Indian Antiquary Vol 11

Author(s): Jas Burgess
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 137

MAY, 1882.)
HONORIFIC CLASS NAMES IN THE PANJÅB.
117
HONORIFIC CLASS NAMES IN THE PANJAB.
BY LIEUT, R. C. TEMPLE, F.R.G.S., M.R.A.S., &c. TT is. I believe, a custom more or less prevalent brother named Sadawa, who became so ill for love
throughout India to call persons of lowly of a Kalál girl, that he was allowed to marry her, position and circumstances by high-sounding titles the Kalals stipulating that the bridegroom's and names. The same infuence is at work here family should all be called KalAls and marry that makes the petty officials about our Indian only into Kalál families. Hence all Ahluwalias courts or offices" dp" each other. These titles were called Kaláls and vice versa. The chances have, I believe, never been enquired into, though are that the Kapurthalâ Rajâs were always they are generally known to us, and that is the really Jat Kalals by caste. reason for recording some of them here. The (4.) Ramghashi & for Tarkhân, carpenter. commonest instances of them are "mehtar" The Ramgashils are a great Sikh family, of (lord, ruler) for “scavenger," "sweeper," and whom Sirdar Jassâ Singh Ramgarhill (ob. 1783) “bahishti" (heavenly, from bahisht, heaven), for was the most famous. One of Ranjit Singh's "water-carrier." Each name will, however, be wives came from the Ramgarhills, and as might examined in its place.
be assumed from the title being given to the From a collection of such names made in the Tarkhans, a carpenter is said to have founded Panjâb it is found that they are of various kinds the fort of Ramgarh. Carmichael Smyth, Some are bistorical, some religious, some allu- Reigning Family of Lahore (1847), App. ii, sions to office or capacity, some merely nick says—"All Ramghurria Sings (Sikhs) are car. names.
penters by caste, so that now the word RamHistorical Names.
ghurria Sing signifies a Sing (Sikh) carpenter." (1.) Rod âs or Ravd As for Chammar, (5.) Baw, father, reverend, for Lakridealer and worker in leather, a very low caste farosh, timber-merchant (not for Talwala, firein the N. W. P. and Panjab. This name is an wood seller). This term arises from the Bawas, allusion to Ravidas or Raidas, (Trumpp, Adi descendants of the second Sikh Guru Angad," Granth, p. 130, note 3), the Bhagat who flourished having fallen into evil ways and taken to selling circ. 1480-1530 A. D., and who was a Chammar timber as a means of livelihood. One Biwi by caste. There is a corruption, Ramdês that I know is now a publican (kaldi). of this name, whence the better known Ram
Religious Names. da sia, which purports to mean descendant or (6.) Parjå pat, creator, lord of the creatfollower of the fourth Sikh Gurû, Râm Dâs, and is ed, for Kumhâr, potter. This name is Hindi a title assumed by Chammars about Ambâlâ. and Panjábi. Prajapati is one of the titles of
(2.) Raghuba i siâ for Chammar. The Brahma, the creator, and is also used of the word means of the race of Raghu or of the Rishis. It is said to be applied to the Kumhârs Solar Race, but the claims of this class to that because they "create" their vessels out of mnd. very high dignity is merely honorary, as it (7.) Bhagat, saint, for Skis (popularly take its rise from the fact of Raghbîr the sahis), syce, groom. Many of the lower castes, Bhagat having been a Chammar by caste. sweepers, tailors, bhîstis, etc., still seem to
(3.) Ahluwalia for Kalal, low caste have a religion apart from the orthodox publican, dealer in spirituous liquors, Åbkári Hindus, and do not put their faith in the Verlus, contractor or distiller. This name is based on etc. Among the syces are many free-thinking a story which is probably a legend only and not saints or Bhagats, which has perhaps given rise historical. Ahluwalia is the surname of the to this curious appellation of the whole caste. Kapûrtbalâ Rajas, and the name is thus A true Bhagat syco is carried to the funeral accounted for. Sadão Singh, the founder of pyre with songs from the Ramayana and with no the family, and of the village of Ahlu (whence signs of sorrow, as after death, being holy, he the name Ahluwalia), near Lahor, had a younger is considered to have passed to a better state of
I have my doubts as to this being the real derivation of this word, but it is the one commonly scoepted, and in practice the name is honorific. Thore is & Sansk. root, vish, to sprinkle, pour out, but I am not prepared to say that it
has anything to do with the modern word bhisti: " bahishti" does not mean water-carrier in Persian.
Griffin, Rajas of the Punjab, pp. 452-58. Griffin, pp. 467-474.