The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Part 55

_Rawat_.--A t.i.tle borne by some minor Rajput chiefs. Probably a diminutive of Rajputra, the original form of the term Rajput. An honorific t.i.tle of Gonds and Savars in Saugor and Damoh. The name by which the Ahir caste is generally known in Chhattisgarh. A subcaste and t.i.tle of Khairwar. A t.i.tle sometimes used by Sunars and Brahmans in Bundelkhand and by Lodhis. A subcaste of Mehtar and Mali. A section of Arakh, Banjara, Binjhwar, Dhanwar, Kawar, Khairwar, Kunbi, Nat, Patwa, Panwar Rajput, and Sudh.

_Reddi_.--A synonym for the Kapewar or Kapu caste; a subcaste of Kapewar and Gandli.

_Redka_.--A small labouring caste of Sambalpur. They are apparently the result of intermarriages between some members of the Reddi or Kapu cultivating caste of Telingana, who came to Sambalpur during the Orissa famine of 1866, with low-cla.s.s Uriya women. They still speak Telugu among themselves, using Uriya to outsiders. Only one curious feature of the marriage ceremony of the Redkas need be noticed here. This is that the officiating Brahman actually places a red-hot copper seal on the arms of the bride and bridegroom as a symbol of sealing the marriage bond. In other respects their customs resemble those of low-caste Uriyas.

_Rekwar_.--Subcaste of Dhimar.

_Rig-Vedi_.--Sectarian division of Brahmans.

_Rikhiasan Mahatwar_.--Subcaste of Bhuiya.

_Ritha Biknath_.--One who prepares and sells soap-nuts for was.h.i.+ng clothes. Subcaste of Jogi.

_Rohidasi_.--Honorific term for a Chamar. It signifies a follower of the sect of Rohidas in Northern India. The Chamars often describe themselves by this name instead of their caste name.

_Rohilla_.--A Pathan tribe who have settled in Rohilkhand or the Bareilly tract of the United Provinces. They derive their name from Roh, the designation given to the country where the Pushto language is spoken by residents of Hindustan. The word Roh, like Koh, means a mountain, and Rohilla therefore signifies a highlander. [484] The Rohilla Pathans occupied Rohilkhand in the eighteenth century. Their name first attracted attention when Warren Hastings was charged with hiring out British troops for their suppression. The Rohillas say that they are of Coptic origin, and that driven out of Egypt by one of the Pharaohs they wandered westward till they arrived under that part of the mountains of Afghanistan known as Sulaimani Koh. [485] Parties of Rohillas visit the Central Provinces bringing woollen cloths and dried fruits for sale. Here they formerly bore a bad character, being accustomed to press the sale of their merchandise on the villagers on credit at exorbitant interest; and when the time for realisation came, to extort their money by threats of violence, or actual a.s.sault, or, if this was not practicable, by defiling the graves of their debtors'

ancestors. These practices have now, however, been largely suppressed.

_Romya_ or _Haralya._--Subcaste of Chamar.

_Ror_.--Subcaste of Khatri.

_Rora_.--Synonym of Arora.

_Ruma_.--A resident of Basim and Gangra in Amraoti District. Subcaste of Korku.

_Ruthia_.--A name formed from the noise _rut, rut_ made by the oil-mill in turning. Subcaste of Teli.

_Sabara_.--Synonym for the Savar tribe. A section of Kawar and Teli.

_Sabat_.--(From _saot_, co-wife.) An honorific t.i.tle of Uriya Brahmans.

_Sadaphal_.--(A fruit.) A section of Chandnahu Kurmi and Sonkar.

_Sada-Sohagal_.--A cla.s.s of Fakirs or Muhammadan beggars.

_Sadhu_.--(A religious mendicant.) Synonym for Bairagis or Gosains.

_Sagar_.--Name of one of the ten orders of Gosains.

_Sagunsale_.--A group of illegitimate descent. Subcaste of Koshti.

_Sahadeve_.--A clan of Gonds wors.h.i.+pping six G.o.ds and paying special reverence to the tiger.

_Sahani_.--(From _siahi_, ink.) An honorific t.i.tle of Karan or Mahanti. A subcaste of Paik.

_Sahara_.--Synonym for the Savar tribe.

_Sahasra Audichya_.--(A thousand men of the north.) A subdivision of Gujarati Brahmans who are said to have accepted presents from Raja Mulraj of Anhalwara Patan at a sacrifice, and hence to have suffered some degradation in rank. Audichya probably signifies coming from Oudh.

_Sahra_.--Synonym of Savar.

_Sahu_.--(A trader.) An honorific t.i.tle of Bania. A synonym for Sunar in Sambalpur. A subdivision of Uriya Brahmans. A section of Khadra, Kolta, Sundi and Teli.

_Sahukar_.--t.i.tle of Bania. See Sahu.

_Sain_.--Synonym for Fakir.

_Saiqalgar_.--From Arabic _saiqal_, a polisher. Synonym for Sikligar.

_Sais_.--The t.i.tle by which grooms or horse-keepers are usually known. The word Sais, Colonel Temple states, [486] is Arabic and signifies a n.o.bleman; it is applied to grooms as an honorific t.i.tle, in accordance with the common method of address among the lower castes. Other honorific designations for grooms, as given by Colonel Temple, are Bhagat or 'Saint,' and Panch, 'Arbitrator,' but neither of these is generally used in the Central Provinces. Another name for Saises is Thanwar, which means a person in charge of a stable or place where a horse is kept. Grooms from Northern India are usually of the Jaiswara division of Chamars, who take their name from the old town of Jais in Oudh; but they drop the Chamar and give Jaiswara as their caste. These men are thin and wiry and can run behind their horses for long distances. The grooms indigenous to the Central Provinces are as a rule promoted gra.s.s-cutters and are either of the Ghasia (gra.s.s-cutter) or the Kori and Mahar (weaver) castes. They cannot usually run at all well. It is believed that both the Jaiswaras and Mahars who work as grooms have taken to marrying among themselves and tend to form separate endogamous groups, because they consider themselves superior to the remainder of the caste. A Sais will frequently refuse to tie up a dog with a rope or lead him with one because he uses a rope for leading his horses. This taboo is noticed by Sir B. Fuller as follows: "Horses in India are led not by the bridle but by a thick cotton leading-rope which is pa.s.sed over the headstall, and such a rope is carried by every Indian groom. I asked my groom one day to tie up with his leading rope a dog that would not follow. He absolutely refused, and I discovered that the rope was the fetish of his caste and was formerly adored and propitiated in the course of an annual caste festival. To touch a dog with it would have been sacrilege." [487]

_Saitwal_.--A subcaste of Jain Banias.

_Saiyad_.--One of the four Muhammadan tribes, which is supposed to comprise the descendants of the Prophet.

_Sakadwipi_.--A tribe of Brahmans taking their name from Sakadwipa, the country of the Sakas. The Sakas were a Central Asian tribe who invaded India before the commencement of the Christian era, and Sakadwipa is said to be the valley of the Kabul river.

_Sakarwal, Sikarwar_.--A clan of Rajputs whose name is said to be derived from Fatehpur Sikri.

_Saksena_.--A subcaste of Kayasth, also called Sukhsena. A subcaste of Bharbhunja and Kachhi.

_Saktaha_.--A synonym for Shakta, a wors.h.i.+pper of Devi in Chhattisgarh. Saktaha practically means a person who eats flesh, as opposed to a Kabirpanthi who abstains from it. A subcaste of Panka, who are not Kabirpanthis.

_Sak.u.m_.--A sept of Korku. (One who hides behind a teak tree.)

_Salam_.--(Wors.h.i.+pper of six G.o.ds.) A clan of Gond. A section of Dewar.

_Salewar_.--A name for Telugu Koshtis. A subcaste of Koshti.

_Samaiya_.--A sect of Jains.

_San_.--A subcaste of Bhatra.

_Sanadhya_.--A subcaste of Brahmans belonging to the Gaur division.

_Sanak-kul._--A section of Komti. They do not use _jaiphal_ or nutmeg.

_Sanaurhia_.--Subcaste of Brahman. Synonym for Sanadhya.

_Sanbagh_.--(A little tiger.) A section of Bhulia.

_Sand_.--(The bull.) A totemistic sept of Kawar. They do not use bullocks for ploughing, or are supposed not to. A section of Khangar. They do not give a present of a bull at weddings. A section of Mali.

_Sania_.--(A grower of _san_-hemp.) Subcaste of Kachhi.

_Saniasi_.--Name for a religious mendicant. Synonym for Gosain.