1 Appendix C. 235
2 of them to Lahore as his personal bodyguard. As soldiers they are
3 behind the Sikhs in all-round usefulness ; but they have on various
4 occasions, notably in 1849 and 1857, fought with conspicuous bravery
5 on the side of the English.
6 The Khatris. — The Khatri claims to be a direct representative of
7 the Kohatriya of Manu. Trade is the chief occupation of this
8 caste, but in the Punjab they are in addition the chief civic
9 administrators, and have almost all the literate work in their hands.
10 They are not military in their character, but are quite capable of
11 using a sword when necessary. Baba Nanak and Govind Singh were
12 both Khatris, as were also Diwan Sawan Mar of Miiltan, and his
13 notorious successor Mulraj, and many other of Ranjit Singh's chief
14 functionaries. The Sikh priesthood is recruited almost entirely from
15 this caste. The Khatris are generally well educated, and are staunch
16 Hindus ; and though they have given a religion and priests to the
17 Sikhs, comparatively few of them adopt the faith of the Khalsa. No
18 village can get on without the Khatri, who keeps the accounts, does
19 the banking business, and buys and sells the grain. He is a great
20 traveller, and is to be found as far afield as Central Asia ; but his
21 home, par excellence, is in the central districts of the Punjab.
22 The Aroras. — The Aroras are the traders of the Derajat and
23 Multan divisions, and to some extent also of the Central and Northern
24 Punjab. They claim to be of Khatri origin, but the claim is dis-
25 allowed by the more important caste. It seems probable that they
26 are descended from the Khatris of Aror, the ancient capital of Sindh,
27 nowt represented by the modern Rori. The Arora is, however,
28 inferior to the Khatri both in character and social position. He
29 is altogether destitute of martial instincts, and is commonly known
30 as a Korar, or shopkeeper ; but he is enterprising, industrious, and
31 thrifty. He is an excellent cultivator, and will turn his hand to
32 any work. In the Western Punjab he may be seen sewing cloths,
33 weaving matting and baskets, making vessels of brass and copper,
34 and doing goldsmith's work. The Aroras are Hindus by religion,
35 but a few profess the faith of Islam, and about seven per cent,
36 are Sikhs.
37 The Dogras. — The word Dogra is another name for the Jammu
38 territory, and the Dogras are Rajputs who inhabit that region ; but
39 the word Dogra is commonly applied to any inhabitant of Jammu,
40 whatever his caste. Their Rajput origin is undoubted, but it is
41 equally certain that they are not pure Rajputs.