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Nov. 1, 1872.)
THE GONDS IN BAITUL.
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having a perfectly different religion; they also however claim a Rajput origin, and I believe that some of their chiefs on the hills adjoining Berar still arrogate to themselves the title and privileges of Rajpats. It is popularly believed that the Gonds are divided into 12 gots or tribes, corresponding to the 124 castes into which the Hindus have been divided ; but I believe this to be a mere invention of modern times, put forward by some of the Pradans, or the priest class of Gonds, in affectation of Hinduism. The gots of the Gonds are properly family distinctions, merking different branches of the original stock; as a proof of which I record the fact that only members of different gots are allowed to intermarry, the wife being adopted into that of her husband. I believe that originally there were but two well recognized gots, termed "Dhurwa" and "Wika;" from the former the royal race and the chief Thakur's or Chiefs are said to have sprung; and from the latter, the remainder of the population. At the present day, the number of recognized gots is very great, so much so, that I have failed in meeting any person who pretended to know the names even of all of them.
As far as I have been able to discover, there are 22 gots belonging to the “ Wika" branch of the race, and 24 to the “Dhurwa." Besides the gots there are a number of "Jats" as they term them ; such are tho Pungudyas, Pradhâns or priests, Dhotya, Duburyas-makers of liquor to be used at ceremonies,-Chirkyas and Ojas-musicians employed on similar occasions --Kotyas, who make images of deities, and various other professional divisions ; these again are subdivided into the gots. The whole subject is involved in great obscurity, owing to the want of any records, and the utter ignorance and want of education among even the better situated Chiefs and Thakurs.
The Gond religion is a peculiar one. Besides the subdivision of the race into gots, the gots themselves are again divided into classes according to the gods they worship. There are three classes generally recognized, worshipping seven, six, and three gods respectively. The first class comprises, I believe, the Raj Gonds, the priest caste, and perhaps some others; the second class comprises the bulk of the gots as its followers, while the three god worshippers are termed "Muraskolas ;" there are said to be some gots that worship five, and some four gods, but this is a matter of some doubt. This is the theory of the religion as expounded by their " wise men;" but the great bulk of the nation know little of these distinctions. They follow in the steps of their fathers in the ceremonies attending marriages, births, and deaths, some of which are very peculiar, all involving more or less outlay on drink, and they all know some god to whom they make their customary offering at stated times. The religion generally of the Gonds may be divided into two heads, which for want of better terms, I would call "precative" and "deprecative;" the one
addressing itself to the powers of good, and calling for blessing; the other addressed to the powers of evil, and intended to avert calamity; the latter rites frequently involve the shedding of animal blood as an expiation of course with such an ignorant race, almost every object of external nature is made at times to serve as the visible symbol of the divinity. The lowest class of Gonds, a sort of outcaste tribe, called "Dhuryam," are even said to worship the dung of pigs ! It is hardly possible for the imagination to carry one lower than that.
It is worthy of remark that one of the ceremonies after a death consists in killing a cow and sprinkling its blood over the grave; in default of this it is said that the spirit of the departed refuses to rest, and returns upon earth to haunt its relatives in life. From my own experience I am convinced that this ceremony is by no means universally acted up to, and not at all in the case of Gonds, living in the open country, and in contact with the Hindus. The Gonds as a rule bury their dead: but I have been informed that in the case of Gonds who, as it is expressively termed "die in their beds," that is in easy circumstances and better position than the mass, they are burned after the manner of Hindus. Another peculiar custom of the Gonds is that of serving for a wife in her father's house precisely as Jacob did for Rachel; the period varies from 7 to 10 years.
The language of the Gonds is quite peculiar to themselves, and, as far as I kuow of it, contains no element of Sanskrit or other roots of the present Hindu languages. The language and religion of the Kurkus are perfectly distinct; the foriner has a decided affinity to Telugu ; their religion consists chiefly in the worship of Mahadeva, whose symbol is the "Linga ;" they also worship the sun. Altogether they are much more allied to the Hindus than the Gonds both as regards their language and their religion.
There are but few wandering tribes, and professional criminals are but a handful ; this would naturally be the case in a purely agricultural district, possessing no large towns; all have employment, more or less, and consequently the chief incentives to crime are wanting; occasionally dacoities are committed by Banjaras, but these occurrences are few and far between. Formerly the Gonds were the chief offenders in this respect, but they have now been grently reclaimed from their former habits, and now seldom break out into crime except under pressure of want. As I have said before they live entirely froin hand to mouth ; during the intervals of the harvests they subsist mostly on jangal produce; during seasons of failure they are utterly dependent on the bounty of the Malguzar, and if the bountiful hand be withheld, want will necessarily drive the sufferers to extremes.
Education must be pronounced to be still in a low state throughout the district generally, though irprovement is gradually taking place in this respect.
