Indian Antiquary Vol 54

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

Page 37

FEBRUABY, 1925 ]
THE JAT OF BALUCHISTAN.
31
7. Recognised prostitution.-Not that a woman's life is one long round of toil and moil. On the march she takes her ease on a camel, while her lord trudges along on foot. The wife of one of the well-to-do is loaded with jewels from top to toe : rings (búla), pins, pendants (buldq), all of gold in her nose, golden rings and pendants in her ears, shells in her hair, a silver necklace round her neck, silver banglets on her arms and legs. This expensive enhancement of her charms, which is made complete among several sections by a tattoo mark between the eyebrows, is not intended for the selfish gratification of her husband : it is an outlay of capital which is expected to bring in a goodly return. It is a common saying that a tribesman who puts a camel out to graze with a Jat, becomes thereby the bhótar or master of the Jat's wife. He comes along every now and then to have a look at his camel and more than a look at the lady of the house. As he comes in, the Jat goes out. On entering the bhôtár leaves his shoes or stick outside the tent. If the Jat on his return finds the shoes or stick still outside, he shuffles with his feet or gives a discreet cough. If this hint is insufficient, he shouts out : "Master ! the horse has got loose!” or “ Master ! a dog has run off with your shoes !"-a hint too broad to be mistaken. Should a visitor come along when the Jat is absent, his presence in the tent will be advertised by his shoes outside or by some obliging old go-between who greets the husband with the stock euphemism "There's a stallion after the mare !" Though this is regarded as an ancient and honourable custom, and the husband, we are assured, takes pride in the conquests of his wife, it has of course a mercenary side to it. The bhótar makes presents in one form or another; if he is a big man in the tribe, he can of course help the family in a number of ways.
8. Religion.-They profess to be Sunni Muhammadans, but their religious convictions are not very deep-rooted. They don't keep the Muharram or fast in the Ramzan. But the two ids are celebrated with much merriment, feasting and singing; these are the only seasons of jollification in the year. They worship no saints and would be hard put to it to explain what the term means. They call in a Mullah for their domestic ceremonies, but if they cannot secure his services, they get on very well without him. Though they don't believe in Sayyads, they are not above being inoculated against small-pox by Sayyad Shahi of Dhadar. If there is an actual case of small-pox in the house, some damsels and lads are fed to the full on the eighth day, and the former pour water on the patient. The womenfolk are supposed to keep up their singing till the patient recovers.
9. Child-birth.-In the case of painful labour they dip the beard of some pious old man in water, and help on the delivery by rubbing the water on the woman's belly and making her drink some of it down.
10. Circumcision of females.-Like all Muhammadans, they circumcise their male children, usually between the age of three and seven. But having thus done all that religion demands of them, they carry the practice further and circumcise their females. Of the circumcision of females two accounts are given. According to the one, a girl is circumcised when she is twelve or thereabouts by an old nurse or midwife, a few female relatives being called in for the ceremony, which passes off very quietly. According to the other, a bride is circumcised within the bridal chamber on the bridal night by a midwife who performs the operation on the clitoris apparently) with a razor, and puts ashes on the wound. The explanation given is that they are reduced to thus sprinkling the bridal couch with blood, in order to prove that the bride is-what in this tribe she generally is not-a virgin.
11. Marriage age, etc.—They are perforce endogamous, as nobody, except possibly a Lori, would dream of giving his daughter to one of them in marriage. Though boys are sometimes married when quite young, girls are not married till they reach puberty. As they themselves put it, it would be a waste of money to marry a wife who is too young for