Gazetteer Of The Dera Ghazi Khan District 1883-84

· 1883 · Public domain (published pre-1930) · archive.org ↗

1[Punjab Gasettéer,

2Bo. CHAP. IJI.—THE PEOPLE.

3Chapter III, B. But the figures for the races of Christians, which are discussed

4Social Life. 12 Part VII of Chapter IV of the Census Report, are very untrust-’

5worthy; and it is certain that many who were really Eurasians

6oer ao Se: returned themselves as Europeans. The number of troops stationed

7Oe" in the district. is given in Chap. V, and the distribution of European

8and Eurasian Christians by ta/séils is shown in Table No. VII.

9SECTION B.—SOCIAL LIFE.‘

10It is not the custom in this district for tho agricultural

11ee to live much in one village. There“are houses on most of the

12wells in the Sindh in which the proprietors of the wells or their tenant

13live, and in the Pachad there are scattcred encampments made o

14wicker-work and reeds, or of matting, in which the Bilcohes live

15whilst they graze their flocksor in the season in which they have to

16cultivate their bands. As the pastures become exhaugted, or as the

17agricultural seasons change, these encampments are moved.

18Houses, The Biloches have usually no fixed habitations, but wander

19about with their flocks and herds, making encampments for them-

20selves where there is good pasture or where they happen to cultivate.

21In this district the Biloches are more settled, and some of them in-

22habit mud houses congregated together in villages. During,the hot

23weather months they leave their houses and resort to the hills or to

24the river bank, and do not return to their homes till rain falls,’ In

25the more exposed parts of the district a Biloch lives in a tower,

26access‘to which is had by a ladder. The upper storey of the tower is

27alone occupied. These towers are mcant as places of refuge in case

28ef attack, and are falling into disuse amongst the subject Biloches.

29From their mode of life it is not possible for the Biloches to se-

30Beclusion-of women, clude their women. The chiefs alone consider it necessary to do su,

31ang ‘even in the families of the chiefs women are allowed to mix

32in-doors ‘with the men of their own family, over whom they often

33exercise considerable influence.

34Biloch dzess, oraa- Biloch wears a long jdma like asmock ‘frock down to the

35mepipand arms. heels, pyjdmas or loose drawers, a long chaddar or scarf of

36cotton cloth, shoes narrow at the toe, or sandals of leather or

37grass. The Biloch wears nothing but white. He has an objection

38to colours of any kind, and will wear nothing coloured except his

39qo or overcvat, On account of their prejudice against colours,

40iloches will rarely accept any service which involves wearing uni-

41form. A Bilochni or Biloch woman wears a red or white cotton

42sheet over the head, a chola or long shift resembling an English

43night gown, which reaches down to the ankles, and is fastened be-

44hind between the shoulders. The chola is embroidered round the

45neck with silk. She also wears red or white pyjémas, but no

46petticoats. The hair is worn in a long queue.

47Men wear no ornaments except a ring.

48The women wear ordinarily—

49The villages.

50Kangan « oe ai ... bracelets.

51Nat ove wae ws ees .» & Dose-ring,

52Haat 3 pe a Lee .. A DOCcklet,

53Wélién i peo ops eee 38 earrings s