1 302 PANJAB CASTES.
2 least in many parts of the province, nothing more than an occupation which,
3 in Siiilkot, is followed chiefly by Kliojahs, Chamrangs and Chiihras.
4 611. The KoU of the plains (Caste No. 66).— The Koli of the hills will
5 be discussed when the hill menials are treated of ; but the figures include a
6 certain numljer of people who proliably belong' to a wholly different caste from
7 them. The former are proliably of tnie Kolian origin ; while the latter, that
8 is to say all those returned as Kolis for the Delili and Ilissflr divisions, be-
9 long in all probability to the great Kori or Koli trilie of Chamiirs, the head-
10 quarters of which is in Oudli, and whose usual occupation is weaving. These
11 men are commonly classed with Chamars in the district in which they are
12 found, but are distinguished from the indigenous Chamars by the fact of
13 their weaving only, and doing no leather-work. Indeed they are commonly
14 known as Chamar-Julahas. Mr. Benton says : " The Chamar-Juliihas have no
15 " share in the village skins, and do no menial service ; but they would l>e very
16 " glad to be entered among the village Chamar.-, who have anticipated them
17 and driven them to weaving as an occupation." I very much doubt whether
18 this is generally true. As a rule the substitution of weaving for leather-work
19 is made voluntarily, and denotes a distinct rise in the social scale. The Kar-
20 nal Kolis do not obtain the services of Briihmans. (See further Koli, section
21 657, and Kori, section 603).
22 612. The Julaha and Paoli (Caste No. 9).— The weavers proper, of which
23 the Julaha as he is called in the east and the Piloli as he is called in the villages
24 of the wesl is the type, are an exceedingly numerous and important artisan
25 class, more especially in the western districts where no weaving is done by the
26 leather-working or scavenger castes. It is very possible that the Julaha is of
27 aboriginal extraction. Indeed Mr. Wilson, who has had while making the
28 settlement of Sirsa district unequalled opportunities of comparing different
29 sections of the people, is of opinion that the Julahas and Chamars are probably
30 the same by origin, the distinction between them having arisen from diver-
31 gence of occupation. Be this as it may, there is no doubt that the present
32 position of the two is widely dissimilar. The Julaha does not work in impure
33 leather, he cats no carrion, he touches no carcases, and he is recognised by both
34 Hindu and Musalman as a fellow believer and admitted to religious equality.
35 In a word, the Chamiir is a menial, tlie Julaha an aitisan. The real fact seems
36 to be that the word Julaha, which is a pure Persian word, the equivalent
37 Hindi term being Tanti, is the name of the highest occupation ordinarily open
38 to the outcast section of the community. Thus we find Koli-Julahas,
39 Chamar-Julilhas, Mochi-Julsihas, Ramdasi-Julahas, and so forth ; and it is
40 probable that after a few generations these men drop the prefix which denotes
41 their low origin, and become Julahas pure and simple.
42 The Julaha proper is scantily represented in the Dehli and Hissar
43 divisions, where his place is taken by Koli or Chumar- Julaha and Dhanak ; and
44 is hardly known in the Derajat, where probably the Jat does most of the weav-
45 ing. (See also figures of Abstract No. 72, page 224*). In the rest of the Fro- 'P. 106-
46 vince he constitutes some '^ to 4 per cent, of the total population. He is ^^~
47 generally Hindu in Kangra and Dehli, and often Hindu in Karnal, Ambala,
48 and Hoshyiirpur ; but on the whole some 92 per cent, of tlie Julahas are
49 Musalman. The Sikhs are few in number.
50 The Julaha confines himself, I believe, wholly to weaving. He is not
51 a true village menial, being paid by the piece and not by customary dues.