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THE CASTES AND TRIBES
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H. E. H. THE NIZ..."

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This article is an extract from 

THE CASTES AND TRIBES 

OF 

H. E. H. THE NIZAM'S DOMINIONS 

BY 

SYED SIRAJ UL HASSAN 

Of Merton College, Oxford, Trinity College, Dublin, and 

Middle Temple, London. 

One of the Judges of H. E. H. the Nizam's High Court 

of Judicature : Lately Director of Public Instruction. 

BOMBAY 

THE TlMES PRESS 

1920 
***** 
''Indpaedia is an archive. It neither agrees nor disagrees '' 
''with the contents of this article.'' 
''Secondly, this has been scanned from a book. You can help by '' 
''sending the corrected version/ additional information to '' 
the Facebook page, [http://www.facebook.com/Indpaedia Indpaedia.com]. ''All information used will be duly acknowledged.''
</div>
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[[Category:India|D]]
[[Category:Communities|D]]

==(Titles -Appa, Ayya and Reddi)==
==Origin==
The Domars, as a class, are tall and well-made,
varying in complexion from wheat colour to very dark. The men
usually wear short hip trousers made of a coarse white cloth and, at
festivals, shawls, jackets and lace turbans obtained by them as rewards
in performances. The women are attired in gay clothes and deck
themselves with a profusion of bangles and necklets of cowrie shells.
The etymology of their name is obscure. It is said to ^be derived
from the words ' Dimari ' and Dulmar' ; but their meanings are
uncertain. They claim to be descended from one Motati Kapu who,
being lame, was exposed, in infancy, on a river bank. Shri Ram-
chandra and his wife, journeying in a chariot, observed the destitute
child, took pity on him and restored him his limbs. The boy, in
glee, jumped, and was, for this audacity, condemned to follow the
occupation of a tumbler. Another tradition traces their desqent from
one Chinnamma, who exhibited feats before a king who had im-
prisoned her father. The father was released, but the woman lost
her caste and had to take to prostitution.

==Internal Structure==

The Domars are divided into two sub-
castes Telaga Domars and Are Domars. Telaga Domars speak
Telugu and have a slang of their own. Are Domars, or Maratha
Domars, appear to be originally Kolhatis who migrated and settled
in Telingana. Their home tongue is Marathi. The members of
these sub-castes do not interdine nor intermarry.

They have exogamous 'sections of a territorial or eponymous
type such as :

Karmachawaru. Padekuwaru.

Ramasaniwaru. Jopalliwaru.

Rajakawaru. Gujokuwaru.

Marriage between persons belonging to the same section is
prohibited. It is allowed between a man and his maternal uncle's or
sister's daughter. A man may marry two sisters, but two brothers
cannot marry two sisters. Polygamy is permitted. Adoption is
rarely practised by the caste.

==Marriage==

Girls are married both as infants and as adults.
Cohabitation is tolerated before marriage, but if a girl becomes
pregnant she is called upon to disclose the name of her lover, who
is compelled to marry her and to pay a heavy fine to the caste
council. It is customary to devote girls to temples and deities or to
marry them to swords. The ceremony of dedication consists of
making the girl sit before the idol of their patron deity, Guda
Maisamma, and tying a tali (mangalsutra) about her neck. The
Basavi girl 'is subsequently allowed to follow concubinage as her
profession.' The progeny of such girls are admitted to the full
privileges of the caste.

Adult girls are sometimes married to men of their own choice.
But usually the initiative towards marriage is taken by the boy's father.
A suitable girl is selected and a bride-price of Rs. 20 is paid to her
parents. The father of the boy goes to the girl's house and
presents her with a sari and a choli. The betrothal is ratified by
strong drink, of which the first cup is given to the chief man of the
caste council. The marriage is performed before Maisamma, on a
festive day, when men of the caste congregate from all parts to pay
their devotion to the goddess. The bridegroom is first seated before
the goddess on a mat of shendi (wild date palm), facing the east
and holding in his hand a stick used for beating a drum. The girl is
next brought in procession and seated opposite the boy. A necklace
of glass beads is tied round the bride's neck and the clothes of the
bridal pair are knotted. Rice is thrown on the heads of the
couple and this forms the binding portion of the ceremony. A pig is
killed the same day and the guests are feasted. On the third day
after the wedding, the wedded pair are conducted in procession to
the bridegroom's house. It is said that widow marriage is not
pwmitted. But if a widow takes a fancy to a man she remains with
him as his concubine. Her progeny are freely admitted into the
caste.

A girl on attaining puberty is considered unclean for seven
days and is kept during this period in a separate hut, with a piece of
iron by her side. On the eighth day, the hut in which she lived
during her pollution is burnt ; the girl then bathes and becomes
ceremonially pure.

A woman after child-birth is unclean for six days. On the 7th
day after birth she is bathed, goes to a well with oil, worships it
and returns home with a jar full of water. The child is named on
the same day and caste men are feasted in honour of the event.

==Divorce==

Divorce is permitted, with the sanction of the caste
assembly, on the ground of the wife's adultery, or for incompatibility
of temper. A divorced woman is not allowed to marry again,
but she can be kept as a mistress. Her paramour is cOmpelled by
the Panchdyat to pay to her husband the bride-price he paid to her
parents. Elopements are general. Adultery with a man of high
caste is tolerated and condoned by a small fine. Social indiscretion
with a man of low caste is punished with instant expulsion from the
caste.

==Inheritance==

In matters of inheritance, the Domars follow their
own tribal usages. Sons and Basavi daughters share equal'Iy in their
father's property. If a man dies without male issue, his Basaoi
daughters share his property. Failing them, the estate descends to
his married or virgin daughters.

==Religion==

Guda Maisamma is the favourite and charac-
teristic deity of the caste. On Tuesdays, at night, in the month of
Shravana (August-September), the goddess is worshipped with great
pomp and ceremony. A large concourse of Domars assemble at
the shrine of the goddess and offer pigs, fowls and sheep to her.
A man of the Kummara caste officiates as priest, and while the grand
puja takes place, Domar men beat drums and the women sing songs.
The heads of the sacrificed animals are claimed by the priest. The
bodies are cooked and provide a feast for the assembled votaries.
EUamma and Pochamma are also worshipped in the same month.
Their other deities are Katayya, Maheshwar, Mutyalamma and
Kankama, worshipped with various offerings. They have a firm belief
in ghosts and witchcraft and Erkala women are consulted to iden-
tify a malignant spirit. The 'Domars have recently been brought
under the influence of the great sects and they profess themselves
to be Vibhutidharis or Saivaits.

==Disposal of the Dead==

The dead are buried in a lying posture,
with the face downwards and the head pointing to the south. On
the 3rd day after death, a pig is killed. The flesh is cooked, offered
at the grave and subsequently buried underground. On the I 1th
day, the mourners become purified. Again a pig is killed and the
flesh cooked : part of it is offered at the grave and buried under-
ground, the remainder being eaten by the householders. Brahmans
are called in and presented with rice and money. Some of the
Domars now bury their dead in a sitting posture, with the face to the
east. Thetchief mourner shaves his moustache and the widow breaks
her bangles. No Sradha is performed by the members of the caste.
Ancestors in general are propitiated on the Pitra AmaWas^a (last
day of Bhadrapad).

==Social Status==

In point of social status, the Domars rank very
low and accept food from the hands of any caste except the Dhobis,
the Hajams and the lowest castes, while no castes except the Malas
and the Madigas will accept food from their hands. They eat the
flesh of mice, cats, field rats, the mongoose, sparrows, squirrels, pigs
and fowls, but abstain from beef. They indulge freely in strong
drink. They eat also the flesh of animals that have died a natural
death.

==Occupation==

As has been stated above, the Domars earn their
livelihood by the performance of athletic feats and the prostitution
of some of their women. Some of them have settled down and
taken to agriculture.

Domara-Domar: Deccan - Revision history

Pdewan: Created page with "=Domara-Domar= {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"| This article is an extract from THE CASTES AND TRIBES OF H. E. H. THE NIZ..."

Pdewan: Created page with "=Domara-Domar= {| class="wikitable" |- |colspan="0"|
This article is an extract from
THE CASTES AND TRIBES
OF
H. E. H. THE NIZ..."