1 VAGRANT, MENIAL, AND ARTISAN CASTES.
2 293
3 *P. 106-
4 107
5 ing pans and other articles used in agriculture ; and like them they eat jackals,
6 lizai-ds, tortoises, and pigs. Many of them have abandoned scaveugering and
7 taken to leather-work and even to weaving'^ and by doing so have mounted
8 one or even two steps in the social grades, as in the latter case they pass over
9 the leather-workers. But to secui-e the full benefit of this change of occu-
10 pation they must relinquish the habit of eating carrion. Then- agricultural
11 functions will be presently described. It is probable that tlmj are essentially
12 of aboriginal origin ; but there is little doubt that the aboriginal nucleus has
13 received additions from other som-ces, of those who have gradually sunk in the
14 Scale of occupations or have in any way been degraded to the lowest level.
15 The distribution of the class will be noticed as each of the three castes is dis-
16 cussed. In the hills they are replaced by menials who will be described in the
17 separate section on the menials of those parts.
18 597. The Chuhra (Caste No. 4).— The Chuhra or Bhangi of Hindustan'
19 is the sweeper and scavenger par excellence of the Panjab, is found throughout
20 the Province except in the hills, where he is replaced by other castes presently
21 to be described. He is comparatively rare on the frontier, where he is, I
22 believe, chiefly confined to the towns ; and most numerous in the Lahore and
23 Amritsar divisions and Faridkot where much of the agricultui-al labour is
24 performed by him, as he here fills the position with respect to field-work which
25 is held in the east of the Province by the Chamar. For the frontier, however,
26 the figures of Abstract No. 72 (page 2^-i*) must be added, which shows the
27 Chuhras and Kutanas who have returned themselves as Jats. He is one of
28 the village menials proper, who receive a customary share of the produce and
29 iierform certain duties. In the east of the Province he sweeps the houses and
30 village, collects the cowduug, pats it into cakes and stacks it, works up the
31 manure, helps with the cattle, and takes them from village to village. News
32 of a death sent to friends is invariably carried by him, and he is the general
33 village messenger {Lekhar, Baldi, Baldkar, Daura). He also makes the
34 chhdj or winnowing pan, and the sirki or grass thatch used to cover carts and
35 the like. In the centre of the Province he adds to these functions actual hai'd
36 work at the plough and in the iielJ. He claims the flesh of such dead animals
37 as do not divide the hoof, the cloven-footed belonging to the Chamiir. But
38 his occupations change somewhat wiih his religion ; and here it will be well
39 to show exactly what other entries of our schedules I have included under the
40 head of Chuhra : —
41 DlTISIOSS.
42 Mazbi.
43 Rangrtta.
44 Musalli.
45 Kutana.
46 Dehli
47 39
48 Hissar
49 ...
50 ...
51 ...
52 Ambiila
53 i,761
54 245
55 ...
56 ...
57 Jalaudliav ...
58 l,31i
59 14
60 70
61 ...
62 Amritsar
63 3,75S
64 ...
65 ...
66 .*•
67 Lahore
68 3,780
69 .•*
70 3,109
71 ***
72 Rawalpindi...
73 1,411
74 ...
75 84,539
76 ••.
77 Multan
78 364
79 ...
80 14,297
81 Derajat
82 • ••
83 • ••
84 6,766
85 Peshawar ... ... ... ...
86 305
87 ...
88 7,171
89 They prefer to call themselves Chuhra, looking upon the term Bhangi as opprobrious.