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APRIL 5, 1872.]
CORRESPONDENCE, &c.
129
only to touch on certain general points as regards believe to be a fanciful distinction ; but, on the these tribes. The Gonds and Kurkus are radically other hand, there are two well recognised original distinct, almost as much so as Hindus and Musal- branches, viz., the Dhurwas and Wikas; each of mans. Their languages are quite different, and these has its got sub-divisions and its distinctions have hardly anything in common, as I shall show of worshippers of distinct gods. by some examples. In the main, too, they inhabit With the Kurkus, the sub-division into gots is by different localities though they do intermix a good no means so well established a fact as it is among the deal along the frontier line. The proper habitat of Gonds, and the idea was probably derived from the the Kurku is in the wild country between Asirgarh latter. As regards religion, that of the Kurkus is and the Pachmari hills. Westward of Asirgach he essentially one and the same, the same deities being is replaced by the Bhill. The chief seat of the worshipped under various forms as is the case with Gonds is in the Baitul, Chindwara, and Seoni dis- all Hindus. Both Kurkus and Gonds worship the tricts, mostly east of the Pachinari hills; further manes of their deceased ancestors, and both perform east, he is replaced by the Baigars of Mandia, & ceretoonies analogous to the Sraddha of Hindus. cognate, but still quite distinct, tribe. As regards
But it is undoubtedly true that customs vary inreligion the Kurku is a Hindu, a worshipper of mensely in different places, and what may be a Mahadeva and the Linga, a venerator of the cow, true account of a Baitul Gond would not be equally conforming to certain Hindu usages, and claiming true of one from the Seonî district, and it is also dogcent from a Rajput race. On the other hand, the true that where the Gonds and Kurkus are in immeGond admits none of the Hindu divinities into his diate juxtaposition, they have mutually borrowed pantheon, and is moreover bound on occasions of some of each other's customs. And again the Gond death to slay a cow and pour its blood on the grave! Thákurs of the Chindwårå hills have adopted many to ensure peace and rest for the manes of the de- ! Hindu customs quite unknown to their wilder parted. In nay experience, Gonds alunost always breti ren of the Baitul forests,-hence it may be bury their dead. Sometimes in the cases of Gonds that notices of the tribe may vary very much, and yet of good position, who rather ape Hinduism, burn- each present a true picture of the varying ci ing is practised.
stances. The social customs of these people are very The Gond deities are numerous ; hill tops deified peculiar, but I cannot enter into an account of thein are the favourite objects of adoration. The whole now. As an example I append the numerals up to race is primarily divided into classes according to ten in Gondi and Kurku.the gods whom they worship; those of seven, six,
Gondi
Kurku. and three gods; it is doubtful if there are worship- 1. Wandu (Undi) ............... Miya pers of four or five, but it is very difficult to get 2. Runa (Rand) .................. Bariya any accurate information, as even the Pradhans, or
3. Mund.............
Aphigå Gond priests, seem to have little knowledge on the
Nálum (Nalung)............... Uphany subject. These primary divisions are again sub- 5. Siyum (Seiyung).......... Munya divided into nuinerous gots or clans which do not 6. Sârum (Sarung) ...............
Turya intermarry. There are said to be 12 gote, after 7. Yerum (Yedung).
Eya the manner of the Hindu castes, but the number 8. Irinul (Yermud) ..
Tlary& actually existing is very much larger. I have 9. Anma .......................... Arrya been given the names of upwards of thirty. Oue
10. Pad .............................. Gulya god seems common to all the Gonds, viz., Buralpen,
Some Kurku words are undoubtedly of Aryan origin or the great god, though he is known by different
as Bap (father), Mai (mother), Betya (son), Bete names in different places.
(daughter), gai (cow),--almost pury Hindi words, but The Gonds were once a powerful nation, and
these are exceptional. The corresponding Gond the Gond R&j& had his seat on the hill of
terus are radically different as Dáo (father), Yerá Deogash in the Chindwara district; being ousted
(mother), Chona (son), Turk (daughter), Tále by the Mar& has of Nagpur, he became a sort
(cow). cow).
W. RAMAY. of pensioned prisoner, and he still remains & pensioner of the British Government. In former days the Gond Raja averted complete subjugation
MSS. of the Atharvareda. at the hands of the Delhi Emperors by adopting In Lunawada (Rovakanth) is a small volony of Muhammadanism, and to this day the Rája is ap- Atharvavedis consisting of three families, who are parently a Musalman; he sends for a pure Gond in possession of the books belonging to their Veda. wife from the Chindwara hills, and she conforms to They have already furnished some MSS. to Rao the religion of her husband. It is common to hear Bahadur Gopalrao Hari of Ahmadabad, wbo, abont of the Gonds as divided into Raj Gonds, viz. those two years ago, placed a copy of the Gopathaof the royal stock, and cominon Gonds, but this I brahmana, procured from Lunawada, at the dis
• The name added in parentheses are thoso given in Hislop's Vocabulary as the Gondi names of the numerals.--ED.
