Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7Thurston, Edgar
History
Castes and Tribes of Southern India. Vol. 2 of 7
Thurston, Edgar
Caste -- India, South; Ethnology -- India, South; India, South -- Social life and customs; Tribes -- India, South
"At Vajragada (diamond fort) are the ruins of a very large fortress,
and local tradition gives the names of seven forts, by which it was
once defended. These are said to have been constructed by the Golla
kings. A tale is told of their having kidnapped a daughter of the
ruler of Madgole, and held out here against his attacks for months,
until they were betrayed by a woman of their own caste, who showed
the enemy how to cut off their water-supply. They then slew their
womenkind, says the story, dashed out against the besiegers, and fell
to a man, fighting to the last."
Concerning the Gollas of Mysore, I gather [145] that "there are
two main divisions in this caste, viz., Uru (village) and Kadu
(forest). The two neither intermarry, nor eat together. A section of
the Gollas, by guarding treasure while on transit, have earned the
name of Dhanapala. In fact, one of the menial offices in Government
treasuries at the present day is that of Golla. The caste worships
Krishna, who was born in this caste. The Kadu Gollas are said to have
originally immigrated from Northern India, and are still a nomadic
tribe, living in thatched huts outside the villages. Some of their
social customs are akin to those of the Kadu Kurubas. It is said
that, on the occurrence of a childbirth, the mother with the babe
remains unattended in a small shed outside the village from seven
to thirty days, when she is taken back to her home. In the event
of her illness, none of the caste will attend on her, but a Nayak
(Beda) woman is engaged to do so. Marriages among them are likewise
performed in a temporary shed erected outside the village, and the
attendant festivities continue for five days, when the marriage
couple are brought into the village. The Golla is allowed to marry
as many wives as he likes, and puberty is no bar to marriage. They
eat flesh, and drink spirituous liquors. The wife cannot be divorced
except for adultery. Their females do not wear the bodice (ravike)
usually put on by the women of the country. Nor do they, in their
widowhood, remove or break the glass bangles worn at the wrists, as is
done in other castes. But widows are not allowed to remarry. Only 98
persons have returned gotras, the chief being Yadava, Karadi, Atreya,
and Amswasa. The first two are really sub-sects, while Atreya is the
name of a Brahmin Rishi." Yadava, or descendant of King Yadu, from
whom Krishna was descended, also occurs as a synonym for Idaiyan,
the great Tamil shepherd class.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account