But though the Ahir caste takes its name and is perhaps partly
descended from the Abhira tribe, there is no doubt that it is now
and has been for centuries a purely occupational caste, largely
recruited from the indigenous tribes. Thus in Bengal Colonel Dalton
remarks that the features of the Mathuravasi Goalas are high, sharp
and delicate, and they are of light-brown complexion. Those of the
Magadha subcaste, on the other hand, are undefined and coarse. They
are dark-complexioned, and have large hands and feet. "Seeing the
latter standing in a group with some Singhbhum Kols, there is no
distinguishing one from the other. There has doubtless been much
mixture of blood." [24] Similarly in the Central Provinces the Ahirs
are largely recruited from the Gonds and other tribes. In Chanda the
Gowaris are admittedly descended from the unions of Gonds and Ahirs,
and one of their subcastes, the Gond-Gowaris, are often classed as
Gonds. Again, the Kaonra Ahirs of Mandla are descended from the unions
of Ahirs either with the Gonds or Kawars, and many of them are probably
pure Gonds. They have Gond sept-names and eat pork. Members of one
of their subdivisions, the Gond-Kaonra, will take water from Gonds,
and rank below the other Kaonras, from whom they will accept food and
water. As cattle have to go into the thick jungles to graze in the hot
weather, the graziers attending them become intimate with the forest
tribes who live there, and these latter are also often employed to
graze the cattle, and are perhaps after a time admitted to the Ahir
caste. Many Ahirs in Mandla are scarcely considered to be Hindus,
living as they do in Gond villages in sole company with the Gonds.