Indian Antiquary Vol 17

Author(s): John Faithfull Fleet, Richard Carnac Temple
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 79

MARCH, 1888.)
NOTES ON INDIAN GIPSY TRIBES.
69
mail robbery in Agrå ;' Mêwaris committing five vinces. In the Central Dåb most of them hold dacoities in Ajmêr;Sånvriyâs disposing of land as a means for concealing bad livelihood. their plunder in Bengal. Bilûchis from the They very seldom commit offences near home, Muzaffarnagar District were traced to the but absent themselves for months at a time on Bombay Presidency, while individual Jôgis plundering expeditions, and visit for that pur. can be traced from 'Aligarh to Mirzapur. pose the Pañjab and even go as far as Bengal. Pardėsis of Gorakhpur and Dhôlérâs of Bareli | They are expert burglars, and occasionally form wander all over India;' and Pardêsîs from below dacoit gangs. In former times horse-stealing Dânápur thieve in Mathura.' Avadhiyas and was one of their specialties, but this has been Kapúriyâs of Fatehpur wander all over the practically suppressed.10 Provinces ;' and a gang of Hirati vagabonds Ahirg-(Sanskrit Abhîra, a cowherd). The appeared in Ajmer during the famine. These Ahîrs according to the last Census number instances might be almost indefinitely increased. 3,584, 185, and are generally distributed all over
Captain Dennehy remarks in the Report the North-West Provinces. Their numbers by above referred to that the Mînås, Bausiyâs, revenue divisions are Mérath (46,983), Agrå Baddhaks, Jõgis, Abâriyâs, Bahêliyâs, Sahêriyâs, (430, 933), Rohilkhand (91,460), Allahâbâd Chirimârs, Pasis, Arukhs, Kanjars, Gudelâs, (589,120), Banâras (1,176,593), Jhansi (61,470), Bbars and Dosads, "commit habitually Lakhnau (271,251), Sitapur (229,150), Faizaevery kind of dacoity, robbery and theft, bâd (353,730), Rae-Bareli (331,381). They are which opportunity may throw in their way. divided into three great tribes-Nandbans, To these tribes and frequently, too, to the Jadbans (Yadů bans) and Gwalbans. In the castes of Ahirs and Thâkurs belong nearly Western Districts they follow the custom of the all the gangs of dacoits organised in differ- Jâţs and GQjars as regards the re-marriage of ent localities in the North-West Provinces. elder brothers' widows, but this is not the case The ranks of the professional poisoners are in the Central Dakb. "In the Dehli territory principally recruited from among the Pâsîs, the Ahirs eat, drink, and smoke in common not Nais, Jarriya Lodhîs, Ahîrs and Ahâriyâs. only with Játs and Gajars, but also under a The GOjars and Rangars, though they occa- few restrictions with Rajputs. In other places sionally commit dacoities, are ordinarily cattle Rajpûts would indignantly repudiate all conthieves. The Bilûchis are practised thieves, nection with Ahîrs."1 Their special occupation and commit offences in the guise of men. is cattle-breeding and dairy-farming, and their dicants (fagirs) or medicine-men (hakims). distinctive crime is cattle-stealing, but as a The Sâņvriyâs and Avadhiyas never join in whole the caste has a bad reputation. They crimes of violence." The last North-West are not nomadic in their habits, and do not Provinces Census figures are not satisfactory seem to wander far from home for purposes of for this class of the population, as will appear crime. The Ahirs of Gôrakhpur are always from subsequent notes.
ready to join in crimes of violence," and are Ahariyas-these are a leading criminal class noted cattle-thieves in the Taras." The Ghazi. in the Central Jamni-Gangetie Doab and the
pur Abirs make cattle-lifting excursions into adjoining Rohilkhand Districts. They do not Mirzapur," and the old Nizamat 'Adalat Reports appear separately in the Census returns, and abound with references to their doings -e.g., are probably included in the Abars, who number a professional poisoner described himself as 257,670 souls, as compared with only 104,159 an Ahir of Farrukhabad (Bhawani, 19th June shown in the previous enumeration. They are 1852.) A band of Mainpuri Ahîrs disputed found principally in 'Aligarh(13,014, Eta (2,225) | about cattle-theft, killed one man and wounded Muradabad (37,306), Budäda (133,085), Bareli another with swords (Khuman Singh, 2nd (47,366), Pilibhit (13,250), Tarûi (2,393), but are December 1852.) A number of Mêrath Abîrs practically non-existent in the rest of the Pro- attacked a party of Gajars who had tracked
1. Inspector General's Report, p. 20. op. cit. p. 54.
op. cit. p. 96. • op. cit. 1868. p. 6.
• op. cit. loc. cit. • op. cit. loc. cit.
op. cit. 28. • op. cit. p. 42.
op. cit. 1869, p. 54.
10 Police Report, 1867, p. 29. 11 Sir H. M. Elliot, Glossary, 8.V. 13 Inspector General Police, 1868, p. 106. 13 op. cit. 1871, p. 96. * op. cit. 1870, p. 83 B.