The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)Crooke, William
History
The tribes and castes of the North-Western Provinces and Oudh, Volume 2 (of 4)
Crooke, William
Caste -- India -- History; Hindus -- India; Tribes -- India -- History
4. In the detailed lists we find the Chamârs of the Province classified
into sixteen main sub-castes. Aharwâr (principally found in the
Allahâbâd Division), Chamâr (chiefly in Meerut); Chamkatiyas (mostly in
Bareilly); Dhusiyas (in Meerut and Benares); Dohars (in Agra,
Rohilkhand, Allahâbâd, Lucknow); Golê (in Etâwah); Jaiswâras (strongest
in Benares, Allahâbâd, Gorakhpur, and Faizâbâd); Jatwas (in Meerut,
Agra and Rohilkhand); Koris (in Faizâbâd, and Gorakhpur); Korchamras
(in Lucknow); Kurils (in Lucknow and Allahâbâd); Nigoti (a small
sub-caste chiefly in Mainpuri); Patthargotis (in Agra); Purabiyas (in
Lucknow and Faizâbâd); Râêdâsis (tolerably evenly distributed
throughout the Province), and Sakarwârs (in Agra and Allahâbâd). But
there is hardly a District which does not possess, or pretend to
possess, the sevenfold division which is so characteristic of castes of
this social standing. Thus, in Ballia, we find Dhusiyas, Jaiswâras,
Kanaujiyas, Jhojhiyas, Jatuas, Chamartantos, and Nonas; in Agra,
Mathuriya, Jadua, Domara, Sakarwâr, Batariya, Guliya, and Chandauriya.
Some of these sub-castes are of local origin, some are occupational,
and some take their name from their eponymous founder. Thus the Aharwâr
are connected with the old town of Ahâr, in the Bulandshahr District,
or with the Ahar tribe; the Chamkatiyas take their name from their
trade of cutting hides (châm kâtna). This sub-caste claims to have
produced the saints Râê Dâs and Lona Chamârin. The Jatua or Jatiya
have, it is said, some unexplained connection with the tribe of Jâts.
The Kaiyân is also a sub-caste of the Bohras, and is said to be derived
from their habit of always saying kahê, “what?” “when?” The Jaiswâras
trace their origin to the old town of Jais, though some have a
ridiculous story that it is a corruption of Jinswâr, in the sense that
they are agriculturists and grow various crops (jins). The Koli or
Kori, a term usually applied to the Hindu weaver, as contrasted with
the Julâha or Muhammadan weaver, are connected by some with the Kols;
by others with the Sanskrit Kaulika, in the sense of “ancestral” or a
“weaver.” They say themselves that they take their name from their
custom of wearing unbleached (kora) clothes. The Jhusiya, and also
perhaps the Dhusiyas, have traditions connecting them with the old town
of Jhûsi, near Allahâbâd. There are again the Azamgarhiya of Azamgarh;
the Jatlot of Rohilkhand, who like the Jatiya say they are kinsfolk of
the Jâts; the Sakarwâr connect themselves with Fatehpur Sikri; in the
Central Duâb are the Saksena, who say they come from Sankisa, and the
Chanderiya from Chanderi. In Mirzapur we find the Jaiswâra, Jhusiya,
Kanaujiya, Kurla, Dusâdhu, kinsmen of the Dusâdhs, the Kori, the Mangta
or “beggars,” the Dolidhauwa or “palanquin carriers,” the Azamgarhiya,
and the Banaudhiya, who are residents of Banaudha,—a term which
includes the western parts of Jaunpur, Azamgarh and Benares, and the
south of Oudh. To these Mr.
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