So-called 'Menials' of The Hills (Punjab)
This article is an extract from PANJAB CASTES SIR DENZIL CHARLES JELF IBBETSON, K.C. S.I. Being a reprint of the chapter on Lahore: Printed by the Superintendent, Government Printing, Punjab, 1916. Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees |
Indpaedia condemns the use of colonial terms like 'menial'.
Contents |
The (so-called) 'Menials' of the Hills
The figures for such of the menial castes 328- as are peculiar to the hills are given in Abstract No. lOG on page 337. To these must of course be added those members of the menial castes already described as are to be found in the hill tracts such as the Chamar, Tarkhan, Lobar, and the like, I have divided the class into two groups. The first in cludes those castes which are found among the lower hills and in the tract at their foot. Even here it will be found that occupations tend to merge one into another in the most confusing manner; and that, even more than in the plains proper, it is difficult to distinguish between one outcast class and another. The second group is more strictly confined to the actual mountains ; and here all seems to be confusion.
The Chamar, the Jhanwar, and the artisans appear to be tolerably distinct, and have already been described with the groups under which they fall. But even this is not the case everywhere ; while throughout the hills we find a mixed class known as Koli, Dagi, or Chanal, who not only perform the usual services demanded of outcasts, but also follow the occupa tions of very many of the artisan and higher menial castes. It is impossible to say how many of the people who have returned themselves as Barhai or some other caste which is sufficiently distinct in the plains, are really Koli by caste and have adopted the occupation merely of the caste under whose name they are shown. And even the inferior castes which bear the same name in the hills as in the plains, often adopt very different habits and occupy very differ ent positions in the two tracts, as will be seen from the extracts I shall pre sently give from the reports of Messrs. Barnes and Anderson. One difference is probably almost universal, and that is that in the hills almost all menial castes occupy themselves very largely in field-labour ; and it will be seen that in some parts the Kolis are generally known as Halis or Sepis, words in com mon use in the plains for two classes of agricultural labourers. At the same time it would appear that the services performed and dues received by village menials are less commonly regulated by custom in the hills than in the plains. The social position of the menial classes in the hills is thus described by Mr. Barnes in his Kangra Report : —
Those classes who are too proud or too affluent to plough and yet hold lands, generally enter tain Kamae, or labourers from these outcast races, whose condition is almost analogous to that of slavery. He gets bread to eat, and a few clothes a year, and is bound to a life of thankless ex crtion. These castes are always first impressed for begar, or forced labour, and, in addition to carrying loads, have to provide grass for the camp. In the hills the depression of these castes is more marked than I have observed elsewhere ; — their manner is subdued and deprecatory ; they are careful to announce their caste and an accidental touch of their persons carries defile ment, obliging the toucher to bathe before he can regain his purity. If any person of this caste has a letter to deliver, he will throw or deposit his charge on the ground, but not transmit it direct from hand to hand. He is not allowed to approach near, and in Court when summoned, he will stand outside, not venturing unless bid to intrude within the presence. If encouraged to ad vance he does so with hesitation ; while all the neighbours fall back to avoid the contamination of his touch. Under the rule of the Rajas they were subjected to endless restrictions. The women were not allowed to wear flounces deeper than four inches to their drcas, nor to use the finer metal of gold for ornaments. Their houses were never to exceed a certain size, nor to be raised above one floor ; the men were interdicted from wearing long hair ; and in their marriages the bride was forced to go on foot, insead of riding in a jampdn or chair, as allowed to every other class. Certain musical instruments, such as the Duful or drum, and the Nikdra, or trumpet, were positively prohibited. Many of these restrictions are still maintained, although, of course, there has been no sanction given or implied by the officers of Gov ernment.
As for the confusion I have mentioned, it is so clearly brought out in a report by Mr. Anderson, and that report gives such a valuable and in teresting picture of the curious condition of the lower stratum of society in Kulu and the higher hills, that I need not apologize for quoting it at some length. I should explain that the paragraphs I am about to quote were not meant by Mr. Anderson as a complete report upon any section of Kulu. society, but were merely hasty notes written in reply to enquiries made by me concern ing certain specified castes : —
I have said that a Kanet will smoke with a Nath and with a Nai, but in Kulu no good in ferencc can be drawn from the fact that the hukka is common. I believe that not many years ago all castes would have smoked from one pipe. It is still not a matter of much importance, cand under ordinary circumstances, a Kanet with smoke with a Thawi, a Nuth or a Nai, though he might probably, if taxed with doing so, deny it. He would not eat with them. In some places as in Monali Kothi, Kancts smoke with Dagis, but this is not common in Kulu, though the ex clusiveness has arisen only within the last few years, as caste distinctions became gradually more defined.
Then as to the identity of Dagi and Chanal. In Kulu proper there are no Chanals, that is, there are none who on being asked to what caste they belong will answer that they are Chanals ; but they will describe themselves as Dagi Chanals or Koli Chanals, and men of the same families as these Dagi Chanals or Koli Chanals will as often merely describe themselves as Dagis or Kolis. In Kulu Dagi, Koli, and Chanal mean very nearly the same thing, but the word Koli is more common in Seoraj and Chanal is scareely used at all in Kulu ; but Chanals are, •' I believe, numerous in Mandi, and in the Kaugra valley. A Dagi who had been out of the Kulu valley told me he would call himsolf a Dagi in Kulu, a'Clianal in Kangra and a Koli in Plach or Seoraj, otherwise these local castes would not admit him or eat with him. Again and again the same man has called himself a Dagi and also a Koli. If a Kanet wishes to be respectful to one of this low caste he will call him a Koli, if angry with him a Dagi. A Chanal of Mandi Territory will not intermarry with a Kulu Dagi.
The popular explanation of the word Dagi is that it is derived from dag cattle, because they drag away the careases of dead cattle and also eat the flesh. If a man says he is a Koli, then a Kanet turns round on him and asks him whether he docs not drag careasses ; and on his saying he does the Kanpt alleges he is a Dagi, and the would-be Koli consents. There are very few in Kulu proper that abstain from touching the dead. There are more in Seoraj, but they admit they are called cither Dagis or Kolis, and that whether they obtain from touching careasses or not, all eat, drink and intermarry on equal terms. It is a mere piece of affectation for a man who does not touch the dead to say he will not intermarry with the family of a man who is not so fastidious. This is a social distinction, and probably also indicates more or less the wealth of the individual who will not touch the dead.
From tbe natural evolution of caste distinctions in this direction, I would reason that once all the lower castes in Kulu ate the flesh of cattle, but as Hindu ideas got a firmer footing, the better off refrained and applied to themselves the name of Koli. Popular tradition seems how ever to go in the opposite direction, for according to it the Kolis came from Hindustan and gradually fell to their present low position. The real Koli, or as he is called in Kulu the Sachcha Koli, is found in Kotlehr, Lambagraon, &c., of Kangra proper. There the caste is also very low, but tradition ascribes to it a much higher posit'on than it now holds. The Kolis of Kangra will not have intercourse with the Kolis of Kulu on equal terms ; the latter admit their inferiority and ascribe it to their being defiled by touching flesh. But it is the same with Brahmans of the plains and of the hills ; they will not intermarry.
I am not aware what position the Kolis of Kangra hold to the Chanals of Kangra, but I believe they are considered inferior to them, and that they will not cat together nor intermarry. The Chanals of Kangra will not, I understand, touch dead cattle, and will not mix on equal terms with those that do. There are some Chanals in Outer Seoraj who are considered inferior to the Kolis there.
A Chamar in Seoraj will call himself a Dagi, and men calling themselves Kolis said they would eat and drink with him. They said he was a Chamar merely because he made shoes, or worked in leather. Most Dagis in Kulu proper will not eat with Chamars, but in some places they will. It depends on what has been the custom of the families.
The Kolis of Nirmand keep themselves separate from the Dagis in that direction, that is from those that touch dead cattle. The reason is that they are more or less under the influence of the Brahmins who form a large part of the population of that village. These Kolis of Nir mand will however intermarry with a family of Kolis that lives at a distance in Inner Seoraj. This latter family has for some generations taken to turning in wood, and its members are called Kharadis ae well as Kolis. They do not touch careasses, probably because they have a profession of their own and are richer ; but they call themselves Kolis or Dagis and intermarry on equal terms with the Kolis round them. This illustrates the unsettled state of these low castes and also the gradual advance of Hindu ideas.
In Kulu there is not much difference between the Koli, the Dagi, and the Chanal, but they are not admitted to be the same as the Kolis and Chanals of Kangra. In Kulu Batefis are merely Kolis, that is Dagis, who take out slates. They have taken to this trade, but are really Kolis. They are found only in Plach, and hence are called Kolis, which name is more common there than that of Dagi. So Barhais are Kolis or Dagis that use the axe. Badhis and Barhais are the same in Kulu, but not in Kangra Proper. A Tarkhan of the plains would shudder to associate? with the Barhai of Kulu, who does not scruple to eat the flesh of dead animals. Kharadis are Kolis of Seoraj that turn wood, and mix with Kolis and Dagis on equal terms. They are considered rather more respectable than the common Kolis or Dagis, as they will not touch the dead. In Kulu Barhai or Badhi and Kharadi are names applied to differ ent trades, not to different castes. The position of Lohars and Chamars is described in paragraph 113 of the Settlement Report (quoted below). Bararas are Kolis that work in the nargali or hill •bamboo. They were once probably all of one caste, and have merely got the names of the pro fessions they follow; butLohars and Chamars can scareely be called Dagis.
But Thavis cannot be classed with Koli- and Dagis. They occupy a much higher position. They are just below the Kauets, who will smoke with them, but not eat with them.- They work both in wood and in stone, as the style of bulldiug in Kulu requires that they should do so. It is only their trade that connects them with Barhais or Kharadis, with whom they will not eat nor intermarry.
Mr. Lyall thus describes the constitution and functions of the menial class in Kulu. The Dagis are the impurc or Kamiu caste. They are also commonly called Kolis, a name however, which out of Kulu is applied to any Kulu man.' In Seoraj they are commonly called Betus. Those among them who have taken to any particular trade are called by the trade name, e.g, barara, basket-maker ; barhdi, carpenter; dhogri, iron -smelter ; pumba, wool-cleaner ; and these names stick to families long after they have abandoned the trade, as has been the case with certain families now named Smith and Carpenter, in England. So also Chamars and Lobars, though they have been classed separately, are probably only Dagis who took to those trades ; but at the present day other Dagis will not eat with the Lohars, and in some parts they will not eat or intermarry with the Chamars. Most Dagis will eat the flesh of bears, leopards, or langur monkeys. All except theLohars eat the flesh of cattle who have died a natural death, They stand in a subordinate position to the Kauets, though they do not hold their land of them. Certain families of Dagis, Chamars, andLohars are said to be the Koridars, i.e., the ' courtyard 'people' of certain Kanet families. When a Kanet dies his heirs call the Koridar Dagis through '• their jatdi or headmen ; they bring in fuel for the funeral pile and funeral feast, wood for torclies, play the pipes and drums in the funeral procession, and do other services, in return for which they get food and the Iciria or funeral perquisites. The dead bodies of cattle are another perquisite of the Dagis, but they share them with the Chamars ; the latter take the skin, and all divide the flesh. The Dagis carry palanquins wheu used at marriages. The Lohars and Chamars also do work in iron and leather fur the Ivanets, and are paid by certain grain allowances. The dress of the Dagis does not differ materially from that of the Kanets, except in being generally coarser in material and scantier in shape. Their mode of life is also much the same.
In Spiti the Lohar would appear to be the only artisan or menial caste, society consisting of the cultivating class, the Lohar, and the Hesi or gipsy minstrel.
The Barwala and Batwal
(Caste Nos. 49 and 78)
Barwala and Batwal are two words used almost indifferently to express the same thing, the former being more commonly used in the lower hills and the latter in the mountain ranges of Kangra. In Chamba both names are current as synonyms. But I have separated the figures, because the Batwal of Kangra is a true caste while Barwala is little more than the name of an occupation. Both words correspond very closely with the Lahbar or Balahar of the plains, and denote the village watchman or messenger. In the higher hills this office is almost confined to the Batvvals, while in the lower hills it is performed by men of various low castes who are all included under the generic term of Barwala. These men are also the coolies of the hills, and in fact occupy much the same position there as is held by the Chamars in the plains, save that they do not tan or work in leather. In Kangra they are also known as Kirawak or Kirauk, a word which properly means a man whose duty it is to assemble coolies and others for bigar or forced labour, and they are also called
' But see section 657. The word is Kola, not Koli. Satwag or bearers of burdens.Like most hill menials they often cultivate land, and are enaployed as ploughmen and field labonrcrs by the Rajputs and allied races of tue hills who are too proud to cultivate with their own hands. They are true village menials, and attend upon village guests, fill pipes, bear torches, and carry the bridegroom's palanquin at weddings and the like, and receive fixed fees for doing so. In the towns They appear to be common servants. They are of the lowest or almost the lowest standing as a caste, apparently hardly if at all above the Dumna or sweeper- of the hills ; but the Batwal has perhaps a slightly higher standing than the Barwala. Indeed the name of Barwala is said to be a corruption of Baharwala or outsider because, like all outcasts, they live in the outskirts of the village. They are returned in considerable numbers for almost all our sub-montane districts and for Kangra, but in the Hill States they would appear to have been included under some other of the menial castes. The term Barwala seems to be current also in Jalandhar, Amritsar, Lahore and Suilkot, as consi derable numbers are returned for these districts. In the higher ranges and where they are known as Batwal, they are almost all Hindus ; but when they descend to the lower hills or plains and take the name of Barwala they are almost entirely Musalman, except in Sialic ot where a considerable number of them are still Hindus. In fact their difference of religion seems to correspond very largely with the difference in the name ; and indeed a portion of the Hindu Barwalas of Sialkot consists of 1,455 persons of that district who returned themselves as Ratal, and whom I classed as Barwala and not as Batwal because they were sub-montane and not montane in their habitat. The Ratals would seem to be almost if not quite identical with the Barwalas or Batwals, and are very largely employed as agricultural labourers On the footing of a true village menial. Brahmans are said to officiate at the weddings of the Batwal ; but if so I suspect it must be an outcast class of Brahmans. The Barwalas claim Rajput origin, a claim probably suggested if any suggestion be needed, by their clans being called after Rajput tribes, such as Manhas and Janjua.
The Meg
(Caste No. 57)
The Meg or as he is called in Rawal pindi Meng, is the Chamar of the tract immediately below the Jammu hills. But he appears to be of a slightly better standing than the Chamar ; and this superiority is doubtless owing to the fact that the Meg is a weaver as well as a worker In leather, for we have already seen that weaving stands in the social scale a degree higher than shoe-making.^ Like the Chamars of the plains the Megs work as coolies, and like all hill menials they work much in the fields. General Cunningham is inclined to identify them with the Mechioi of Arrian, and has an interesting note on them at page11 f, Volume II of his Areheeological Reports, in which he describes them as an inferior caste of cultivators who inhabited the banks of the upper Satluj at the time of Alexander's invasion, and probably gave their name to the town of Makhowal. They seem at present to be almost confined to the upper valleys of the Ravi and Chanab, and their stronghold Is the sub-montane portion of Sialkot lying between these two rivers. They are practically all Hindus.
The Dumna
(Caste No. 41)
The Dumna, called also Domra, and even Dura in Chamba, is the Chuhra of the hills proper, and is also found in 1 In Bikaner and Sirsa a man who i-; pleased with a Chamar calls him Megwal, just as he calls him Dherhif he is angry with him. The Chamars of the Bagar say they are descended from Meg Rikh, who was created by !Narain, large numbers in the sub-montane districts of Hushyarpur and Gurdaspur. Like the Chuhra of the plains he is something more than a scavenger; but whereas the Chuhra works chiefly in grass, the Dumna adds to this occupation the trade of working in bamboo, a material not available to the Chuhra. He makes sieves, winnowing pans, fans, matting, grass rope and stung, and generally all the vessels, baskets, screens, furniture, and other articles which are ordinarily made of bamboo. When he confines himself to this sort of work and gives up scavengering, he appears to be called Bhanjra, at any rate in the lower hills, and occasionally Sarial ; and I have included 261 Bhanjras and 31 Sarials in my figures. In the Jalandhar division Bhanjras were not returned separately from Dumnas. The Dumna appears hardly ever to become Musal man or Sikh, and is classed as Hindu, though being an outcast he is not allow ed to draw water from wells used by the ordinary Hindu population.
The Dumna is often called Dum in other parts of India, as in Chamba ; and is regarded by Hindus as the type of uncleanness. Yet he seems once to have enjoyed as a separate aboriginal race some power and importance. Further information regarding him will be found in Sherring (I, 4-00) and Elliott (I, 84) . He is of course quite distinct from the Dum-Mirasi whom I have classed as Mirasi.
The Barara
(Caste No. 137)
The Barara or Barar is the basket maker and bamboo-worker of the higher hills, though he has spread into the sub-montane districts. He is not a scavenger by occupation, though he is said to worship Lai Beg, the Chuhra deity. He is fond of hunting, which fact, combined with his occupation, would almost seem to point to a gipsy origin. He is also called Nirgalu, because he works in the Nargali or hill-bamboo. The name is probably that of an occupation rather than of a true caste, and appears to be hardly distinguishable from Bhanjra. In Kulu the Barara is said to be generally Koli by caste.
He is an outcast, like all workers in grass or reeds, and only (36 are returned as Musalmans.
The Sarera
(Caste No. 97)
In my tables I found two castes returned, Sarera and Sarara ; the former in the Amritsar, Lahore, and Rawal pindi divisions, and the latter in the Jalandhar division and the Hazara district. It appeared on inquiry that the Hazara people were probably, though not certainly, distinct ; while the others were certainly one and the same, and were sometimes called by the one name and sometimes by the other. I there fore entered them as Sarera, reserving Sarara for the Hazara people. The Sareras are returned only from Kangra and its neighbourhood. In Kangra they are for the most part general labourers ; and they specially scutch cotton like the Penja or Dhunia of the plains, and are also said to make stone mortars. But they are likewise largely employed in field-labour. They are outcasts of much the same status as Chamars, and almost all of them are classed as Hindu.
The Koli and Dagi (Chanal, Hali and Sepi)
(Castes Nos. 66
These two words, together with a third name Chanal, are used almost indifferently to describe the lower class of menials of the highest hills. The Koli of the plains has already been described in section 611, and my figures for Koli include him also ; but he is easily distinguishable by his locality, the For the figures for the Kolis of the Native States, see the end of Table VIII A in Appendix B. figures for the Dehli and Hissar divisions and for Ambala referring to him and not to the Koli of the hills. The former is probably nothing more than a Chamar tribe immigrant from Hindustan ; the latter, of Kolian origin. The two would appear, from Mr. Andersons remarlcs quoted in section 650, to meet in the Siwaliks. General Cunningham believes that the hills of the Panjab were once occupied by a true Kolian race belonging to the same group as the Kols of Central India and Behar, and that the present Kolis are very probably their representatives. He points out that dd the Kolian for water is still used for many of the smaller streams of the Simla hills, and that there is a line of tribes of Kolian origin extending from Jabbalpur at least as far as Allahabad, all of which use many identical words in their vocabularies, and have a common tradition of a hereditary connection with working in iron. The name of Kulu, however, he identifies with Kulinda, and thinks that it has nothing in common with Kol. Unfortunately Kola is the ordinary name for any inhabitant of Kulu ; and though it is a distinct w'ord from Koli and with a distinct meaning, yet its plural Kole cannot be discriminated from Koli w hen written in the Persian character ; and it is just possible that our figures may include some few persons who are Kole, but not Koli.
The names Koli, Dagi, and Chanal seem to be used to denote almost all the low castes in the hills. In the median ranges, such as those of Kangra proper, the Koli and Chanal are of higher status than the Dagi, and not very much lower than the Kanet and Ghirath or lowest cultivating castes ; and perhaps the Koli may be said to occupy a somewhat superior position to, and the Chanal very much the same position as the Chamar in the plains, while the Dagi corresponds more nearly with the Chuhra. In Kulu the three words seem to be used almost indifferently, and to include not only the lowest castes, but also members of those castes who have adopted the pursuits of respectable artisans. The very interesting quotations from Messrs. Lyall and Anderson in sections 650, 651 give full details on the subject. Even in Kangra the distinction appears doubtful. Mr. Lyall quotes a tradition which assigns a common origin, from the marriage of a demi-god to the daughter of a Kulu demon, to the Kanets and Dagis of Kulu, the latter having become separate owing to their ancestor, who married a Tibetan woman, having taken to eating the flesh of the Yak, which, as a sort of ox, is sacred to Hindus ; and he thinks that the story may point to a mixed Mughal and Hindu descent for both castes. Again he writes : The Koli class is pretty numerous in Rajgiri on the north-east side of parganah Hamirpur ; like the Kanet it 'belongs to the country to the east of Kangra proper. I believe this class is treated as outcast by other Hindus in Rajgiri, though not so in Bilaspur and other countries to the east. The class has several times attempted to get the Katoch Raja to remove the ban, but the negotiations have fallen through because the bribe offered was not sufficient. Among outcasts the Chamars are, as usual, the most numerous. Of parganah Kangra he writes : ^' The Dagis have been entered as second-class Gaddis, but they properly belong to a different nationality, and bear the same relation to the ' Kanets of Bangahal that the Sepis, Badis, and Halis (also classed as second class Gaddis) do to the first-class Gaddis.So that it would appear that Dugis are more common in Kangra proper, and Kolis to the east of the valley ; and that the latter are outcast while the former claim kinship with the Kanet. It will be observed that, while Chamars are returned in great numbers from Kangra and the Hill States, Chuhras seem to be included under Dagi or Koli, probahly the former. The word Dagi is sometimes said to be derived from dagh, a stain or blemish ; but it is hardly likely that in the hills^ of all parts of the Panjab, a word of Persian origin should be in common use as the name of a caste, and Mr. Anderson's derivation quoted in section 650 is far more probable. At the same time the word is undoubtedly used as a term of opprobrium. Chanal is perhaps the modern form of Chandala, the outcast of the hills, so often mentioned in the Rajatarangiui and elsewhere.
The Koli and Dagi are found in great numbers throughout the hills proper, and in no other part of the Province. Unfortunately the Kolis of the Native States were omitted when Table VIII A was being printed. They will be found at the end of the table for those States, while the total for the Province in the British territory tables is corrected in the errata. They are almost without exception classed as Hindu. I have included under the head Dagi those returned as Dagi, Chanal, Hali or Sepi. The 461 Dagis of the Ambala division returned themselves as Chanal. In the Jalandhar division 12,981 are returned as Dagi-Koli, 4,087 as Dagi-Chanal, 48 as Dagi-Barhai, and 1,188 as Sepi. The Dagis of the Hill States are all returned as Chanal, except 3,228 shown as Dagi in Mandi and 550 in Bilaspur, and the Halis of Chamba. The Halis are all returned from Chamba, where they number 16,228. Major Marshall, the Superintendent of that State, informs me that Hali is the name given Chamba to Dagi or Chanal ; and that the Halis are a low caste, much above the Dumna and perhaps a little above the Chamar, who do all sorts of menial work and are very largely employed in the fields. They will not intermany with the Chamar. The Sepi, the same gentleman informs me, is a superior kind of Hali. The word is used in Amritsar and the neighbouring districts for any village menial who assists in agricul ture, just as Hali means nothing more than ploughman in the plains. Mr. Lyall classes both Sepis and Halis with Dagis. The main sub divisions returned by the Kolis are given in the margin. The Dagis show no large divisions. The Hoshyarpur Kolis are said to be divided into two sections, Andarla and Baharla, of which the former ranks higher and the latter lower than the Chamar.
The Rehar
(Caste No. 176)
The Rehar or Rihava appears to be very closely allied to the Dumna. He is found in the hills. Like the Dumna he works in bamboo, but like the Hesi he travels about as a strolling minstrel. He is said to make the trinkets worn by the Gaddi women, and to furnish the music at Gaddi weddings. He is much dreaded as a soreerei. He is an outcast,
The Dosali
(Caste No. 178)
The Dosali is a hill caste of superior standing to the Chamar, who makes the cups and platters of leaves which are 'Mr. Anderson notes on this, thnt in Kulu DAgis, Kolis, Chamars, and in short all outcasts, are commonly described by the people as hdhar Tee (outsiders ), as opposed to andar Tee (insiders), which latter term includes Kanets and the better castes. The words simply imply that the former class must remain outsido the place where food is cooked and water kept, while the latter may go inside. It is very probable that the terms Andarla and Baharla express the relation in which the respective sections of Kolis stand to each other in this n-spcct; and it may be that the two names are applied to the Chamar and Kolian section respectively, which, as we have seen above, meet on the Hushyarpur and Kangra borders. used at Hindu weddings. The word is perhaps more the name of an occupa tion than of a caste, and is derived from dusa the small piece of straw with which he pins the leaves together; but the Dosali is said not to marry out of his caste. Prohably many of them have been returned us Kolis. They are a very low caste, but not outcast ; indeed if they were, articles made by them would hardly be used for eating- from.
The Hadi
(Caste No. 185)
This is also a hill caste, and returned from Kungra only. They would appear to be general labourers, to make bricks, carry earth, vegetables, &e., for hire, and to be something like the Kumhar of the plains. But I have no detailed information regarding them.
The Ghai
(Caste No. 151)
I am in absolute uncertainty regarding this caste, even as to whether it is a caste at all. It was represented to me as a separate caste called Ghasi or Ghai, who are the grass-cutters of the hills. But the derivation sounds suspicious. I can obtain no trustworthy informa tion about the caste, and I never heard of grass-cutting as a hereditary occupation. I am not at all sure that the word is not simply Khas or Khasia, the great branch of the Kanets, and probably the representatives of the ancient Khas who once inhabited Kashmir and the western portion of the lower himalayas ; and that it has not been written with a g instead of a k by an ignorant enumerator. Mr. Anderson tells me that the word Ghai is used in Kangra for a grass-cutter.
