________________
80
Jaina Community-A Social Survey
their own caste to follow their callings.60 We have seen that the Jaina castes were named mainly after the places of their origin. Srimalis were so called because they came from Srimāla; Osavalas from Osia, Agaravālas from Agroha, Khandelavālas from Khāndeka, etc. In the circumstances no particular occupation can be assigned to these castes as hereditary occupation. The Jaina castes were not occupational in character. Members of a castes were allowed complete freedom to follow any occupation they liked. Later on when some members of a caste followed a particular occupation, divisions or sub-castes named after that occupation were formed in that caste. Among Dasā Śrīmālīs there is a division by name
Chanā pahua 61 which suggests that its members might be following in the past the occupation of selling grains and parched rice. Moreover, there are a few castes among the Śvetāmbaras which are known after their occupations, viz., Kandvi (sweet-meat sellers), Sutāra (carpenter ), Darji (tailor ), Modha-ghañchi ( oil-crusher ), Kachhiā ( vegetable dealer ), etc
One of the important restrictions observed by members of a caste is regarding the extent to which the members are allowed to contract their matrimonial alliances. For this purpose generally a caste is divided into smaller groups known as sub-castes and members were enjoined to choose their partners from their own sub-castes. This is what is known as the rule of endogamy and if this rule is violated expulsion from the membership of the group is generally the penalty which the offending parties have to suffer. Thus the Brahmins from Mahārāshtra are divided into Desastha, Konkanastha, Karhādā, etc. Brahmins and as a rule a Desastha person cannot marry a Konkanastha lady and so on. Among the Jainas the castes are endogamous where there are no subdivisions in the caste. Saitavalas, Chaturthas, Pañchamas, Khandelavalas, etc. marry among themselves. In other castes there are subdivisions which are treated as endogamous groups. Practically every important Jaina caste in the Gujaratha is divided into Visā and Dasā and some are even further sub-divided. Thus the Srimälis are divided into Visā Śrīmālīs, Dasā Śrimālis and Lādavā śrīmālis. Among the Visa Śrīmālīs there are seven minor divisions and among the Dasā Śrīmālis there are three. The three main divisions with their sub-divisions do not inter-marry.62 Further, among the Visā and Dasā śrīmālis territorial limits have been put for
Am divided into me are event the Gujarhous group
