Indian Antiquary Vol 53

Author(s): Richard Carnac Temple, Stephen Meredyth Edwardes, Krishnaswami Aiyangar
Publisher: Swati Publications

Page 82

76
THE INDIAN ANTIQUARY
[APRIL, 1924
and castes, that it can only be described as a miscellaneous collection of the flotsam and jetsam of humanity that would be drawn into the wake of a large military expedition, of no distinctive type, though the tribe preserves for the most part a distinctive costume to this day." The coarse cloth to which Tone refers is clearly sackcloth, the first half of the word being the Hindustani tat (Skt. tratra), and is identical with the modern "gunny." It is not known whether the Vanjaris of to-day still make this cloth, though Mr. Enthoven mentions among their modern occupations the spinning of coarse hemp tag.
After concluding his account of the Maratha military administration, Tone describes the serâis, dharamshalas, and other features of the country, likely to be of use to travellers. "In every village," he remarks, "there are three persons maintained at the public expense, whose services every traveller has a right to demand." The first of these is the Ishkaur [i.e., Yeskar or village door-keeper] or chief of the low-caste people, whose duty it is to furnish baggage-coolies. If no Dher or Parwari can be found at once, he resorts to the Sonar: if none of these are ready, he goes through all the order, and if no one will take up the baggage, the Patel must carry it himself. I have frequently known very high caste Brahmans pressed upon this service, though it is remarkable they never presume to compel a Musalman, however mean and indigent he may be. These Bigaris are exchanged at the next village, where they receive a certain quantity of coarse flour from the Patel, but no payment is ever required."
Tone, without knowing it, is here referring to the old village organization-the Bárá Balute and Bârâ Alute, described in some detail by Grant Duff. The Yeskar or Taral was always a Mhar, whose duty it was to remain in the village and never to quit its boundary. "He is at the constant call of the Patell," writes Grant Duff, "but his particular duty is to attend strangers, and take care of all travellers from the moment of their entering the village; of which, if walled, the Tural is porter. He furnishes all necessary information, as well as supplies to strangers, and is often extremely useful to them." Out of the original twenty-four recognized village servants, who were assigned definite shares of the village crops and other perquisites and rights in return for their professional services, Tone mentions only the Yeskar, the Bhil and the "Kooley " (Koli). He speaks of two or three Bhils being attached to every village at the government expense, meaning probably Ramosis, in regard to the majority of Deccan villages: but he gives no information as to the precise service they were expected to perform. Grant Duff, however, states that they acted chiefly as watchmen, or, when the country was settled and free from "alarums and excursions," as useful auxiliaries of the village police in the person of the Pâtel. The Koli is declared by Tone to be" of so high a caste that every other Hindu can eat what they cook. If you like, the Kooley will dress your victuals, bring you what you want from the bazar, and for all this no compensation is expected." This at first sight appears somewhat odd, though the fact that Grant Duff mentions the Koli among the Bård Alute as the recognized water-carrier of the village shows that his position in the scale of caste cannot have been very low. Mr. Enthoven in an article on the Malhar Kolis in his Tribes and Castes of Bombay fully corroborates Tone's account, and quotes Mackintosh's statement that this section, which is also called Panbhari or waterfilling Kolis, is "one of the purest and most respectable of all the Koli tribes." "They are also called Chumlis from the cloth-fenders they wear on their heads as water-pot rests, and Kunum Kolis, because according to Mackintosh they eat and associate with Kunbis.... As the name Panbhari shows, their usual calling is to supply villagers and strangers with water and to clean out the village rest-house and office. Near Pandharpur many Malhar Kolis are yeskars or village door-keepers, and in Khandesh and Ahmadnagar a few are husbandmen.