The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume IV of IV

R >> R.V. Russell >> The Tribes and Castes of the Central Provinces of India Volume IV of IV

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2. Subdivisions

The Rautias had formerly three subdivisions, the Barki, Majhli and
Chhotki Bhir or Gorhi, or the high, middle and low class Rautias. But
it is related that the Barki group found that they could not obtain
girls in marriage for their sons, so they extended the privileges
of the _connubium_ to the Majhli group after taking a caste
feast. Possibly the Barki Rautias formerly practised hypergamy with
the Majhli, taking daughters in marriage but not giving daughters, and
in course of time this has led to the obliteration of the distinction
between them. The different status of the three groups was based on
their purity of descent. The Majhli and Chhotki were the descendants
of Rautia fathers and mothers of other castes; the offspring going to
the Majhli group if the mother was a Gond or Kawar or of respectable
caste, while the children of impure Ganda and Ghasia women by Rautia
fathers were admitted into the Chhotki group. These divisions confirm
the hypothesis previously given of the genesis of the Rautia caste;
and it is further worth noting that the Khandaits have also Bar and
Chhot Gohir divisions or those of pure and mixed blood, and the Halbas
of Bastar are similarly divided into the Purait or pure Halbas,
and the Surait or descendants of Halba fathers by women of other
castes. In a military society, where the men were frequently on the
move or stationed in outlying forts and posts, temporary unions and
illegitimate children would naturally be of common occurrence. And
the mixed nature of the three castes affords some support to the
hypothesis of their common origin from military service.

The tribe have totemistic septs, and retain some veneration for their
totems. Those of the Bagh or tiger sept throw away their earthen pots
on hearing of the death of a tiger. Those of the Sand or bull sept
will not castrate bullocks themselves, and must have this operation
performed on their plough-bullocks by others. Those of the Kansi sept
formerly, according to their own account, would not root up the _kans_
grass [597] growing in their fields, but now they no longer object to
do so. Other septs are Tithi a bird, Bira a hawk, Barwan a wild dog,
and so on.

3. Marriage

Marriage is forbidden within the sept, but is permitted between the
children of a brother and a sister or of two sisters. Matches are
arranged at the caste feasts and the usual bride-price is four rupees
with six or seven pieces of cloth and some grain. When the procession
arrives at the bride's village her party go out to meet it, and the
Gandas or musicians on each side try to break each other's drums,
but are stopped by their employers. At the wedding two wooden images
of the bridegroom and bride are made and placed in the centre of the
marriage-shed. A goat is led round these and killed, and the bride
and bridegroom walk round them seven times. They rub vermilion on the
wooden images and then on each other's foreheads. It is probable that
the wooden images are made and set up in the centre of the shed to
attract the evil eye and divert it from the real bride and bridegroom,
and the goat may be a substituted sacrifice on their behalf. Divorce
and the remarriage of widows are permitted.

4. Funeral rites

In the forest tracts the tribe bury the dead, placing the corpse with
the feet to the south. Before being placed in the grave the corpse
is rubbed with oil and turmeric and carried seven times round the
grave according to the ritual of a wedding. This is called the _Chhed
vivah_ or marriage to the grave. The Kabirpanthi Rautias are placed
standing in the grave with the face turned to the north. Well-to-do
members of the caste burn their dead and employ Brahmans to perform
the _shraddh_ ceremony.

5. Inheritance

The tribe have some special rules of inheritance. In Bengal [598]
the eldest son of the legitimate wife inherits the whole of the
father's property, subject to the obligation of making grants for the
maintenance of his younger brothers. These grants decrease according
to the standing of the brothers, the elder ones getting more and the
younger less. Sons of a wife married by the ceremony used for widows
receive smaller grants. But the widow of an elder brother counts as
the regular wife of a younger brother and her sons have full rights of
succession. In the Central Provinces the eldest son does not succeed
to the whole property but obtains a share half as large again as the
other sons. And if the father divides the property in his lifetime and
participates in it he himself takes only the share of a younger son.

Sanaurhia

1. A band of criminals

_Sanaurhia, Chandravedi._ [599]--A small but well-known community
of criminals in Bundelkhand. They claim to be derived from the
Sanadhya Brahmans, and it seems possible that this may in fact have
been their origin; but at present they are a confraternity recruited
by the initiation of promising boys from all castes except sweepers
and Chamars; [600] and a census taken of them in northern India in
1872 showed that they included members of the following castes:
Brahman, Rajput, Teli, Kurmi, Ahir, Kanjar, Nai, Dhobi, Dhimar,
Sunar and Lodhi. It is said, however, that they do not form a caste
or intermarry, members of each caste continuing their relations with
their own community. Their regular method of stealing is through the
agency of a boy, and no doubt they pick up a likely urchin whenever
they get the chance, as only selected boys would be clever enough
for the work. Their trade is said to possess much fascination, and
Mr. Crooke quotes a saying, 'Once a Sanaurhia always a Sanaurhia';
so that unless the increased efficiency of the police has caused the
dangers of their calling to outweigh its pleasures they should have
no difficulty in obtaining recruits.

2. Traditions of origin

Mr. Seagrim [601] states that their home is in the Datia State of
Bundelkhand, and some of them live in the adjoining Alamgarh tract of
Indore State. Formerly they also resided in the Orchha and Chanderi
States of Bundelkhand, having six or eight villages in each state
[602] in their sole occupation, with colonies in other villages. In
1857 it was estimated that the Tehri State contained 4000 Sanaurhias,
Banpur 300 and Datia 300. They occupied twelve villages in Tehri,
and an officer of the state presided over the community and acted as
umpire in the division of the spoils. The office of Mukhia or leader
was hereditary in the caste, and in default of male issue descended to
females. If among the booty there happened to be any object of peculiar
elegance or value, it was ceremoniously presented to the chief of the
state. They say that their ancestors were two Sanadhya Brahmans of the
village of Ramra in Datia State. They were both highly accomplished
men, and one had the gift of prophecy, while the other could understand
the language of birds. One day they met at a river a rich merchant and
his wife, who were on a pilgrimage to Jagannath. As they were drinking
water a crow sitting on a tree commenced cawing, and the Sanadhya
heard him say that whoever got hold of the merchant's walking-stick
would be rich. The two Brahmans then accompanied the merchant until
they obtained an opportunity of making off with his stick; and they
found it to be full of gold mohurs, the traveller having adopted this
device as a precaution against being robbed. The Brahmans were so
pleased at their success that they took up stealing as a profession,
and opened a school where they taught small boys of all castes the
art of stealing property in the daytime. Prior to admission the boys
were made to swear by the moon that they would never commit theft at
night, and on this account they are known as Chandravedi or 'Those
who observe the moon.' In Bombay and Central India this name is more
commonly used than Sanaurhia. Another name for them is Uthaigira or
'A picker-up of that which has fallen,' corresponding to the nickname
of Uchla or 'Lifter' applied to the Bhamtas. Mr. Seagrim described them
as going about in small gangs of ten to twenty persons without women,
under a leader who has the title of Mukhia or Nalband. The other
men are called Upardar, and each of these has with him one or two
boys of between eight and twelve years old, who are known as _Chauwa_
(chicks) and do the actual stealing. The Nalband or leader trains these
boys to their work, and also teaches them a code vocabulary (_Parsi_)
and a set of signals (_teni_) by which the Upardar can convey to them
his instructions while business is proceeding. The whole gang set out
at the end of the rains and, arriving at some distant place, break up
into small parties; the Nalband remains at a temporary headquarters,
where he receives and disposes of the spoil, and arranges for the
defence of any member of the gang who is arrested, and for the support
of his wife and children if he is condemned to imprisonment.

3. Methods of stealing

The methods of the Sanaurhias as described by Mr. Seagrim show
considerable ingenuity. When they desire to steal something from a
stall in a crowded market two of the gang pretend to have a violent
quarrel, on which all the people in the vicinity collect to watch,
including probably the owner of the stall. In this case the _Chauwa_
or boy, who has posted himself in a position of vantage, will quickly
abstract the article agreed upon and make off. Or if there are
several purchasers at a shop, the man will wait until one of them
lays down his bundle while he makes payment, and then pushing up
against him signal to the _Chauwa_, who snatches up the bundle and
bolts. If he is caught, the Sanaurhia will come up as an innocent
member of the crowd and plead for mercy on the score of his youth;
and the boy will often be let off with a few slaps. Sometimes three
or four Sanaurhias will proceed to some place of resort for pilgrims
to bathe, and two or three of them entering the water will divert
the attention of the bather by pointing out some strange object
or starting a discussion. In the meantime the _Chauwas_ or chicks,
under the direction of another on the bank, will steal any valuable
article left by the bather. The attention of any one left on shore to
watch the property is diverted by a similar device. If they see a man
with expensive clothes the _Chauwa_ will accidentally brush against
him and smear him with dirt or something that causes pollution;
the victim will proceed to bathe, and one of the usual stratagems
is adopted. Or the Sanaurhia will engage the man in conversation and
the _Chauwa_ will come running along and collide with them; on being
abused by the Sanaurhia for his clumsiness he asks to be pardoned,
explaining that he is only a poor sweeper and meant no harm; and on
hearing this the victim, being polluted, must go off and bathe. [603]
Colonel Sleeman relates the following case of such a theft: [604]
"While at Saugor I got a note one morning from an officer in command
of a treasure escort just arrived from Narsinghpur stating that
the old Subahdar of his company had that morning been robbed of his
gold necklace valued at Rs. 150, and requesting that I would assist
him in recovering it. The old Subahdar brought the note, and stated
that he had undressed at the brook near the cantonments, and placed
the necklace with his clothes, about twenty yards from the place
where he bathed; that on returning to his clothes he could not find
the necklace, and the only person he saw near the place was a young
lad who was sauntering in the mango grove close by. This lad he had
taken and brought with him, and I found after a few questions that he
belonged to the Sanaurhia Brahmans of Bundelkhand. As the old Subahdar
had not seen the boy take the necklace or even approach the clothes,
I told him that we could do nothing, and he must take the boy back to
camp and question him in his own way. The boy, as I expected, became
alarmed, and told me that if I would not send him back with the angry
old Subahdar he would do anything I pleased. I bade him tell me how
he had managed to secure the necklace; and he told me that while the
Subahdar turned his back upon his clothes in prayer, he had taken it
up and made it over to one of the men of his party; and that it must
have been taken to their bivouac, which was in a grove about three
miles from the cantonments. I sent off a few policemen, who secured
the whole party, but could not find anything upon them. Seeing some
signs of a hole having been freshly made under one of the trees they
dug up the fresh earth and discovered the necklace, which the old man
was delighted to recover so easily." Another device which they have
is to beat the _Chauwa_ severely in the sight of a rich stranger. The
boy runs crying and clings to the stranger asking him for help, and
in the meantime picks his pocket. When the Sanaurhias are convicted
in Native States and put into jail they refuse to eat, pleading that
they are poor Brahmans, and pretend to starve themselves to death,
and thus often get out of jail. In reply to a letter inquiring about
these people from the Superintendent of Chanderi about 1851, the Raja
of Banpur wrote:

"I have to state that from former times these people following
their profession have resided in my territory and in the states of
other native princes; and they have always followed this calling,
but no former kings or princes or authority have ever forbidden the
practice. In consequence of these people stealing by day only, and that
they do not take life or distress any person by personal ill-usage,
and that they do not break into houses by digging walls or breaking
door-locks, but simply by their smartness manage to abstract property;
owing to such trifling thefts I looked upon their proceedings as a
petty matter and have not interfered with them." [605] This recalls
another famous excuse.

Sansia

List of Paragraphs

1. _Historical notice of the caste_.
2. _Social customs_.
3. _Taboos of relationship_.
4. _Organisation for dacoity_.
5. _Description of a dacoity_.
6. _Omens_.
7. _Ordeals_.
8. _Sansias at the present time_.

1. Historical notice of the caste

_Sansia_. [606]--A small caste of wandering criminals of northern
India, who live by begging and dealing in cattle. They also steal and
commit dacoities, house-breaking and thefts on railway trains. The
name Sansia is borne as well by the Uriya or Od masons of the Uriya
country, but these are believed to be quite a distinct group from the
criminal Sansias of Central India and are noticed in another short
article. Separate statistics of the two groups were not obtained at
the census. The Sansias are closely connected with the Berias, and
say that their ancestors were two brothers Sains Mul and Sansi, and
that the Berias are descended from the former and the Sansias from the
latter. They were the bards of the Jat caste, and it was their custom
to chronicle the names of the Jats and their ancestors, and when they
begged from Jat families to recite their praises. The Sansias, Colonel
Sleeman states, had particular families (of the Jats) allotted to them,
from whom they had not only the privilege of begging, but received
certain dues; some had fifty, some a hundred houses appointed to them,
and they received yearly from the head of each house one rupee and a
quarter and one day's food. When the Jats celebrated their marriages
they were accustomed to invite the Sansias, who as their minstrels
recited the praises of the ancestors of the Jats, tracing them up to
the time of Punya Jat; and for this they received presents, according
to the means of the parties, of cows, ponies or buffaloes. Should
any Jat demur to paying the customary dues the Sansias would dress
up a cloth figure of his father and parade with it before the house,
when the sum demanded was generally given; for if the figure were
fastened on a bamboo and placed over the house the family would lose
caste and no one would smoke or drink water with them. [607]

The Sansias say that their ancestors have always resided in Marwar
and Ajmer. About twenty-four miles distant from Ajmer are two towns,
Pisangan and Sagun; on their eastern side is a large tank, and the
bones of all persons of the Sansia tribe who died in any part of the
country were formerly buried there, being covered by a wooden platform
with four pillars. [608] On one occasion a quarrel had arisen over
a Sansia woman, and a large number of the caste were killed in this
place. So they left Marwar, and some of them came to the Deccan,
where they took to house-breaking and dacoity; and so successful
were they that the other Sansias followed them and gave up all their
former customs, even those of reciting the praises of and begging
from the Jats.

2. Social customs

The Sansias are divided into two groups, Kalkar and Malha; and
these two are further subdivided into eight and twelve sections
respectively. No one belonging to the Kalkar group may marry another
person of that group, but he may marry anybody belonging to any
section of the Malha group. Thus the two groups being exogamous the
sections do not serve any purpose, but it is possible that the rules
are really more complicated. In the Punjab their marriage ceremony is
peculiar, the bride being covered by a basket, on which the bridegroom
sits while the nuptial rites are being performed. [609] According to
Colonel Sleeman, after the arrangement of a match the caste committee
assemble to determine the price to be paid to the father of the girl,
which may amount to as much as Rs. 2000. When this is settled some
liquor is spilt on the ground in the name of Bhagwan or Vishnu, and
an elder pronounces that the two have become man and wife; a feast is
given to the caste, and the ceremony is concluded. After child-birth
a woman cannot wash herself for five days, but on the sixth she may
go to a stream and wash. Even on ordinary occasions a woman must
never wash herself inside the house, but must always go to a stream,
which rule does not apply to men. When the hair of a child begins to
grow it is all shaved except the scalp-lock, which is dedicated to
Bhagwan; and at ten or twelve years of age this lock is also shaved
off and a dinner is given to members of the caste. The last ceremony
is of the nature of a puberty-rite, and if children die prior to its
performance their bodies are buried, whereas after it they have a right
to cremation. After a body has been burnt the bones are buried on the
spot in an earthen vessel, over the mouth of which a large stone is
placed. Some pig's flesh is cooked and sweet cakes prepared, portions
of which are placed upon the stone; and the deceased is then called
upon, by reason of the usual ceremonies having been performed at his
death, to watch over his surviving relatives. If any Sansia happened to
commit a murder when engaged in a dacoity he was afterwards obliged to
make an offering for forgiveness, and to spend a rupee and a quarter
in liquor for the caste-fellows. If a dacoit had himself been killed
and his body abandoned, his clothes, with some new clothes, were put
upon a sleeping-cot, and his companions of the same caste carried it to
a convenient spot, where it was either burnt or buried in the ground.

3. Taboos of relationship

Colonel Sleeman records some curious taboos among relations. [610] A
man cannot go into the hut of his mother-in-law or of his son's wife;
for if their petticoat should touch him he would be turned out of his
caste and would not be admitted into it until he had paid a large
sum. "If we quarrel with a woman," said a Sansia, "and she strikes
us with her petticoat we lose our caste; we should be allowed to eat
and drink with our tribe, but not to perform worship with them nor to
assist in burial rites. If a woman piles up a heap of stones and puts
her petticoat upon it and throws filth upon it and says to any other,
'This disgrace fell upon your ancestors for seven generations back,'
both are immediately expelled from our caste, and cannot return to
it until they have paid a large sum of money."

4. Organisation for dacoity

As in the case of the Badhaks the arrangements for a dacoity were
carefully organised. Each band had a Jemadar or leader, while the
others were called Sipahis or soldiers. A tenth of all the booty taken
was given to the Jemadar in return for the provision of the spears,
torches and other articles, and of the remainder the Jemadar received
two shares and the Sipahis one each. But no novice was permitted
to share in the booty or carry a spear until he had participated in
two or three successful dacoities; and inasmuch as outsiders, with
the exception of the impure Dhers and Mangs, were freely admitted
to the Sansia community in return for a small money payment, some
such apprenticeship as this was no doubt necessary. If a Sipahi was
killed in a dacoity his wife was entitled to a sum of Rs. 350 and
half an ordinary share in future dacoities as long as she remained
with the gang. The Sansias never pitched their camp in the vicinity
of the place in which they contemplated an enterprise, but despatched
their scouts to it, themselves remaining some twenty miles distant.

5. Description of a dacoity

The scouts, [611] having prospected the town and determined the
house to be exploited, usually that of the leading banker, would
then proceed to it in the early morning before business began and
ask to purchase some ornaments or change some money; by this request
they often induced the banker to bring out his cash chest from the
place of security where he was accustomed to deposit it at night,
and learnt where it should be looked for. Having picked up as much
information as possible, the scouts would purchase some spear-heads,
bury them in a neighbouring ravine, and rejoin the main body. The party
would arrive at the rendezvous in the evening, and having fitted their
spears to bamboo shafts, would enter the town carrying them concealed
in a bundle of _karbi_ or the long thick stalks of the large millet,
juari. [612] One man was appointed to carry the torch, [613] and the
oil to be poured on this had always to be purchased in the town or
village where the dacoity was to take place, the use of any other oil
being considered most unlucky. The vessel containing the oil was not
allowed to touch the earth until its contents had been poured upon
the torch, when it was dashed upon the ground. From this time until
the completion of the dacoity no one might spit or drink water or
relieve himself under penalty of putting a stop to the enterprise. The
Jemadar invoked Khandoba, an incarnation of Mahadeo, and said that if
by his assistance the box of money was broken at the first or second
stroke of the axe, a chain of gold weighing one and a quarter tolas
would be made over to him. The party then approached the shop, the
roads surrounding it being picketed to guard against a rescue, and the
Jemadar, accompanied by four or five men and the torch-bearer, rushed
into the shop crying Din, Din. The doors usually gave way under a few
heavy blows with the axe, which they wielded with great expertness, and
the scout pointed out the location of the money and valuables. Once
in possession of the property the torch was extinguished and the
whole party made off as rapidly as possible. During their retreat
they tried to avoid spearing people who pursued them, first calling
out to them to go away. If any member of the party was killed or so
desperately wounded that he could not be removed, the others cut off
his head and carried it off so as to prevent recognition; a man who
was slightly wounded would be carried off by his companions, but if
the pursuit became hot and he had to be left, they cut off his head
also and took it with them, escaping by this drastic method the risk
of his turning approver with the consequent danger of conviction for
the rest of the gang. About a mile from the place of the dacoity they
stopped and mustered their party, and the Jemadar called out to the
god Bhagwan to direct any pursuers in the wrong direction and enable
them to reach their families. If any dacoit had ever been killed at
this particular town they also called upon his spirit to assist them,
promising to offer him a goat or some liquor; and so, throwing down
a rupee or two at any temple or stream which they might pass on their
way, they came to their families. When about a mile away from the camp
they called out 'Cuckoo' to ascertain if any misfortune had occurred
during their absence; if they thought all was well they went nearer
and imitated the call of the partridge; and finally when close to the
encampment made a hissing noise like a snake. On arrival at the camp
they at once mounted their ponies and started off, marching fifty or
sixty miles a day, for two or three days.

6. Omens

The Sansias never committed a dacoity on moonlight nights, but had five
appointed days during the dark half of the month, the seventh, ninth,
eleventh, thirteenth and the night of the day on which the new moon
was first seen. If they did not meet with a favourable omen on any
of these nights, no dacoity was committed that month. The following
is a list of omens given by one of the caste: [614] "If we see a cat
when we are near the place where we intend to commit a dacoity, or we
hear the relations of a dead person lamenting, or hear a person sneeze
while cooking his meal, or see a dog run away with a portion of any
person's food, or a kite screams while sitting on a tree, or a woman
breaks the earthen vessel in which she may have been drawing water,
we consider the omens unfavourable. If a person drops his turban or
we meet a corpse, or the Jemadar has forgotten to put some bread into
his waistbelt, or any dacoit forgets his axe or spear or sees a snake
whether dead or alive; these omens are also considered unfavourable
and we do not commit the dacoity. Should we see a wolf and any one
of us have on a red turban, we take this and tear it into seven
pieces and hang each piece upon a separate tree. We then purchase a
rupee's worth of liquor and kill a goat, which is cut up into four
pieces. Four men pretend that they are wolves and rushing on the four
quarters of the meat seize them, imitating the howl of these animals,
while the rest of the dacoits pelt them with the entrails; the meat
is afterwards cooked and eaten in the name of Bhagwan."