1 244
2 PANJAB CASTES.
3 OSWAl.
4 467
5 51
6 1,088
7 527
8 20
9 Sirsa ...
10 P-itiala
11 Other places .
12 TOTAI
13 Mahesei.
14 The OswalS or south-western section of the caste trace their origin from Osia or Osnagar, a
15 town in Marwar. Tlicir distribation in the
16 Panjab is shown in the margin ; their real
17 home_ is in Gujarat and South-Westem
18 Riijpiitana, where they are exceedingly
19 uumerous. They are very generally Jains,
20 and when Jains, almost always of the Swe-
21 tambara sect.
22 The third or noi-th-wcstcrn section is
23 Mahesri who are most numerous in Bikaner.
24 Mr. Wilson says that those of Sirsa claim
25 Rajput origin, and still have sub-diWsious
26 bearing Rajput names. They say that
27 their ancestor was turned into stone for
28 an outrage upon a Jaqir, but was restored
29 t» life by Mahesh or Mahadeo ; hence their
30 name. Their di.<tribution in the Panjab
31 is shown in the margin. They are for the
32 most part Vaishuava Hindus, though
33 occasionally Jains. Their relations with the
34 Aggarwals are much closer than are those of
35 the Oswals.
36 The Saralia Banyas are returned in the
37 localities shown in the margin. They are a
38 branch of the Aggarwals, but owing to
39 some dispute left Agroha and settled in
40 Sariila, a town not far from Agroha, from
41 which they take their name. They are as
42 strict as other Aggarwais, and not in any
43 way daia or impure. They do not inter-
44 marry with other Aggarwais. I have been
45 able to discover nothing regarding their
46 origin or the distinction between them and
47 Dehli ...
48 Gurgaou
49 Karnal...
50 Hissar . . .
51 Rohtak
52 Dehli ...
53 Gurgaon
54 Hissar ...
55 Rohtak
56 Sirsa ...
57 Amrltsar
58 Ambala
59 Simla
60 Fatiala
61 Ealsia
62 Hill States
63 525
64 490
65 530
66 285
67 920
68 2,4S5
69 Firozpur
70 Mult^n
71 Other places . . .
72 Total
73 Sabaiia.
74 1,378
75 262
76 70
77 3,863
78 145
79 177
80 198
81 5,755
82 9,841
83 28
84 971
85 868
86 191
87 ToTAl 11,899
88 the other sections of the caste.
89 Tlie Dasa Banyas are not properly a distinct section of the caste. The word mean^ ' hvbrid '
90 and IS used for members of other castes who have departed from the custom of the caste oV
91 who«e descent ,s not pure. Tlie Da<^a Banyas are said to be descendants of an illegitimate «on of
92 an Aggarwal. To the figures given for them al,ove sliould be added 1,664 in Ambala who have
93 returned themselves as Gata, which is a synonym for Dasa.
94 Little appears to be known of the minor sub-divisions'. It is to be hoped that the detailed
95 tables of sub-divisions of castes now in course of preparation from the papers of the Pani.ab
96 Census will teU us something about them. The three great sections, Agg;^-wal, Oswal .nud
97 Mahesri, are said not to intermarry. The Banyas possess the Brahminical goiras, but it appears
98 that they also have other sub-divisions of the main sections of the caste. "ippeau
99 534. The Dhimsar (Caste No. 173) .-The head-quarters of the Dhunsar
100 are at Kewan m Gurgaon. The total number in the Paniab is under 1 OOO
101 and all but three are Hindus. They take their name from Dhosi, a flat^
102 topped hill near Nurnaul, where their ancestor Chimand performed his
103 devotions. They are of Bmhminieal origin, as is admitted by the Brahmans [P. 294]
104 themselves, and it is possible that some of them may have recorded themselves
105 as Brahmans m the schedules. Indeed, I find 1.6 OS Dhusar Brahmans
106 retui-ned, of whom 1,5G0 are in Gui-daspur ; but whether these are the same
107 men as the Dhunsars of Rewari I cannot sav. The detailed tables when
108 ready will c ear up this point. In any case, they are no longer Brdhmans,
109 any more than are the agncultural Tagas j and like the latter they emplov
110 Brahmans to mimster to them. They are almost exclusively clerks or
111 eminence m
112 merchants, though, like the Khatris, some of them have risen to .^,, ^
113 the army and the Coui't. The great Hemu, the leader of the Indian army at
114 the second battle of Panipat, W.3S a Dlnhi.^ar of Rewari. Sherring states
115 that the Dhunsars have a tradition of origin in the neighl,oui-hood of Benares
116 before mignitmg to Dehli, that they excel as minstrels, and are exceedingly