom. Whereupon the Devi ordered Ajay Râj to go towards the West and found a kingdom in the Râjputâna Desert, and henceforth to call himself Bhâti Sinh, as he had been saved from the burning fiery furnace. He followed her orders and founded the kingdom of Jaysalmer, and there established his tribe under the name of Bhattis or Bhatiyas.

3. Here it may be noted that the Jaysalmer tradition is different from this. [44] “Prayâg or Allahâbâd was the cradle of the race, after which Mathura remained the seat of the Yaduvansi power for a long period. On the death of Sri Krishna, the deified leader of the Jâdons, from whom the Bhatti Râjputs claim descent, the tribe became dispersed; many of them abandoned Hindustân, among them two of the sons of Krishna, who proceeded northward along the Indus, and settled there. Some time after this one of their descendants being defeated and killed in a battle, the tribe was driven southward into the Panjâb, where Sâlivâhana, son of Gaj, founded a town called after his name, and conquered the whole region. His grandson was named Bhatti; he was a great warrior and conquered many of the neighbouring princes, and from him the patronymic was changed, and the tribe was henceforth distinguished by his name. Shortly after this the tribe was again driven southward by the King of Ghazni, and crossing the Sutlej found refuge in the Indian Desert, which was henceforth to be their home. This traditional account may represent in outline the early migrations of the Bhatti tribe, which may be supposed to have entered India from the north-west under heroic leaders now deified as the sons of Krishna, and to have settled for some time in the Panjâb. One of the grand expeditions of Mahmûd of Ghazni was against the city of Bhattia, also called Bhera, which place is now said to have been on the left bank of the Jahlam, opposite the Salt Range. Mr. E. Thomas considers that the four last Hindu Kings of Kâbul, before the Ghaznavis, may have been Bhatiya Râjputs.”

[Internal organisation.] 4. The Mathura story runs that when the Bhatiyas left their Western home and came to Mathura they had considerable difficulty in finding alliances for their children, because having by this time taken to trade the Râjputs of the neighbourhood were unwilling to intermarry with them. They accordingly convened a meeting of the caste at Multân, and there consulted learned Brâhmans and the books of the law, and it was after great discussion decided that a man might marry within his own tribe in a family removed from himself by forty-nine degrees, and that the families thus removed should each form a nukh or exogamous group. These nukhs were designated after some person, village, or occupation, such as the nukh Râêhariya was named after Râê Hari Singh; Râê Gajariya after the village Gajariya, and Râê Tâmbol after a Tâmboli or seller of betel. This story describes in a very interesting way the manner in which new exogamous and endogamous groups are formed.

5. The following are the names of the Mathura gotras with the nukhs which each includes:—

(1) Parâsara gotra including twenty-three nukhs:—Râê Gajariya; Râê
Panchloriya; Râê Palîja; Râê Gagla; Râê Sarâki; Râê Soni; Râê
Suphla; Râê Jiya; Râê Mogaya; Râê Ghaga; Râê Rîka; Râê Jaydhan; Râê
Korhaiya; Râê Kova; Râê Rariya; Râê Kajariya; Râê Sijballa; Râê
Jiyâla; Râê Malan; Râê Dhava; Râê Dhîran; Râê Jagta; Râê Nisât.
(2) Sanras gotra containing eleven nukhs as follows:—Râê Dutaya;
Râê Jabba; Râê Nâgobabla; Râê Suâra; Râê Dhawan; Râê Danda; Râê
Dhaga; Râê Kandhiya; Râê Udesi; Râê Bâdhûcha; Râê Balâyê.
(3) Bhâradwâj gotra with the following eighteen nukhs:—Râê Hariya;
Râê Padamshi; Râê Maidaya; Râê Chandan; Râê Khiyâra; Râê Thula; Râê
Sodhiya; Râê Bora; Râê Mochha; Râê Tâmbol; Râê Lakhanbanta; Râê
Dhakkar; Râê Bhudariya; Râê Mota; Râê Anghar; Râê Dhadhâl; Râê
Degchanda; Râê Asar.
(4) Sudharvans gotra with the following eight nukhs:—Râê Sapta; Râê
Chhachhaiya; Râê Nagara; Râê Gâthababla; Râê Parmala; Râê Potha;
Râê Ponrdhagga; Râê Mathura.
(5) Madhobadhas gotra including the following eleven nukhs:—Râê
Ved; Râê Surya; Râê Gugalgandhi; Râê Nâêgandhi; Râê Panchal; Râê
Phurâsgândhi; Râê Parêgândhi; Râê Jujargândhi; Râê Praima; Râê
Bibal; Râê Povar.
(6) Devdâs gotra including the following nine nukhs:—Râê Ramaiya;
Râê Pawâr; Râê Râja; Râê Parijiya; Râê Kapûr; Râê Gurugulâb; Râê
Dhâdhar; Râê Kartari; Râê Kukaur.
(7) Rishivans gotra consisting of the following four nukhs:—Râê
Multâni; Râê Chamuja; Râê Daiya; Râê Karangona.

6. The Census Returns supply them with a set of sections most of which are of the Banya type, such as Agarwâla, Belwâr, Bhâlê, Bhorâr, Bhudi, Bohra, Gaur, Jaysalmer, Kain, Madkul, Maheswari, Mârwâri, Oswâl, Palliwâl, Râhtu, Sahasri.

[Marriage rules.] 7. Marriages may take place between members of the same gotra, but not of the same nukh. There is no exact formula or exogamy; but a man cannot marry among his near relations on the father’s or mother’s side, and the same rule applies to women. Differences of religion, provided both parties are followers of some form of Hinduism, and changes of occupation, are not a bar to intermarriage; but differences of local or geographical position are a bar. Thus intermarriages between Bhatiyas of Bombay, Kachh, and Gujarât, and those of the Panjâb, Sindh, and the North-Western Provinces, are not permitted. Thus Bhatiyas may be divided into the following two endogamous groups based on geographical position:—The first group consists of Kâchhis, Halâis, Prijas, Kathiâwâris, Gujarâtis and Bhatiyas of Dhârangânw. The second group consists of Bhatiyas of Jaysalmer, Sindh, the Panjâb, and the North-Western Provinces. As a rule no Bhatiya can take a second wife in the lifetime of the first, unless she be barren or unfaithful to her husband, in which case she will be expelled from caste. In no case can the number exceed two, and that limit is seldom reached. When a Bhatiya happens to have two wives they live under the same roof and enjoy the same privileges in every respect. In the case of girls marriage must be performed before the age of twelve: there is no time fixed in the case of males. Marriage is arranged by the friends in both sides, and there are no marriage brokers. The children of both marriages, should a man have two wives, rank equally for purposes of inheritance. Widow marriage is not allowed, and the offspring of an illicit connection are not admitted into the caste, and do not rank as heirs to the estate of their father. An unfaithful wife is excommunicated, and so is a man who openly keeps a concubine.

[Marriage ceremonies.] 8. At the betrothal the father of the girl sends what is called the sagun, consisting of one rupee, a cocoanut, and some coarse sugar, for the boy, which is given to him in the presence of the brethren, who are invited to be in attendance, and the betrothal is thus complete. The ceremony presupposes the mutual consent of the parents of the parties. Betrothal is generally not reversible, and is not annulled except on the discovery of some very serious physical defect in either bride or bridegroom, and, if annulled, the expenses are repaid by the party breaking the engagement, though there is no distinct rule on the subject. Betrothal may take place any time before marriage. The marriage ceremony is of the orthodox type, and the binding part of it is the giving away of the bride (kanyâdân) and the perambulation (pheron phirna) round the sacred fire. The marriage is complete and irreversible when the fourth circuit is finished. Pokharnê Brâhmans act as priests at marriage and other ceremonies.

[Occupation.] 9. The chief occupation of the Bhatiyas is money-lending, and to this they add trade of all kinds—agriculture, landholding, and Government service. Many of them go on expeditions to Arabia, Kâbul, Bokhâra, and other distant places on business. Many in Bombay carry on trade with Zanzibar, Java, and the Malay Peninsula. Their religion continues to be mainly Vedic; but some have become followers of Vallabhachârya. The Bhatiyas of these Provinces in appearance, customs, and dress, strongly resemble Khatris; but between the two castes there seems to be no real connection.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE BHATIYAS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

=================+=======
District. |Number.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~
Mathura | 264
Cawnpur | 1
+~~~~~~~
Total | 265
=================+=======

Bhatti—(Sanskrit, bhâtta, “lord”).—A Râjput sept. Of the Panjâb branch Mr. Ibbetson [45] writes:—“Bhatti, the Panjâb form of the Râjputâna word Bhâti, is the title of the great modern representatives of the ancient Yaduvansi Royal Râjput family, descendants of Krishna, and therefore of Lunar race. Their traditions tell that in very ancient times they were driven across the Indus; but that, returning, they dispossessed the Langah, Joya, and others of the country south of the Lower Sutlej, some seven centuries ago, and founded Jaysalmer. This State they still hold, though their territory has been greatly circumscribed since the advent of the Râthaur; but they still form a large proportion of the Râjput subjects of the Râthaur Râjas of Bikâner. At one time their possessions in those parts included the whole of Sirsa and the adjoining portions of Hissâr and the tract still known as Bhatiyâna. The story current in Hissâr is that Bhatti, the leader under whom the Bhattis recrossed the Indus, had two sons, Dûsal and Jaysal, of whom the latter founded Jaysalmer, while the former settled in Bhatiyâna. From Dûsal sprang the Sidhu and Barâr Jât tribes, while his grandson Rajpâl was the ancestor of the Wattu. According to General Cunningham the Bhattis originally held the Salt Range Tract and Kashmîr, their capital being Gajnipur, or the site of the modern Râwalpindi, but about the second century before Christ they were driven across the Jahlam by the Indo-Scythians, and their leader, the Râja Rasâlu, of Panjâb tradition, founded Siâlkot. The invaders, however, followed them up, and dispersed them and drove them to take refuge in the country south of the Satlaj, though their rule in the Kashmîr valley remained unbroken till 1339 A.D.

2. “The Bhatti is still by far the largest and most widely distributed of the Râjput tribes of the Panjâb. It is found in immense numbers along the lower Satlaj and Indus, though on the former often, and on the latter always classed as Jât. It is hardly less numerous on the Chanâb, the Upper Satlaj, and on the Biyâs; it is naturally strong in Bhatiyâna; there is a large colony in the Delhi District, while it is perhaps most numerous of all in the seats of its ancient power—in Siâlkot, Gujarât, and the Salt Range country. And if we reckon as Bhatti the Sidhu and Barar Jâts of the Mâlwa, we shall leave no portion of the Panjâb in which a large Bhatti population is not to be found.

3. “Yet it is strange if the Bhatti did hold so large a portion of the Panjâb, as General Cunningham alleges, how almost universally they trace their origin to Bhatner in Bhatiyâna, or at least to its neighbourhood. Either they were expelled wholly from the Upper Panjâb, and have since returned to their ancient seats, or else the glory of their later has overshadowed that of their earlier dynasties, and Bhatner and Bhatiyâna have become the city and country of the Bhatti from which all good Bhatti trace their origin. The subject population of Bikâner is largely composed of Bhatti, while Jaysalmer is a Bhatti State; and it seems impossible that if the Bhatti of the higher Satlaj are immigrants, and not the descendants of the old Bhatti who escaped expulsion, they should not have come largely from both these States, and moreover, should not have followed the river valleys in their advance. Yet the tradition almost always skips all intermediate steps, and carries as straight back to that ancient city of Bhatner on the banks of the long, dry Ghaggar, in the Bikâner territory bordering on Sirsa. The Wattu Bhatti of Montgomery, while tracing their origin from Râja Sâlivâhana, the father of Râja Rasâlu of Siâlkot, say that their more immediate ancestors came from Bhatner; the Nûn Bhatti of Multân trace their origin to the Delhi country, while the Bhatti of Muzaffargarh, Jhang, Gujrânwâla, Siâlkot, Jahlam, and Pindi, all look back to Bhatner as the home of their ancestors. It is possible either that Bhatner is used merely as a traditional expression, or that when the Ghaggar dried up or the Râthaur conquered Bikâner, the Bhatti were driven to find new homes in the plains of the Punjâb. Indeed, Mr. Wilson states that in Sirsa or the old Bhatiyâna, the term Bhatti is commonly applied to any Musalmân Jât or Râjput from the direction of the Satlaj as a generic term almost synonymous with Rath or Pachhâda.”

[Bhattis of these Provinces.] 4. In these Provinces [46] they are also known as Jaiswâr. They claim to be Jâdons who returned from beyond the Indus in the seventh or eighth century. A large number of them became Muhammadans in the time of Qutb-ud-dîn and Ala-ud-dîn. They say they came to Bulandshahr under Kansal, or as others say, Deo and Kârê, in the time of Prithivi Râja, having ejected the Meos. They are divided into two clans—Bhatti and Jaiswâr. The former is the superior of the two, the latter having intermarried with spurious Râjputs. A majority of the clan are now reckoned as Gûjars. Another story is that they are descended from Râja Dalîp, son of Jaswant Râo of Nâna Mau, near Bithûr. He had two sons, Bhatti and Rânghar; their descendants settled in Bhatiyâna; the branch converted to Islâm was called Rânghar. The national dress is not trousers and waist cloth, but a broad sheet of coarse cloth, plain or checked, which reaches from the neck to the ankle and is tied at the waist. The wife of Tuglaq Shâh and mother of Fîroz Shâh was a Bhatti woman. The Muhammadan Bhattis along the Kâli Nadi in the Etah District are a turbulent, idle set, much dreaded by their neighbours.

5. In the Upper Duâb they are reported to give brides to the Chauhân, Gahlot, Tomar, Panwâr, Kachhwâha, and other high class Râjputs, and to marry their sons in the Bargûjar, Chauhân, Kachhwâha, Pundîr, and other high and middle class septs.

DISTRIBUTION OF THE BHATTI RÂJPUTS ACCORDING TO THE CENSUS OF 1891.

=====================+=========+==============+========
District. | Hindus. | Muhammadans. | Total.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~
Dehra Dûn | | 39 | 39
Sahâranpur | 37 | 443 | 480
Muzaffarnagar | 80 | 343 | 423
Meerut | 180 | | 180
Bulandshahr | 3,482 | 2,455 | 5,937
Aligarh | 5 | 576 | 581
Mathura | | 49 | 49
Agra | | 1 | 1
Farrukhâbâd | 10 | 1,177 | 1,187
Mainpuri | | 8 | 8
Etah | 80 | 2,671 | 2,751
Bareilly | | 3,762 | 3,762
Budâun | 587 | | 587
Morâdâbâd | | 514 | 514
Shâhjahânpur | 33 | | 33
Cawnpur | | 25 | 25
Allahâbâd | | 41 | 41
Ghâzipur | | 854 | 854
Gorakhpur | 125 | 66 | 191
Azamgarh | | 25 | 25
Tarâi | | 86 | 86
Lucknow | | 75 | 75
Unâo | | 112 | 112
Sîtapur | | 10 | 10
Hardoi | | 198 | 198
Kher | | 195 | 195
Faizâbâd | | 2 | 2
Gonda | | 34 | 34
Bahrâich | | 267 | 267
Sultânpur | | 137 | 137
Partâbgarh | | 1,652 | 1,652
Bârabanki | | 1,353 | 1,353
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~~~~~~~+~~~~~~~~
Total | 4,619 | 17,170 | 21,789
=====================+=========+==============+========

Bhikha Sâhib.—A sect among the Râjputs of Ballia, of which the following account is given in the District Gazetteer:—“There was a devotee in Delhi whose name was Shâh Muhammad Yâri. In his time a certain zamîndâr of Bhirkura, named Mardan Sinh, was arrested for default of payment of revenue, and sent by the Viceroy (Sûbahdâr) to Delhi, where he was imprisoned. A servant, who had attended Mardan Sinh, paid visits in his leisure hours to Muhammad Yâri Shâh. One day the devotee enquired what he was and where he lived. On this the servant narrated the circumstances of his master’s imprisonment and of his own presence there.

“‘Go and tell your master,’ said the devotee, ‘that he will be set free to-morrow by the order of the Minister of State, and that he should then present himself to me.’ Mardan Sinh was actually released the next day, and, as directed, attended on Muhammad Yâri Shâh. After several days’ attendance and devotion, the devotee expressed himself satisfied, and directed Mardan Sinh to proceed to his own country, and there worship the Âtma, and show mercy to the poor and hungry.

2. “He also gave him a seli or necklace of black silk, worn as a distinguishing mark by the Chief, who sits on the cushion (gaddi) when he has occasion to go to his disciples. Mardan Sinh was further instructed by Muhammad Yâri Shâh to observe the following ceremony. At the time of making a disciple, a kanthi, or sacred garland, is to be put round his neck, and the disciple is enjoined to repeat constantly the invocation Râm! Râm! and never to take life or tyrannize over any one. Mardan Sinh on his return to Bhirkura made one Bhikha his disciple, and the latter finally settled in Baragâon. This happened some four hundred years ago, and the Bhikha Sâhib gaddi or seat was thus founded. It may be noticed in regard to the above account that a Muhammadan Faqîr is represented as enjoining the repetition of the strictly Hindu formula Râm! Râm! If the legend is a correct statement of fact, the circumstance is an interesting illustration of the partial amalgamation of Muhammadan and Hindu forms, which we know is the aim of some of the Vaishnava reformers.”

3. At the last Census the sect of Bhikha Sâhib included 1,227 votaries.

Bhîl—(Sanskrit, Bhilla).—We have in these Provinces only a few fragments of the great Bhîl race of Central India. Professor Lassen identifies them with the Phyllitæ of Ptolemy, whom Colonel Yule classes with the Pulinda, a general term for various aboriginal races. According to Dr. Caldwell the name Bhilla (vil, bil) means “a bow.” [47] There is a curious early Hindu legend, which, however, is not found in the Mahâbhârata, which tells how Drona, the preceptor of the Pândavas, was jealous of the skill of the Bhîl Râja in archery, and directed him and his subjects to cut off the forefinger of the right hand. [48] Another story tells that Mahâdeva was one day reclining sick in the forest, when a beautiful damsel appeared, the first sight of whom effected a cure for all his pain. The result of their meeting was the birth of many children, one of whom, distinguished for his ugliness, slew the favourite bull of Mahâdeva, for which crime he was expelled to the woods and mountains, and his descendants have been the outcast Bhîls. They still call themselves “thieves of Mahâdeva.” [49] There can be little doubt that they are a branch of the great Dravidian race which is found along the mountains of Central India, and are akin to the Gonds, Kharwârs, Mânjhis, Cheros, and Santâls, who live further to the eastward. Sir J. Malcolm [50] thinks that they have emigrated from Jodhpur and Udaypur to their present territory, and as a proof that they were originally lords of the land, he points to the fact of their giving the tîka to some of the existing Râjput princes. The most solemn form of oath among them is mixing cowdung, salt, and the jawâri millet, and lifting the mixture over their heads. [51] They have, like many of the indigenous tribes, some relations with the local gods, and are priests to one of the most ancient temples in Omkâr. According to Sir A. Lyall [52] they are divided into a variety of distinct groups, a few based on a reputed common descent, but most of them apparently muddled together by simple contiguity of habitation, or the natural banding together of the number necessary for maintaining and defending themselves. Sir J. Malcolm says that the Bhîl women are invariably the advocates of the cause of good order. They have much influence, and the principal hope of an enemy’s escape lies in the known humanity of the women. They worship peculiarly Sîtala, the small-pox goddess, and Mahâdeva, from whom they claim descent. [53] The chief historical tradition regarding them in these Provinces is that they were formerly rulers in Rohilkhand, whence they were expelled by the Janghâra Râjputs. [54] The clans recorded at the last Census in these Provinces were the Guranawa, Jaiswâr, Karâwai, Majhûraya, Munaharbhâl, Râma, and Râwat.

[Manners and customs.] 2. The best available account of the manners and customs of the real Bhîls is that given by a writer in the Râjputâna Gazetteer: [55]—“All Bhîls go about armed with the tribal weapons, bows and arrows; except the headmen and others of consequence, who carry swords. They are a dirty race. The men wear their hair long, and hanging in uncombed masses from their shoulders. Their women are small and ugly, those of rank being distinguishable by the number of brass rings on their legs, often extending from the ankle to the knee. They kill and eat kine and are much addicted to spirits, vast quantities of which are consumed on festive occasions, which frequently end in quarrels and bloodshed. Fond of fighting, they resort to their weapons on the slightest provocation, but their most serious affrays arise out of cattle-lifting and the abduction of women. If a Bhîl run away with a betrothed girl, a feud will frequently ensue, which will not end till the villages of both sides have been burnt and many lives lost. As a rule they keep tolerably quiet in the winter and the rainy season; but in the summer, between the gathering in of the last harvest and the sowing of the next, they begin raiding on each other; and even the richest think this time, which hangs heavily on their hands, favourable for paying off old scores. There are sixty different sections of the Bhîl tribe in Bânswâra.

[Marriage.] 3. “Bhîl children are not betrothed by their parents in their childhood. A Bhîl girl is often unmarried up to the age of twenty or twenty-five. Her father can take no steps of his own accord for his daughter’s marriage; were he to do so, suspicion would be aroused that there was something wrong with the girl. His friends can take steps on his behalf, but he himself must wait for a proposal from the father of some eligible lad, which he can entertain or not as he pleases. Should he accept the proposal, the lad’s father, having provided himself with a couple of pots of liquor, will return to complete the ceremony of betrothal (sagari), sitting down under some large tree or other cool spot in the village. The girl’s father and his friends join them, and the question as to the amount of money to be paid by the father of the lad to the father of the girl is there and then disposed of. This amount varies according to the means and status of the parties concerned from thirty to sixty rupees. When this is settled, the father of the boy makes a cup of leaves of the Dhâk tree (Butea frondosa), and placing it on the top of the pot of liquor, puts inside it two annas worth of copper coins. The girl’s brother or some other boy among her relations then takes the coin and turns the cup of leaves upside down. The betrothal is then complete; and nothing remains but to drink the liquor, which is done on the spot. The girl’s father then kills a goat and gives a feast to his future son-in-law and his father, after which the latter return home.

4. “Some four or six months after the betrothal arrangements for the wedding are set on foot. The boy’s father takes a present of clothes, a sheet (sâri), a petticoat, and a corset for the girl, who at once puts them on. Her father, if well off, kills a buffalo, if poor, a goat, and gives a feast to all the village, and to the boy’s father and all his friends. On this occasion a Brâhman is called in, and on receipt of four annas from each father, fixes some auspicious day for the wedding. Half the amount previously fixed upon is now paid to the girl’s father in cash, and the remainder in kind, in the shape of a bullock, etc. On the day fixed by the Brâhman for the wedding, the boy, after being well anointed with pît, a mixture of turmeric, flour, etc., proceeds to the girl’s house, accompanied by all his friends and relations. They halt at the borders of the village, whither the girl’s father, with all his friends, and accompanied by drummers and women singing, proceeds to meet them; and after performing the ceremony of tilak, that is marking the boy on the forehead with saffron, escorts them into the village, and settles them down under some large tree or in some other convenient spot. The girl’s father then returns to his house, and the boy’s father pays certain customary dues.

5. “On the evening of the wedding day a great feast is given by the bride’s father; and the bride and bridegroom are provided with a separate hut for the night, while their friends get drunk. Next morning the bride’s father presents his daughter with a bullock or a cow, or with any other worldly goods with which he may wish to endow her, and after presenting the boy’s father with a turban gives him leave to depart.

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The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)Chapter II: Front Matter (2)

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